The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-29 00:00:00

greatly strengthen their hands, and will remove
those obstacles which prejudice, selfishness, and
discussion have hitherto put in their way. It will
empower them to impress any number of men they
may require, to enlist the negroes, and take other
active and vigorous steps. The great wants
in the Southern councils ever since the unfortu-
nate moment when General SHER3IAN entered
Georgia have been promptitude and vigour.
Unhappily just at that crisis there was disaffection
in the Senate and discontent among the people.
Those selfish interests which can never be wholly
exterminated asserted themselves among the people,
and paralysed the efforts of their truly patriotic
readers. The Peace Conference did great good by
arousing once more the old feeling of unity and de-
termination throughout the Confederate States.
The people, whatever their malcontent, could not
submit tamely to the humiliating terms offered by
the North, who dictated the terms of a conqueror
without a conqueror's right. On the subject of this
Conference we learn something from the Southern
President's Message. It appears that the Confede-
rate Commissioners proposed to get over LINCOLN'S
objection to treat with the Richmond Government
by a military convention between the two principal
Generals. LinteouT did not at first accede to this,
but after a time General ORD, commanding the
army of the James, asked for an interview with
General LONGS'TREET, and told him that LEE would
be granted an interview if he had the requisite
authority. LEE therefore wrote to GRANT on the 2d
of March, proposing a conference on the subject of
the suspension of hostilities. But the Northern
General refused, on the ground of not having any
such authority. No choice, therefore, says DAvis,
remains to the people of the Confederacy, but to
fight out the contest to the last. " They can have
little love for Union who supposes it possible they
would ever consent to purchase, at the cost of de-
gradation and slavery, permission to live in a
country garrisoned by their own negroes, and
governed by officers sent by the conqueror to rule
over them." Not less strong is his language of
encouragement, provided the people respond to his
call. He does not, indeed, attempt to deny that
the crisis is urgent, and with the frank and straight-
forward candour with which he has always dealt
with his people, he admits that Richmond is now in
greater danger than it has been throughout the war.
But he adds, " Though the country is in danger,
calamities will be averted and triumph secured by
fortitude, courage, constancy, and endurance."
Men and money are both required for the success-
ful conduct of the war ; both exist in the country,
and both should, therefore, be forthcoming for the
cause. With regard to the financial embarrassments
which still continue to be felt, he hopes that
Congress will devise measures for making coin within
the Confederacy available for supplying the army.
Two million dollars in coin Will, it is said, supply the
Carolina armies during the remainder of the year.
With the monetary difficulty thus disposed of, and
the scarcity of men provided for by the enlistment
of the negroes, the two great hindrances to the Con-
federate leaders will be satisfactorily removed.
In contrast to the Message of President DAVIS to
the Confederate Congress, we have the brief ac-
count of a speech made by President LINCOLN to a
crowd at Washington, in which he declared his be-
lief that the end of the war was at hand, that the
South was reduced to the last extremity, and
that if the slaves would fight for their masters
it would be an argument in favour of
slavery. Mr. LINCOLN'S opinions appear to have
undergone a rapid change between the 4th and 17th
of March. The desponding tone of his address on
his re-inauguration as President was most remark-
able, and he expressly asserted that no man could
foresee the end of the war. But, in a fortnight, all
is changed. The Confederacy is at its last gasp,
the negroes will not fight, and the war is coming to
an immediate conclusion. We suspect that the
North, so far from having nearly gained their object,
is in a more critical position than ever. Should the
Southern people respond to DAVIS'S appeal, as they
no doubt will, LEE will be free to act with a vigour
and a concentration of purpose which he has never
been able to command before, while the wide range
of his authority will enable him to be virtual
Dictator.

It is evident that some important movement is in
contemplation, for unusual activity was prevailing
in both armies, and so remarkable was the move-
ment among LEE'S troops that the army of the Po-
tomac was under arms for two days. It was thought
that the Confederates had ruined some of the Fede-
ral works, and an attack was expected but whether
there was any reason for this supposition beyond
mere conjecture is not stated. The Richmond papers
suspended publication on the 16th, owing to the
absence of their workpeople upon military service.
They might possibly have been engaged in the re-
moval of property previous to the evacuation of the
city, or they may have been summoned to take part
in other business. It is quite manifest that LEE has
some serious movement in contemplation, and pos-
sibly its result may affect the destiny of the war.
SHERMAN is said to be moving on Goldsborough,
having now open communication with Wilmington.
He has completely desolated the eastern portion of
Southern Carolina, burning everything before him
after the humane fashion of Federal warfare. It is
noticeable that the Federal Government is said to
contemplate the withdrawal of twenty-five thou-
sand marines from the navy for land service. This
does not look as if the Northern ranks were very
well suppliedwith recruits. The Confederate General
FORREST has arrived at Macon, Georgia, with 15,000
cavalry, so that we may expect he will soon appear
upon the scene of action. JOHNSTON is concentrat-
ing his forces at Raleigh, where SHER3IAN may look
for serious resistance. Raleigh is the capital of
North Carolina_a central position of importance,
round which the railways radiate in various direc-
tions. It is not likely that JOHNSTON may make a
stand there, and offer a vigorous opposition to the
invader's further progress.

The last mail told us of the damage wantonly
inflicted by the Federals in flooding the banks of
the James River Canal. They had since
to
suffer a similar misfortune themselves by the sudden
breaking up of the ice on the Susquehanna, famous
for its poetical associations. Some millions of
dollars' worth of property has been destroyed, and
the petroleum works in Pennsylvania have suffered
greatly.
The next mail, which may be expected within a
few days, may very likely bring us important intel-
ligence; but, as matters at present stand, the friends
of the South have no cause for despair, nor the
partisans of the North for exultation. It is
probable that the very reverses which the
South has suffered may be the means of
its salvation, since they have aroused its
latent energies. DAVIS and LEE are leaders worthy
of a free and determined people, and the rumoured
resignation of the former has its rise, no doubt, in
the wishes of Northern allies. He is not the man
to abandon his post in danger, and all wise and
patriotic Southerners must desire to retain him at
the head of the Confederacy.

Affairs in Prussia are approaching a crisis, and
the Government Will soon be put upon their mettle
to carry out their eheri4heci vzhemea and to make a