The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-19 00:00:00

THE AMERICAN WAR.

The influence of climate and education on the
human race would be strikingly exemplified in the
contrast between the Americans of August, 1862,
and the British in 1792, or in the midst of their
greatest struggle, if we could prove that the natives
of the Northern States of the present day were the
same stock as the British, or even were of the same
race, undoubtedly British, and removed from the
home people by only a couple of generations; who
successfully carried to its end the rebellion of 1776,
and in concert with the French defeated all the
efforts which England could make, while engaged
in European wars, to overcome their distant resist-
ance. It is difficult to say, indeed, what " Ameri-
can news" means or is—to determine what is " Stan-
ton," and what is truth ; but there can be no doubt
concerning the depression of the publie, and the
comparative moderation of tone, the enforced de-
cency, and the reasonableness, in fact, of the North-
ern, or more properly of the New York papers,
compared with the style which they naturally in-
dulged in towards Great Britain in particular and
the world in general before the recent disasters to
their arms, now aggravated by the apparent absence
of the means of redressing them. This is a whole-
some moral change, but it is, we fear, not perma-
nent; it is the result of apprehension, perhaps, lest
ttihnets great slave Confederation shall succeed in get-
gproduce out of the grasp of what has been
called the " Union," and that in dealing directly
with European Powers it may be relieved from the
necessity of contributing a large percentage of its
imports to the manufacturers and capitalists of the
North.

One New York paper attributes what it is pleased
to call " a change in British policy" towards the
United States, as exemplified in the Lindsay debate,
to " the influence of Queen Victoria—our only
friend in the British Government," and, with an
affectation of knowledge we do not care to cha-
racterise as it deserves, declares that Prince Albert,
with " almost the last pulsiition of his heart,
softened and amended the first despatches to Lord
Lyons" on the Trent affair. Another New York
journal, not more disposed to look kindly on Eng-
land or her policy, is forced to confess that "the
British Government deserves the praise of having
held to the obligations of neutrality under condi-
tions such as never before urged a people to their vio-
lation." But it also adds, " Lord Palmerston says
the time has not come for mediation to be offered—
the time will never come when British mediation
can be accepted." Perhaps, however, as "the
House of Commons and the British Government
have created new claims to the respect of our
people," their opinion may have its legitimate in-
fluence hereafter. " Never" is a long day, and the
New York times admits that "no sympathy with
our cause can be expected to stand for ever such
trials as the conduct of the war has exposed the
English people to."
Those who once menaced us with war, if we ven-
tured to exercise the right of a non-belligerent in
recognising a State engaged in hostility with
another as belligerent, are now very grateful be-
cause Lord Palmerston resists a proposal to do what
England was almost dared to do ever since the con-
test began. In fact, the North has at least awoke
to the knock at the door. She hears at last the
question, " Can we save the Union ?" where once
nothing was audible but the cry, "We will put this
thing through in 30 days, and then whip the rest of
the world." The answer given to the question by
the North will determine the result, and the most
curious problem solved for many a year, and not
without significance for us, will be whether the
forced action of the Militia will be more effective
than the voluntary assistance of the earlier levies,
and whether the Militia force itself is not consider-
ably affected in its materiel and constitution by the
volunteer enrolments which preceded. The applica-
tion of the Militia laws will certainly overcome the
repugnance which is stated to exist in a large part
of the people to a life on " crackers and salt pork," in
fever swamps and inactivity. It is to be noted that
i food and rations which would be considered luxu-
rious by a Russian, excellent by a French, and quite
good enough by an English soldier, are regarded
almost with loathing by an American Volunteer.
A correspondent of the New York World, with the
Federal army retiring from Charleston, who lets as
know, by the by, that Hunter's force was leaving the
North Edasto River on July 19, attributes a good
deal of the backwardness in recruiting to complaints
about the diet, and insinuates that regiments " have
been left for days on half rations." Then he says,
" You know what tremendous letter writers our
soldiers are. Such cases of privation are reported
home and talked of all over the neighbourhood."
But such cases are not :the worst, " a regiment is
crowded for six weeks into a small steamer till the
men swarm with vermin." Another "is sent off
without tents, knapsacks, or equipage, and spends
a week now scorched by sun, now steeped in mala-
rious:dew, sleeping on the soaked earth without
kettles to cook their food," or another regiment " is
ordered to march ; all its equipage is sent on board,
and is carried cff. Then it is found out there is not
transportation for the men, and they lie on the
beach, day after day, unsheltered, comfortless, and
miserable!' The effect of these fall and faithful
records at home is described as "tremendous." But
" a la guerre comme a la guerre! Messieurs!' This
bad food leads to "intemperance and the squander-
ing of money upon lollypops." Then, again, the
clothing is wretched—a pair of pantaloons lasts only
_
three weeks ; men have been obliged to spend 14
or 16 dollars in two months on their clothes, and
di
the ration, which is nominally won—
-300. a-day,
ought not to cost more than 160-
to 18c. While
reading of these complaints and the amount of the
a ro:n
vetnehdefuaNtillonergnt h,
tewor
ent
hes ruess,lpoeot
suspect,
cannot help rendering the .
of
the Federals to endure effects produced by them
greatest praise to the
people of the South, who
and wno nevertheless swarm
around their standard with unflagging
e,
"crackers would probably content themconstancy.
very well with their pork, and they
clothes at any price, nor can it be ex-
Northetronget
indeed
ex-
pected
their interior economy is much more perfect
in any respect than that of the Northern
But
would be glad
indeed
gd
a
army.
it is imperative, we are assured by the New
york Times, to send 100,000 men at bast to re-
inforce M'Clellan, because the Confederates in his
neighbourhood can now be little short of 250,000
men. The troops
which were protecting Charles-
ton and Savannah are now
free to reinforce
the army at Richmond. ~ If M'Clellan is not
reinforced he must withdraw his army"—if he can
—"" and take up a new and more feasib:e line of
approach" to the Confederate capital, though where
that is to be found does not readily appear. This
journal, indeed, admits that M'Clellan's position
most certainly looks unfortunate, if not precarious,"
and does not affect to disbelieve what appears
almost incredible—namely that the Confederates
have sent a force round M'Clellan's right rear, and
have
a position below the Chicahosniny
on the
left
of the James River, a step which
taken h
a upek
argues no small share of confidence in their owe 1
strength and the weakness and want of enterprise
f theenemy. Above M'Clellan both sides of the
o
river are
studded with impregnable batteries;
Another journal insists on it that the Confederates
have 300,000 men under arms in Virgin's' and
yetthat
they can make Richmond quite secure, and
move2oo,ooo men as they please against Pope ,