The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-16 00:00:00

THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA

(From the Times' Correspondent.)
NEW YORK, AUG. 1.

The press of this city strives vigorously to blow
the war trumpet, and to cheer the spirits of the
people. But the effort produces little effect.
Though told that 111‘Cleilan's position on the
Peninsula is impregnable, that the health of his
army improves rapidly, that reinforcements con-
tinue to reach him daily, that he is prepared for all
emergencies, and that General Halleck, with the
proverbial activity of all new brooms, is sweeping
right and left,and doing an immensity of useful work,
the public, in and out of Wall-street, obstinately re-
fuse to believe the good tidings. They understand
too well the characteristics of their sensation press
to be deceived by flaming announcements. Study-
ing or comparing the reports brought by sick and
wounded soldiers from the camp ; looking at the
palpable failure of the recruiting ; taking part in
the undertalk of life and business that seldom finds
its way into the newspapers; and poring over the
maps to discover where those generals are, the
majority of ti .e public believe that M'Clellan is in
an untenable and very critical position; and that if
he do not succeed in evacuating the peninsulawithin
a few days or hours his army will either be annihi-
lated or captured. The undoubted facts that the
Confederates, in face of enormous difficulties and
impediments, have succeeded in constructing and
launching a little navy of Merrimacs, each
vessel an improvement upon the original craft
which did such mischief in the Hampton
Roads, and that the Federal flotilla of wooden
gun-boats in the James River is not safe from
the attack of Merrimac No. 2, with many others
as significant, tend to increase the public anxiety,
and to make men of business feel uncomfort-
able, Were any journal of New York to reflect
the true state of public opinion on this matter it
would be denounced by its contemporaries as
Secessionist, and perhaps receive an intimation
from Mr. Stanton that it was a public nuisance
which it was incumbent upon him to abate. But I
can undertake to say, as the result of my own ex-
perience, that large numbers of people of all ranks
and classes who still believe in the ultimate suppres-
sion of the rebellion, and in the restoration of the
Union as it was and the Constitution as it is," are
alarmed at the state of affairs in the peninsula, and
would willingly adjourn to the Greek Ralends the
attempt to capture Richmond, provided M'Clellan
could get safely away with the remnant of his
army. Their hope is that Stonewall Jackson or
Lee, or whatever Confederate General may be in
command, will and Harrison's Landing when be
attacks it in the state in which Halleck found
Corinth, deserted by all but the dogs and the ne-
groes. The humiliation of such a movement would
be explained away, under the designation of " able
strategy" and " consummate generalship," and
might be endured for the sake of the army which
it would save. M'Clellan has command of James
River, and the Government can supply him with
any number of transports which he may require, so
that his escape will not be very difficult if he can
only contrive to keep his movements secret from the
ever watchful spies of his antagonists. If he can-
not he may be destroyed; and it is the knowledge
of this fact makes the public uneasy, in spite of the
constantfiznfaronade of the war press.
The President, it appears, hesitates to resort to a
Conscription, and well he may,
considering that
there are many hundreds of thousands of subjects
of Queen Victoria who are content to live and thrive
in America, and to call themselves American citizens
in fair weather, but who are not content to leave
their business and their homes to fight for the
country in which they were not born, or to lend a
hand to save the vessel of the State in a storm. It
may be very cowardly, or very wrong, in these
people, but the fact remains, and is one that may
questions to embarrass the Govern-
raise up ugly
ment at a future day should a Conscription be en-
forced. The President is reported to have expressed
to a self-appointed deputation of New York
citizens, calling themselves
" the
Council of Ten,"
who visited him at Washington
three days ago,
that be was not averse to a draught. should it be-
come necessary ; but that he retained
opinion that the 300,000 re
men he his previous
required would be
supplied by voluntary enlistment. The President
ought to have means of correct
-nformatiou
Yorksample of the- 011111218
Newbut if
may be taken as a
of the Northern States, it is difficultas, f)id the
to
conclusion that the President is either ove.r san-
guine or misinformed. Indeed, he seems to
have
some little misgiving, for he is reported to have
told the deputation that 100,000 new men inc orPe-
I rated into the old regiments Would for all ea 'PUY()