Washington telegraph., 1864-11-23
tTFlom the London Herald.

States is an mplsLed reality II, at
the outset, Mr. Seward himself had been
asked how lorg he demanded for the ac-
complishnent Of the enterprise his Gov
ernment had uHdeitak.n, he would GER
tainly have been satisfied with single
year, and would been content TO allow ihst,
if at the eni Of that period the CoHfeder-
ates could still keep the field ir Virginia,
the European Powers would BE- ertited to
recognize neutrality-suspicious.. Three years
have almost elapsed since the 6rst defeat
tkat time the Confederate. have fought,
not as Spain fought against Frtnce dur
ing the uneasy reign of Joseph Bsnaparte;
not as The Spanish colonies fought against
Spain; not even as cur owu American col
onies fought against the armies Of George
Ill, but as Russia fought agaiest Nspole-
on 10 1915; or ~ Frederick III, defended
himself against Austria in the Seven
Years War. The ~sr has been waeed
fer the most part on Southern roil; il has
50 far not been war on equal icrius, that
Ibe one parry has fought for empire, aud
The other only for independence. Bur il
has 10 nc way partakeu Of the character
Of an iDsurrectonary, as distinguished
from an international E.r. The Confed-
crate Government has. from first t. last,
held position Of perfect eqnslity ith
that ~ the Nafihern States. Ii has ad-
miui-tered with undispu,ed aAthority the
afairs If irs o.D country; and the FEEDER
III Government hls been unable 10 ezer
else any other than military power there,
and that only within tbs territory covered
By it, own aImie-
The Safe governments have gone on A.
regularly as ever; the administration cf
the civil law is a. perfect in the South as
in any Europcan country, aud while in
the Northern States the necu-sitie. Of au
aggressive war have been held to require
tie exercise Of a military authority supe
rior to the law, the ciri! authorities have
never been oyerridden by martial law in
any Southern district BDt actually invaded
or threatened by the enemy.
TO deuy such governmcnt the status
Of independence accorded to Nicaragua
or TO Greece certainly seems tie height Of
absuFdity, and this impression i not
weakened when We look to The military
operations that have takea place Il is
true that at sea the Federals have been
able to maintain a decided super oriry.
and that blockade. efficient utugh t.
impose very serious difficulties in the way
uf tile export of any bulky commodities,
has been malntaiued at every port winch
has at once 50 good n harbor and such
means Of communication with the inter Or
as to be available fer commerclrl purpo-
~: but il il also true that the FedrTals
have hardly gained single naval success,
and have sustained several naval disas-
tiers.
Il is true also that they have been able
to occupy several points on the vast extent
OF Southern coast which are commanded
from the sea, aud to obtaiu the control Of
A considerable portion Of The inIard d wa
Iors Of the South They have also peue-
etrated at various points the long and ia
defensible frontier line, and pushed their
armies far into Southern territory But
they have not been able to conquer Sill
gle State; and the chief fruit Of three
years warfare, beside the disputed posses
Il Of Tennessee, is wide spread de
vastaiion and a considerable hayoe among
the laboring population of the South
Hundreds Of homes and farms have been
destroyed, and thousands Of negroes sto.
len, Of whom the majoriiy rave been
t0st; Two or three towns, which lii af tie
mercy of guub at@. have blen occupied
Il = n I'll. Is -
Tile Southern armies have sustained ro
great disaster ID the f-li; they have III
ficted half score of the most terrible
dcfear. recorded IN history Their capt
tal. siih a sort Of brayaGo. was piantsl
near thfir most endangered fr1uiiel; army
after army, 10 tile number III several AUD.
dred thousands, have be n hurled againsi
it and completely shattered; quarter of
million of corp e. are maau-ing the
plains Of firgir.a-4nd wiki this result
hat Richmond IL noT stronger than H.
ever was, aud geIy much safer rhla ~ i>h-
il gton, aud that, instead oT askiu. whrtn-
er Grant cam taks the city. mer Lnt
North aud South are expecting 10 he5r
Diet Lee has iaFen Grams camp. and th ;
tirTrG VI TIVE invading army baS byGH
leGt IL the hands # the victors Shef ran
has followed NJ nam ling and c1-flr nlare..
Which last year had brought the FadsraI
army 0! ia. West 30 ChsttanoOr.: h- H.
not w very iar fIun AtIaf XII; ull rhe
friends at tue Nnnh irerDb.c for Sherman
aad his army. CaArlesiou has beea an
lacked III vain; aui af,er urusulnZ ra-
pulses, the Federal besicg are driven
io amuse thl ,nselve- by blmtlrLmeni
which, though TX succeeds in killing now
aud then an innocent child, or numbering
a Jrit- AZ the altar, might he continued
iOT hundred years without hriGgihg tle
city any nearer t0-a surrender. Mobile
aRd Savannah are found Hnlssailable
In Louisiana The CoBfeierIies have
gained ov-r Banks victory, perlap- the
rost couPlelu snd decisive " the var
Tie importance Of That victory is dwarfei
~ cur eyes by distance from the scene ol
our chief interests ana BY tile gigantic
magnitude of the operations 10 Virginia
but il lIas very serious bearing % ti,t
position of the cHutenCiug Powers. n
has driven the Invaders GU. of Arkansa.
ard crushed them in Louisiana. IL ia,
half destroyed aud wholly paraiyzod
powerful fleet and a considerable army
Il