The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-17 00:00:00

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

The present arrival from New York throws an
indirect light on the battle before Richmond, which
gives us clear evidence of Mr. Lincoln's opinion of
it in a levy of 300,000 men. In the midst of the
Northern successes I ventured to assert in your
columns that those successes were delusive, that the
Federals were frittering away their strength, anti I
estimated the recruits that would be required 'to
make up their ranks at the precise number now
called out. What can these recruits do now, even
if they can be obtained, which is by no means cer-
tain ? What will be the result of sending them
against experienced and victorious troops ? Oa
what pretext can Europe be asked to endure the
suffering of the coming winter while another army
is drilling at Washington, or amateurs are trying
whether their knowledge of other pursuits enables
them to command armies?

It is possible that Richmond might have been
taken had General M'Clellan followed up with
vigour the forces retreating from Yorktown, giving
them no time to recover from the depression of that
event, and crushing before a triumphant advance
the feeble obstacles which then existed. In place
of this, after announcing his intention " to pin the
enemy to the wall," the moment he comes within
sight of that enemy he casts about to shelter him
self with intrenchments, to dig rifle pits, and to
raps
swelter away the lifeblood of his army in swamps
that might have been chosen for this purpose'lvEven
if unprepared for prompt attack,
it
y to the north,
was
in his power
to place himself on the line of railway
to open it to the Rappahannoci_r2sakin:dag up a healthythus be within
three hours of the Potomac. T
position on the line, north of Richmond, he would
have been in communication with
m the forces on the
h.ar commanded all the re-
in case of defeat
would fall back on
Shenandoah, he would
sources of Central Virgi.illat
and
Washington. As he now stands
no battle is needed to destroy his army.
All the
Southern Generals
have to do is to occupy in force
the southerntrue they
abandoned of the James river. It is
abandoned the lower batteries before, but they were
then retreating. It is a very different thing to hold
batteries when in a career of success, and after Fort
Darling has dispelled the theory that iron-plated
vessels are irresistible. A single battery that stops
the transports must comp el his army either to starve
or fall back on Fort Monroe, and if driven to the
latter alternative but a small proportion would be
likely to reach that shelter.

The appointment of General Pope in place of
such Generals as Banks and Fremont appears a wise
measure. He is the only commander on the North-
ern side 'who has given the faintest evidence of
capacity. As to his talent for assertions—referring
to which one of your correspondents applies to him
and to HaHeck the appropriate term "full mouthed"
—this is only the fashion of the day. The best ser-
vice any General could render was to keep up the
Stock-Exchange, and why not fight the enemy with
figures as well as other weapons ? It is stated that
General Pope 10
to operate againstllichmond, but
this would leave the
way
.t.O
Beauregard, and,
comnicombinewith Pope, General
M'Clcllan should have ,moved north-west, thethree-
tion he has taken beingoouth-east. Jackson had
the command of a clear line of railway from Stavin"
ton to Richmond,
but this wotad not be left r-in to
uch a
General Pope, who would have to make o s
Southern
march in the month of July that theective what
Generals would probably be glad to recd
remained of his force at the end of it.
In a recent article you alluded to the remarkable s,