The Lyttelton Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1864.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1245, 4 June 1864, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1864.

Nobody believes news of the American war that comes by way of California. The woncler is that it is worth while even in San -Francisco to publish from day to day such mendacious telegrams as are forwarded from the Eastern cities of the Union. To us at a distance, who are not heated by the strife, and who read a string of such telegrams together, it appears strange that any credence should be given to the reports so industriously forwarded from head quarters on the occurrence of any important event. Indeed, even in the Federal States, lying bulletins are beginning to lose their effect; and though, under the pressure of Military Government, newspapers continue to reproduce them,- the public faith is shaken in all official notifications. Ardent partisans, of course, believe everything that favours their cause, and the partisans of the war are still enthusiastic and energetic enough to overwhelm and silenca their opponents. But although news by way of California is anything but trustworthy, a close observer of American politics may gather much information from the disjointed telegrams reaching us from that quarter. For instance, all news unfavorable to the Federal Government and policy may be accepted as true, so far as it goes; and it is safe to assume that the events thus notified have been even more favourable to the Confederates than the telegrams would at first sight lead one to suppose. As for triumphant announce* ments of victory, they may or may not be true; — the famous announcements at Washington on the event of the last great misadventure of the Army of the Potomac are perhaps unparallelled, but they were not the first of their class. Yet even from the most bragging paragraphs about the state of the armies, much may be gathered from the position which they are stated to occupy, and the direction in which they are marching. We all know now what a great strategic movement means—especially if it is in a direction opposite to that which

an army has of late been following; we also

understand the meaning of an indefinite statement that " quite a large number of prisoners were taken." Scraps of purely political news tell more than the march of armies, and after all, perhaps the most delicate of all political barometers is the money market. The probable duration of the war may be measured to a great extent by the price of gold. Unfortunately we seldom get by way of California the trustworthy information conveyed in the few short figures which give the rate of premium at which gold stands in Wall Street, New York.

In the summary of the last news from California, which we reprinted on Saturday, the writer has, owing perhaps to the confused telegrams reaching us, made a strange confusion between General Grant and General Banks. General Grant has taken command of the Army of the Potomac, which has been and still is watching or watched by General Lee. General Banks is military Governor of New Orleans and commands the Federal army in Louisiana. It is he and not General Grant whose inten-

tion it is "to sweep around by Western Louisiana into Texas." The suggested attack upon Wilmington, although ailuded to in the same telegram that gives news of General Banks' army, has no connection with the movements of that general, who has no more to do with attacking Wilmington than the Dannewerke in Schleswig.

On the whole it may be surmised from the telegrams before us that while 110 great engagement has taken place since the dates of our last news, the balance of advautages has been very decidedly on the side of the Confederates. The Federals are fortifying Washington, and otherwise preparing for a strategic movement to the rear. Humours are rife of a renewed invasion of Maryland by General Lee ; —" conspiracies " are on foot for taking Kentucky out of the Union; —no hope is expressed that Charleston will be taken, and the attempt upon Mobile is to be given Up. Such items of news from a Federal source tell a tale of real and irreparable reverse. For every month which passes unmarked by Northern victory is a step towards the success of the seceding states. Time fights for them and against their invaders. They have only to hold their ground, or any portion of it, and they must exhaust the means of attack possessed by the North. The most' significant intelligence by far which has reached us is that of the resolution adopted by the Democratic State Convention at Columbus:—

That we are opposed to the prosecution of the war for the subjugation of the States, or for the purpose of divesting them of their sovereignty, or infringing or impairing their rights; and being satisfied that its continued prosecution for such objects will, in the end, prove the utter destruction of our civil liberty, we therefore demand an immediate inauguration of peaceable means to attain a favorable settlement and restoration of the Union under the Constitution.

Columbus is the political capital of the important state of Ohio; and a declaration such as this, made at a Convention of the Democrats in .that city, will not only arouse the West but is calculated to encourage the latent dissatisfaction in the North-eastern States to show itself openly. It is always on the cards that the Federal policy may veer round at very short notice. American public opinion jumps or appears to jump suddenly from one extreme to another; tbr in an uncontrolled democracy there is always a large dissatisfied party completely silenced by those who are uppermost for the time. Suddenly a few men more courageous than their fellows speak out, the more timid find

their voices and swell a cry which carries all before it, and raises its authors to the proud position of tyrants in their turn. Prom time to time signs have not been wanting that a strong feeling exists throughout the Northern States against this war of "Empire;'' and it needs no prophet to foretell the fury with which the present promoters of this contest will be accused of having ruined the country. But in the meantime the waivparty 'are making the most of their days of authority, They know that they cannot be shaken ofF as easily or suddenly as dominant parties have been shaken from power in days of peace. They rule under the shadow of a great army of their own creation, and they issue their lists of the proscribed with a consciousness of authority far greater than the Constitution warrants. So long as they can pay the army, they hope the army will obey them ;

and hitherto their hopes luive been jxisf ifierl. But the intended dniffc will try their popularity and that of tho war, while the Inderal soldiers are learning to ask themselves why they are almost always beaten. The next news by way of England will not be far in advance of that now received by way of California; but we are much mi'staken if the result of the Democratic Stato Convention at Columbus is not as important as any event that has yet occurred since the commencement of the war.