Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-11-20
LErTER eHor RICEauoHD.
grsE c5,sh wAmrA AMERICA.

E.om tho London Times
WASHINGTON, October l0.-Wheu it is stated
| that no movement of any importance has taker
place lately, the remark must be supposed 10 re
.eT 90 active operations calculated 90 bring the
wax 70 close or to a definite issue The Con
-derates have ostenSibly retired along the whole
Of their line. and Gen Mcclellan is out to-day
/ ia the drilling rain with a strong column in the
ueighbuThoCd of LeWinsville, which Is on the
road from the Chain Bridge to Fairfax Court
House, 90 pierce If he C.n, the great mystery OF
their position. Il would be a strange thlng-al'
most, / believe, unpTeCedented-lt two battles
were 10 be tOught on the same ground. but II
the Federalists advance towards Manassas, there
seems no alternative. and if they advance at all
they can take no road but that winch viii irel
them TO Manassas. unless a stroke Of inventive
daring discovers another not now visible.
The southern army has obviously drewn in
IFS horns and its faelers, and Mcclellan is put
ting out his in the places they occupied. What
notification Il would be 10 a mere ambitious
soldier. IT, after al his studies az West Point
and his investigation of military science, he
found himself, as Mcclellan does, at the head Of
an immense army, which is, however, not fit to
work out and carry into practice the movements
be has wrought out on paper, wheTewlth to sur
prise the enemy and the world, and to earn the
favor and gratitude Of his country But the
general does not appear 70 be the man who for
mere glory would run the risk OF losing a, at
stake by failure, and he Is actuated, doubtless,
bv soundcr, more solid, and nobler motives than
the desire 70 achieve victories He knows that
the very magnitude Of the mass is one Of the
foremost difficulties iu the way Of managing IT,
But irregular and undiscipliued men viii
not fight against odds as a general rule,
although the Federalists established theory
from the defeats Of poor Lyon and OF Sigel that
because they had faced odds and been beaten
therefore thew could not conquer against odds,
or. a. their writers said, that " one Union man
was OQual 20 three rebels. As a similar belief
is said to exist among the men OF the other side,
IL likely the fact viii never be tested, as each
viii make sure Of being tolerably even IN aI
encounters.
There has been no doubt Of the fact that Beau
regard has concentrated his army use bis
name for that Of the Confederate generals, who
ever they may be-st Manassas once more, and
that be has been merely Sivsncing and retiring
TO amuse his troops and induce the enemy to at
tack him but il is also the fact that be medl-
tsted an iIGuption into Maryland, and an attack,
either 10 screen the attempt or TO be converted
into a real demonstration in event Of any uneE-
pected success, on the lines between Alexandra
and the nights in front Of Georgetown, and that,
finding the strength Of the Eeieraist position IN
ground. men and works, he abandoned the plan,
al least for the time The Indian summer will
soon arrive, but IN January the Taluy season,
alternating with frost and snow, begins ana
there is but little time left for active operations
between this month and the American winter,
which renders it. al all events, not easy to move
troops and guns in the open country
# GeasraI McClellan can see his rag to BAT
s 10 cLsar he's front, 3r5th n reasonable chance Of
,acresS, he no doubt lciA fghi Il. He must defend
he capital against all chances, aud prevent
Confederate army getting into Maryland but
gith these conditions always in view it viii sur
lrizs Us il be does not strike a blow from the
liver side on the enemys right flank. There
gas every reason TO make Fortress Monroe a
]ase Of operations, but for the difficulty OF pro
.uriug provisions, and the delay and notoriety
# collecting Al army there By the rivers. The
0ss of Hampton, and the concentration of Con-
ederates in the vicinity, viii render that point
ess eligible ia all respects and the long threat
ming of Newport News bv MaEruler may come
.t last. Notwithstanding the strong bodies and
aryce8ble qualities of the men, utSra sgs an an
tsqiiHcss about hc artillery and rTrGiTy Gt the
criezr The other dag Jrt.cA f not speak for their
h0rougB control as ys' By their ctIreTs or # them
airss
ne AaItLt EAA llAa4f w a-i' ANAA-Ah
.rac West Point, is a simple wOrkmanlike look
no piece of artillery, with a thick iron band
hruuk on over the breach, and lis range is near
q as great as that of the Armstrong, and It cost
9ery much less. The force Of field artillery un-
Ter Mcclellan is now very considerable, and lt /
sill surprise me very much If the COntederates
ave anything like equal metal The general /
las exerted himself greatly % advance this ann |
If his service toward efficiency, and be has been /
much assisted by his chief of field ordnance, !
}ig-Gen Barry, of the regular United States /
rtillery UuquestonGbiy, If these guns are well /
sulled, there viii be some thirty batteries, IN /
upp0Tt Of an advance on a narrow point, which, /
Considerable as the number may be, vii leave /
eld batteries still available for the tlanks, and /
Jr corporation with detached columns.
Ina former letter expressed an opinion, which /
othiug have seen OF heard has induced me to /
lter OF modify, that the North could if it put /
1rth all its strength overTun the South. Il has /
lever occurred to me for one moment that the /
,0rlh could hold the South as a military prov
nee if the peopleiu the ConfeneTate States were
S unanimous in their resistance after their ar
aies were overthT0wu as they are 80 present.
The intensity of feeling in the South is described /
% be greater than ever. Their resolution is ada
uaut and if they have, ike the federaEsts, Blair
ut Fremont controversies, they are kept IN the
lark. the discipline of both armies may be on
par but am inclined to think that in actual
rIl the northern troops DO not improve more
apiily, and are not better in hand than the
UuthemsTs
i Is s0met,hat guaiHt study 70 obseree the pros
ration Of te journals betors the mtiitqTg p0lrer-
or tier fatra and criagc glad fGtttT. But all
-it HJt DO The guiSsant finger is on their RoStra,
nd then are rel Rjgh smytheTed for rant Of fresh
jr. It is now the fashion to deprive politicians,
nd to effect to contemn the civil power when in
Nv l-a., orrnsrn N The mil;tar,-