Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-07-05
AN ENGLISH VIEW OF TIE SITUATION.
ITron the London standard, Jzns IS.


attention of European statesmen and the necessity OF
some immediate step in the direction OF mediation OF
peaceful kind being urged upon them IN the nsme Oh
humanity and civilization. France, IN her credit IS
again taking the lead in this matter We transferred 70
our columns two days since an eloquent article from
the Constitutional this SUI ect This has been ioi
lowed by hint 10 another semioiciA paper 10 the e..
feet that Joint proposal OF mediation by france ara
England in the American quarrel might be shortly e.
| peced We should welcome this news with esgerness
| did we suppose II reliable.
We are sure that the Southern Government, which all
along has deprecated hoses aud resorted TO arms IN
the assertion of is independence only and OF the cons
tutonA right OF State sovereignty, would most "ingy
accept such an offer For the North, however unwilling
IL might have been TO slow Of interference, even 80
much the expression of opinion by foreign pow
err at when they felt sure OF being able TO reduce
to Submission in few months the men whom they LOOK
upon as rebels they surely be too glad to had any
opportunity of honoraby retirr from the embarrassing
position in which they find themselves, after the
squandering OF many mions of money in an enter
pr which every day shows to be more and more hope
| less
The utter ncompatbiity of feeling the irreconcabe
| hatred we nigh. say between North and nth IL be-
Coming apparent than in the episodes OF this
cruel war which bids fair 70 become shortly war OF ex
termination on both sides Meanwhile, we cannot dis
cover that the invaders advancing one step In their
scheme OF corqust. The Confederate generals at Co.
rinth had no doubt done wisely 10 retiring from the
/ lines ia the neig lborhood of the Mississippi Large
bodies Of troops having been Withdrawn to reinforce the
army in VrgipiI, the army has evacuated Conth Tor
station called Okolona the Mobile and Ohio railroad,
sxyseven miles south Of Oornth. Here they are flank
ed BY swan1ps and shallow rivers and It Is doubtful
whether the enemy will venture TO follow them, AZ all
events in this According 10 the New York ii r
aid "no CT great interes need be looked Tor from
this quarter for time" For the present all eyes
are turned to the campaign in Virginia aud the issue OF
| the struggle at Richmond.
The sudden diversion occasioned by the vigorous ae-
/ ton of the Confederate army beyond the AIegGaDy
mountains seems likely to al ct material cbargc in the
conduct of the civil in Virginia The conception OF
the Southern leaders was good its execution better IL
will b. remembered that rather more than year sgo the
Federal Capital which the eceders Claim as belonging ct
right 10 the South, threatened by the advance o
DO Kerfu Confederate army, which occupied the heights
ofAlexandrs on the opposite side OF the Potomac
TIE battle OF Manassas seemed at FIRST to have lett
Washington at the mercy Of the conquerots, but the
Conlederaes pIudenty al aimed from following up that
victory by an advance into hayano. AS soon as tney
had sufficiently strengthened Washington, the Federais
began TO make diversions in the rear OF their opponents
IA the shape Of series Of nrosd on the exposed coast
line of the Oaronas and the Gulf States. But sul Nc
Cellau with mighty host, sat still IN front Of wash
ingtoD lid on sudden il appeared one day thas the
Confederate army tired Of waiting or him. had cleared
off with bag and baggage to the country between the
| Rippahannock and the Capital Of Virginia
Perhaps the Confederate generals supposed that II
:heyf Washington alone the Federis, on their part
| would keep their hands Cu hlcnlnolo' Dut u;uerA
Mcclellan having been totally Inactive Tor nine or ten
months was OF opinion that Is time TO besir him.
self and take some part IN the war. Accordingly, ne
shipped of large portion Of his forces TO the vicinity
of Fortress Monroe leaving hcDoy ell With compare
lively small army to guard the Rlppahannock by the
aid of the eunboas on tie James and York rivers be
fought his way along the Yorktown peninsula the Uon.
