The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-03 00:00:00

Kentucky was for neutrality against both North
and South.

The North not only talks big to European Powers
generally, but has told Spain in particular that
she would take possession of St. Domingo
at her peril. Canadian Volunteers have
offered their services, which have been
accepted. No aggressive movement is contemplated
immediately, but General BUTLER and nine regi-
ments are sent to Fort Monroe, which commands
the Bay of Chesapeake. The blockade of Charles-
ton Harbour is -raised ; why, we are not told, we
presume temporarily, the Niagara being sent to the
Gulf of Mexico. There is nothing material beyond
preparation yet. Amongst other preparations,
Mr. LINCOLN'S Government is now willing to
accede to the code of the European Congress of
1856 in regard to privateers !!! We make no
comment.

In a woodcut sketch the London American gives
a clear view of the actual seat of War, and
our readers are indebted to it for permis-
sion to make use of the same. Every reader
of the newspapers will require now to have
just such an idea of the strategic position of parties
as this map, with the accompanying description,
will furnish. With the further aid of Mr. WYLD'S
comprehensive and admirable map he will be
enabled to comprehend the whole action of both the
belligerent sections, from Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Indiana, and Illinois, down to the Gulf States.
The useful little sketch before us exhibits just
that part where military operations are now
in progress. On the North the boundary
of Pennsylvania stretches away from the Delaware
river—which separates it from the small Atlantic
State of New Jersey—some 250 miles to the West.
Immediately south of Pennsylvania, and along this
direct line, for 200 miles lies the State of Mary-
land, which follows on its southern border the wind-
ings of the great river Potomac, on which Wash-
ington stands. The river squeezes Maryland to the
territorial advantage of Virginia, into very narrow
dimensions for about a hundred miles of its Western
part ; but were the Marylanders a free and
commercial people, they would be abundantly com-
pensated by their state, including all the upper
half of the noble Bay of Chesapeake, which forms
the estuary of several noble streams. Virginia
claims the seaward half of Chesapeake Bay, and
then follows on the North the course of the Potomac
till it meets the quakerly straight border of Penn-
sylvania for about 50 miles, when the Ohio becomes
the line which separates the " Old Dominion"
from freedom, flourishing as it does in the state of
that name. Virginia's other Western neighbours are
Kentucky and Tennessee, which both also bear the
black brand of Slavery. The Western part of Virgi-
nia, however, has scarcely any slaves, is favourable
to the North and to freedom, and will protect the
west flank of the Northern advance southward.
Washington itself stands in a small district, origi-
nally ten miles square, divided pretty equally and
diagonally by the Potomac, which were ceded to the
Central Government in 1789, but the Southern half
was ceded back to Virginia in 1846, an act which,
by the light of 1861, appears to have been an im-
prudent one, since there are situated the Arlington
heights, of which our readers have seen mention,
which command the city, and from which it could
be laid in ashes.

We may now easily see the strategic position.
Washington stands in a Slave State, Maryland,
and is sixty miles in a direct line from the Pen-
nsylvanian frontier. But, as usual, the populous
line of communication is not the direct one; the
real communications with the free States are by
railroads through the busy city of Baltimore, and
by sea, through Annapolis, on the Chesapeake Bay.
The first route is much the quickest, since Anna-
polis can be reached by vessels from the north only
by doubling completely back for about 140 miles
up the bay. Hence the first efforts of the South,
through the agency of the Baltimore mob, to ob-
struct the passage of the Massachusetts regiment to
Washington, and then, by destroying the bridges on
the two principal lines of railway from the North.
One of these runs to Havre de Grace, thirty-three
miles, and on to Philadelphia, and crosses some
important streams ; the bridges here have been
restored. The other passes northwards through
York to Harrisburg, both also in Pennsylvania.
On this line the bridges were chiefly of iron,
smaller and easily restored. The Federal troops are
now in possession of all these communications,
and Maryland has no alternative but to submit to
martial law and be modest.

In fact Virginia is now becoming, as she deserves
to be, the battle-field between those who are fighting
to extend, and those who fight to limit slavery.
This proud old colony has long driven a most pro-
fitable trade in what it is revolting even to mention,
—in breeding and selling their fellow-Americans.
We were going to say—black or coloured fellow-
Americans. But this is only part of the horrid truth.
The most profitable article of this kind, is a young
female, the daughter of a planter, by one of his
white slaves, as we should think them ; who, after
receiving education, and being even taught accom-
plishments, fetches an enormous price as the victim
of Southern licentiousness. Into this State, thus
cursed, the arms of the North are advancing. ;Eta
fleet already blockades the Bay of Chesapeake ; and
its forces occupy Fort Monroe, near its entrance.
Harper's Ferry on the Virginian side of the Potomac,
where the martyr to liberty, JOHN BROWN, made
his unsuccessful attempt, is the other extremity of
Mr. LINCOLN'S present advance. The place is
strongly situated, but as the arsenal was destroyed,
it is not probable that the works have been well
mounted with cannon since, and tncre is little
doubt that it must soon fall before the
Federal army. The left advance of the
vtihregninibae,,abitouits
isoaoidm,
iloens
sßouicthhmofond,theacramp
capital of oilfl
Wash-
ington ; by Alexandria,
Dumfries, and Fredericks-
burg. In what force the South
will be able to
resist such a march, or to protect Richmond and
the other towns from capture, is not yet
apparent. If Virginia succumbs, the Southern
cause will be badly damaged in • its mili-
tary prestige; but we fear the North
still wants the grand requisite to sure success the
courage to proclaim liberty to all the bondsmen
who join its advancing ranks, while, at the same
time, warning them that assassination and private
reveng would incur the extreeme penalty.

Our Foreign Secretary's despatch, dated 22d
May, 18G1, and given by us on Saturday, will have
been read with pleasure by
this time by hundrgds
of thousands of Englishmen. It is worthy of Lord
JOHN RUSSELL—and reflects honour upon Lord
PALMERSTON and his Government. The despatch
here referred to, it may be remembered, had refer-
ence to one recently addressed by the Prussian
Premier, Baron SCHLEINITZ, to the Prussian Am-
bassador to the Court of St. lame..3'2, to wit Count
BER.NSTORFF. Lord JOHN RUSSELL''6 missive being
an answer to that conveyed through the same round-
about diplomatic fashion, namely, through our
English Ambassador to the Court of Sans Souci (so
often a ridiculous misnomer !) viz., Loi -41 A. LOFTUS.
This correspondence, having reference, .like so much
that had gone before it, to that wretche3 little affair
relating to Capt. MACDONALD ! As to ',the contents