Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1865-02-01 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

THE LATEST FROM AMERICA. (From the Times.) Events are unpropitioue to the tame of General Butler. In the success of the second expedition against Will-slier,ton and the capture of Fort Fisher that zealous bnt unfortunate commander has received a coedemnation more peinful than any which a court-martial can pronounce. It has been shown again, as in countless instances before, that in war hot lee's it the best policy, and calculation often the dangerous forerunner of inaetivity. We bail hardly received the report in which General Butler gave excellent reasons why Fort Fisher should not be taken when the telegraph announces that the work is done. The expedition under Admiral Porter and General Terry arrived ,iff the fort for the second time on the 14th inst. ; at noon the next day the fleet opened a heavy fire, which hated fifty-four hours. The assault was then made. The fighting was desperate, the Confederate garrison of 1,200 men using the advantages of its position to inflict heavy loss on the ent my. But after seems hours' fighting the Federals prevailed. The Southern soldiers were driven from their works, and retreated to the end of the long spit of land on which the fort is situate. Rare they were fumed to surrender, and the Fed, rals have thus made tha first step towards ma•le in; the town and harbour of Wilmingten. The enerky with which this enterprise has been pro, secuted its creditable to the military administration at Washington. Seldom has there ben a more discouraging failure than that of the expedition in which General Butler bore a part. A fleet of unprecedented strength, fitted out at an enormous expense, and provided with I now and, as it was thought, moat 4 adly instrument of destructi in, nods powerful land force chosen from among the best troops of the Federal States, were despatched against the Southern port, and nothing but ill-success attended them The storms of winter shattered them ; the fireship, filled with twice as much powder as the Erith magazine, came to nothing ; the tremendous fire failed to make any effect on General Beauregard's well constructed w 'rks; and, finally, the commander of the land foieses held back, and gave his opinion that success will. impossible. In Geueral Butleee report it is told how General Weieser and the experienced officers under his command thought it useless to assault the place; that no such strong work as Fort Fisher bad been, taken during the war; that at Port Eludeon where thousands perished in a repulsed assault, the defensive works were less strong; that a double assault at Fort Wagner was undertaken against feebler preparations, and the General declares that "much as I regretted the necessity of abandoning the attempt, yet the duty was plain." For once, however, the civilian power in the Government has advantageously controlled military operations. To give the South no term of respite, ne opportunity for fresh preparatieus, no breathing time which should refresh it for new exertions, is the policy of the Cabinet; and it has been carried out even at the expense of so devoted a servant as General Butler.  MURDER or