The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-08 00:00:00

THE SUN.

LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 1862.

Whatever becomes of the Southern chivalry in
arms, the " Chivalry in Petticoats" do not mean to
be beaten. In Florida and Tennessee alike, they
show themselves unconquerable. The sterner sex
acquiesce when Federal troops fairly obtain posses-
sion of a town, in the decision of reason. They see
they must obey, and they do obey. But General
Rogers in Florida complains that the ladies will
talk treason ; they think it courageous, and they
mistake themselves for heroines. He attributes it
part to the scandal which has promulgated respect-
ing his men, and be may be right; but it is a
singular fact that the ladies in Washington itself
long leaned to the Southern side. We hear little of
of it indeed now. The loss of so many relatives in
the war must have influenced their minds against
its authors; but, at first the North seemed to the
ladies the more vulgar, the South the more aristo-
cratic side, and how could they hesitate as to which
to choose ? In Tennessee the Generals, more adroit
than General ROGERS in Florida, have found
means to punish the ladies by making them Angels
of Mercy. The officers at Nashville received abuse
from the fair sex, in proportion to their rank ; and,
as the fair revilers were the wives or re-
latives of persons of wealth and influence,
andse selecting
generals
tbi
ny g
aohsfe
heir
rtfh
the
lower
hhoeu ses
mosti into
00r
qd
hue roe sns , h
pt i
titanl
into
0, 1
I l
converted
l means
i nt
small-pox hospitals. It cannot be doubted that the
discipline, according to the ability of each, has
converted them from curst and cursing KATES into
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALES ; for, with all the
' novelists and poets, we may not doubt that the
merciful and pitiful is the deeper nature of woman.
We note the fact, however, as mere politicians, be-
cause it at least indicates which way female senti-
ment works in the South—a sentiment which will
assnredly not be extinguished by force of arms, or
by political skill, during the present or perhaps
during several succeeding generations.
_

We now know for certain that Fort Monroe, in
front of which the Merrimac and the Monitor per-
formed their artillery feats, is to be the basis of a
movement into Virginia. A sufficient force for
protection will of course remain at Washington, but
already, on the authority of a correspondent, who
writes in haste, because in haste to be off with the
army, troops are moving rapidly down the now
open Potomac to the Fort. General WooL had
previously about 40,000 assembled there, and more
than that number are preparing to follow. They
will have with them 4,000 cavalry and 100 guns.
The distance of the capital of Virginia—Richmond,
the seat of the rebel Congress—is about the
same from the fort and from Washington ; nearly
one hundred miles direct, but the fort being on the
sea and very strong, affords probably a better base
for military operations ; and the two parallel rivers,
between which the army must intend to advance,
can probably be used for the conveyance of sup-
plies. Hitherto the Federals have preferred to
keep near the waters of the sea or of navigable
rivers. The most important towns are, however,
in the South, as well as in the North, situated on

the rivers.
In a military point
work to be done than
to be more important
of view there seems to us, how-
ever,
that of advancing on Richmond. It is not very
apparent that the capture of Richmond, masking as
it were the Norfolk Navy Yard, which lies up a
creek n
-PPosite to Fort Monroe, would
compel the
abandonment of that arsenal. It is there that the
Merrimac was raised .
beardiraisedequipped, sent forth to the
World-fatuous battle in Ham
nonow
Hampton Roads,
ng Fort Monroe itself ; and there she now lies
in dock, preparing for another
t '
B#llv New York is