The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-15 00:00:00

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THE SUN.
LONDON, MONDAY, SEPT. 15, 1862.

Our predictions have been realised. The Confe-
derates have made the prodigious efforts we expected
of them, to rout the rederals before their armies
should all unite, and the new levies reinforce them.
As the result of those efforts Washington
has, in military matters, changed places with Rich-
mond. The late besiegers of the latter, being now
massed behind the trans-Potomac defences of Wash-
ington, and the inhabitants of the Federal capital
being now in quite as much fear as those of the
Confederate capital were recently, We can hardly
think that the Confederates will make a serious
move against Washington itself. Possibly, if they
did, it might become their turn to retreat. They
were themselves strongest at their capital. 111‘CLE-
LAN pushed them back from Yorktown and Wil-
liamsburg without difficulty--he could not push
them out of Richmond. The Confederates in like
manner have pushed back the boastful POPE, and
some better Generals too, till they halt, in turn,
in their Torres Vedras, before Washington. And
we may be pretty sure such able commanders as
the South have, will not risk being driven back
again to Richmond. If Washington be attacked
it will not be in vain. They will first make sure of
success. It would indeed be a splendid triumph for
them to proclaim the Confederacy from the steps of
the Capitol,but it might be bought too dear. Besides,
if anything could madden the North into rising en
masse it would be the capture of its Capital. Pro-
bably, the political chief will be more chary of its
attempt than even the Commander-in-Chief. Humi-
liation enough that the PRESIDENT should again
hear in the White House the roar of the Confederate

cannon.

We now know, with tolerable precision, the re-
sult of the battle of Friday, the 29th of August,
described as a great victory in General POPE 's
despatch of the 30th, which was brought by the
last mail. An eye-witness writes that the enemy
had at first been driven back two miles ; it proved,
however, that they only fell back on reinforcements,
and when these were reached they regained one
mile. POPE s victory of the Friday was the gain
of a mile of ground. But Saturday proved that it
was a losing gain. NPDOWELL, SIGEL, POPE, all
fought with desperation ; but all would
not avail. They were driven back by
greater energy, wielded by greater skill, and
saving nothing but their honour, fell back to places
whose names were familiar to us last year—Cen-
treville and Fairfax, between Bull's Run and Wash-
ington. Thus has Bull's Run become a third time
celebrated. A Federal rout about fifteen months ago
gained it a world-wide reputation_ A repulse from
it of the Confederates on the 29th seemed to restore
again the balance—it was but for a night. POPE
had, as usual, prepared us to hear of his pursuit of
the enemy, and complete triumph on the 30th, but
again the Federals had to flee from Bull's Run to
Washington, this time, however, in the manner of
soldiers. The very teamsters, who last year were
said to be the cause of the panic, this time seem to
have learned to be cool under fire. When an ene-
my's bombshell burst in their line of waggons, de-
stroying one of them, we read of their coolly re-
moving the fragments out of the road, and pro-
ceeding as usual.

Thus again the " defence of Washington" was
the business of the lily on the 4th of September.
All forces in the neigh bourhood were concentrating
to the capital, from Winchester on the west side
in the Valley of the :,;henandoah, and from Acquia
Creek on the south-1 ast, where APCLELLAN was
with part of his late army of ; R
—"mond, all are
brought to the capital., and the other positions eva-
cuated. The large Federal fleet of gunboats corn_
wand, indeed, the Potomac, and probably Wash_
ington itself will owe much to them. The re-
mains of the Northern armies ought still largely