Tolerate army retreang before him till 1t had passea
the Ohickahominy when IL made stand under the walls
of Richmond Nov il il clear that this Confederate
/ k.g.., I'D nlOa On
look at Beaute lard and Noel an the opposing generss
bere We should say tina: the fate OF Richmond was hspg
ing In the balance
| Tine latter had crossed at Bottoms Bridge and at
New Bridge but instead Of attacking the town from the
southeast as these movements seemed TO indicate, De
seems 10 have been moving towards the north, Tor We
hear OF his advance giArd having captured station on
the Richmond and fredericksburg railway and Of tue
army being now within ive miles Of the Southern Osp
tai The UoLfederates still ead 70 outLumoer their
asaants and the besesers talk Of going into trenches
aad waiting the arrival Of batteries oil pArrott guns
Ba. If r chmond after all is TO be attacked from the
north why l. may be asked, did Neil Ian 60 OUT oil
bis vay 10 approach it by way Of lorkowiY Il is as II
n.tice Of 40 or Bristol by way Of going to London,
should ocrney by sea TO Dover, and therce work nls
vay alol the ine Of the Southeastern railway IL may
he aid mat the southern eide Of Richmond was unguard
el huston and Lee being then to the north OF II.
These Generals we're too quick for the assalant by
the time he had taken yorktown he fouad them posted
thai ty this line of strategy the Conederaes nave oeen
cut of from tner basis OF operations at yorktown ara
Norfolk But il was the army 1t was the h,et that
took these places And the COMMUNICATIONS OF Rlcn
mond with the South by Petersburg and with the Wts:
by Lynchburg still open. We suppose that Tor some
teson or other Mcclellan wss baked In bis attempt TO
take the place from the South. On that ede the tohh
il naturally defended by swamp aud Jungle parity oy
hia which are susceptible OF being stroogy forth
Accordirg CIV he is moving towards the North, with the
y,ey 10 doubt Of efscung motion with Mcdowell,
on the Fredericksburg railway so as to Gu number the
bos that Is arrayed under the Standard Of the gallant
Be uregard in defence Of the honored Capital oil the od
Dominion.
Tins far the progress of Mcclellan. We see clearly
how importapt Il must be to the South TO prevent his
junction with Mcdowell We think we may say that this
reinforcement OF the Federal army has been tfectuIy
prevented for the present. that il B=auregsrd decides
T. hold Richmond he will be able TO do 90 for s)me time
| TO come ,
Before the arrival Of the last mail no one here had
ever hszirded guess to the way in which this neces
sar, diversion could be effected Now that IL has been
done, it strikes Us like rev idea The OoniedeTates
| have once more pu. Washington In danger. When, q
few months since they ceased TO threaten Washington,
Mcclellan attacked Richmond wers they once more al.
towarist he would wish himself rather
tlau behind the Chick Ihominy.
| the Federais ia Virginia form l)ng line, OF which
Mcclellan forms the lett wing, Mcdowell the centre, aud
Banks who Was beyond the Aleghanies the right wing
The lsf az we know has been pushing On his side
III "Ilwyer q, neral Banks has been moving along The
valley OF the Shenandoah. AcDoEeu having reached
fredericksburg on tho RppahlnnOck, stood still Tao
success of the operations of this vast army depended
OF course on tie integrity Of each portion Of the long
ne which we have indicated But for time the right
wing was driven bick aud the whole line TUNED Flf
sors reason or Other part Of Banks troops we're With
dawn TO reinforce Mcdowell The Confederates were
not slow to take advantage of this fatal blunder.
B,rk, army was driven from its poiion, rereatlrS
in the fecs Of force crcey superior to itself In num-
bers and III provided with gcns The adVanced ista
wa, fret d,igen from Front lyal NKt, the maiu 6i
vision, under Batks engaged aad utterly routed
at Winchester The loss OF the FsderalJ on this coca.
sion appears to havs very great Banks retire aied
in haste from Winchester to Aartinsburg, and seems
never to have looked behind BIN till he got across the
Potomac AT Wiamsport, place about fifteen miles to