The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-15 00:00:00

An English Review of the American War.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
The Times, in its review of Tenny's " History of
the Rebellion in the United States," does scant jus-
tice to the leading Northern generals. In estima'c-
ing a triumph the difficulties overcome should be
fairly weighed in awarding the meed of praise. It
is a very small affair for a European army to defeat
an Asiatic army, although it might task a general's
powers to the utmost to penetrate into an Asiatic
country, and to utilise his victory when gained.
The difficulties of warlike operations in America are
not to be estimated by a European standard. The
magnitude of the country, a vast proportion lying
still in a state of nature, renders offensive opera-
tions embracing the whole area peculiarly difficult.
The Northern generals were met at the outset by
a task of which a glance at our review of Mr. JAY'S
address to the Union League Club of New York will
give some idea. The South had been long preparing
for the contest, and so skilfully had the arrange_
ments been made by the able men who planned them
that they embraced not only a formidable organisa-
tion to the Seceded States, but the disorganisation
of the Northern. The position, when the war corn..
menced, is summed up in one sentence—" The
Treasury empty, forts, arsenals, navy-yards surren-
dered ; arms and munitions stolen and dispersed ;
the little navy scattered and disabled ; the army
officers in part demoralised ; and treachery lurking
in every department of the Government." This
was the base on which the North commenced its
gigantic conflict ; and, as might easily have been
foreseen, it opened in disaster. Given, the whole
position as we now know it, and the result might
have then been worked out to what actually hap..
aelsities of the con-
each side had
to overcome should be fairly stated. The armies
of both Confederacies were volunteer forces. The
Pt
con-
tendinggenerals In estimating t
theingthe
bs t a qualities
object of the one was defensive, that of the other
offensive. For defence volunteers acting on their
es
own soil are almost as good as regular troops. For
invasion, where every man's hand is against the
o
invader, the highest training is necessary. The
South then commenced with a twofold advantage.
It had appropriated to itself all the resources of the
Government, and it was defending its territory
against an invading foe, from whom it had pre-
viously extracted all its military appliances. Act-
ing in the interior of a wide circle, it was enabled

to throw back its more numerous opponents by
massing on any point threatened an overwhelming

This was always the secret of Southern
success, and it was always the great danger of
Northern attack. The generals who had to plan
and carry out the offensive operations acted
under every disadvantage. LEE was no doubt a
commander of the highest atility, but he
never succeeded, not for a moment, in the
invasion of a Northern State. Twice he pene-
trated through Maryland, even into Pennsylvania,
each time to be hurled back with the greatest
disaster—and both operations were signal mistakes.
GRANT was never defeated in his objects, and
GRANT'S objects were always offensive. Ile had
before him the most difficult country to traverse, a
series or swung- Ft/511,11A1. w c,—.a
soldiers to defeat, commanded by a general of re-

force.

splendent talents. These, it will be allowed, were
no ordinary difficulties, and to him, therefore, in all
justice, must be given the first place among the
military commanders of the age. Nor was this
GRAN-es only merit. He planned the whole cam-
paign, which ended in breaking up the Southern
Confederacy as if it had been an egg in his
hand. Stonewall Jackson, although a soldier
of extraordinary merit, fell before he had attained
to the highest command, and cannot, therefore,
fairly be brought into comparison. It is one thing
to command a division as a subordinate, and an-
other to carry to a successful close the greatest
military operations the world has seen, with the
exception of the wars of Napoleon. Personal
heroism inspires an undue admiration, and is apt to
call forth exaggerated praise. The only true com-
parison lies between Lee and Grant ; and if suc-
cess be taken as the criterion of merit, the palm
must be awarded to the Northern general. Sheri-
dan might fairly be compared with Stonewhll
Jackson, and Sherman was Johnstone's superior.
To M'Clellan may be due all the praise given by
the Times, but he had the misfortune to attain to
the chief command, when the difficulties be-
fore the North were simply insurmountable.
The Northern armies had then to be formed,
and the Northern Cabinet and people had yet to
learn what offensive warfare meant. In Europe the
difficulties which met the early commanders in this
war are not yet fully understood. Here it was sup-
posed that the North sent overwhelming forces
into the field, which were crushed by the superior
factgall gallantry
aand t
he generalship b
r brought
theght
the South.siip e r
iThe
force
against their foe, against which the North, whollyy
i
by
defeat,td e
thel
strike wild
nation braced itself up, and ceased
to
and futile blows. When fairly prepared for war
were , equal to
both its armies and generals
unprepared, threw
gw allan itself
try. with
T Taught
the greatest audacity
and unavailing
emergency ; and
the best troops and to any
nymerits cannot till
a comparison of respective
then be instituted.
.equalled, and he stands
The reviewer is
nrehnvaFi eivi,nkgeßmri
dlaoAerrofeeeluynurcibi
ejaeluneessndts
all comparison, at the head of the
beyond -
age. The reviewer has hit on a
now,
b. the cruise of the
peculiar There is nothing " wonderful" in a swift
d
water laiysttliinegfr.ieni\lrley
armeddtaai
aiersme:
mi ihspnr anapy„lros
esvf, ncos steamerosfecari tni entil
nhTdsaphstetresEectl
strength,
013geni
Etl
combat
itlaw:nboodaunt
gdwN:vartasf
crushed
u,
tsa:vrl
beot
edngodilf
nei
krnfleii
wonderful"
mac
i
s
career was its end. For she accepted a challenge of
saw the signal of surren-
bil3lldCriAlNviAnigg. a comparisone
tlu'rhi n capturing seve
andbxPeti:bi between
feeble
(reahe:
aletone
s ilooahewgfueocal
af)ws,‘npvpaai,
soiEtlwlhdpinti
English
duhoatbnots.idi eavieivtseire:rons,
sailor, and
nritanyshnf inflicting
\ico\r,ttaoihitilelgl down,t h
Nev
Captain of the
A
l
comments ; but, making due allo
excelled, seldom indeed
wanee
for he
the widerevi -
RRinAdGeed
reviewer's
dent leaning of the writer, we consider the summary
to be tolerably fair.

ThSlieslitißaCalErlliSßUßY AUTUMN MEETING.—Mr. Frail has
as
by taali obtainedu r sos
rmyensplendid
aenndt rti ehse for
vhei 71: :•e
o•
l
and
have each closed with 49 subscribers, and there are 35
entries for the Stewards' Cup. On the second day there
are no less than 77 subscribers for the Shrewsbury Cup,
and 50 for the Battlefield Handicap ; on the third day, the
Column llandizap can boast of 82, and the Monkmoor
Handicap of GO subscribers ; and on the fourth day, the
Newport Gold Cup and the Hawkstone Welter Cup have
each 20, and the Copeland and Caldecot Nurseries have 46
and 44 nominations.
LORD LYON AND GLADIATEUR.—Mr. Sutton has
challenged to run Gladiateur a mile and a half, at 141 b, for
noeof sovereigns
91b
onlyis
£lOOO a side, at the next meeting, where both horses are
eaahe•ehad(yßreentgnyagesdta ikneethce
Course),
il
,
at S
a Stakes
e ofre 100 re
In the absence of Count Lagrange, Jennings (who left
eff
Newmarket on Thursday, to take charge of Gladiateur on
his arrival at London Bridge from Boulogne, yesterday)
was unable to give any reply to Mr.
.Sutton's-offer, ogliielz
has been communicated to Count Lagrange in Pttils.—The
Sporting Gazette.

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