THE ENGLISH MAIL.

Press, Volume III, Issue 132, 2 April 1863, Page 1

THE ENGLISH MAIL.

& long-looted for English MaU arrived ycsbut brings us no news of any startling ' ipjj 0 -rar in America deepens in horror, Nereis not the slightest appearance at profits conclusion. Ihc following is from tho ' Home News.' AMERICA. Has details that have reached us of the battle l.iedoric-sburg confirm the worst apprehenaacaused by the meagre telegrams. Tho dcst«Bi so disastrous that there is not the slightest of any attempt being made to retrieve fcieputotion of the great army of tho Potomac. ]»total loss has not been ascertained; but tho * particulars tUat-havc cropt out indicate tho 5-aiity of the slaughter. General Meagher im Ms Irish Brigade into tho field 1200 strong, „ brings out of the fight only 250, leaving lout 80 per cent, of his men dead on the field. !_en_ Hancock lost one-half of his division. lafcof 7000 men, General French lost 5800, prtrds of 80 por cent. In half an hour General lutto-eld lost nearly 3000 men. It was not At-igaswo understand tho word in tho actions ffiwdem cdvilized troops—it was annihilation. wins, this horrible decimation of legions of men, , Coruederate commander-in-chief reports a idflosß in killed and wounded of 1800. The effect of this signal defeat was at first to lot the whole country into convulsions of inSpaaon. The journals could not restrain tho tpS-ion of their rage. A commercial paper in &» York said that if there existed any con-i-Honal means of compelling the resignation of b President, it ought to bo put in force. The nainal of tho Cabinet was clamorously denid™, Public meetings were held for tho puroseof letting the Government understand what to people thought. There was no longer any .of those exceptional powers which the Prefat hud so long exercised with impunity being pin resorted to. Congross appointed a comsitfee to inquire into the conduct of tho war, and "-certain who is responsible. Mr. Secretary Wad and Mr. Chaso, anticipating tho verdict of *f-" rage, sent in their resignations. Burn-■te.a-jo requested to bo relieved of his command. Bwwholo cabinet was on tho point of going to P*&, when Mr. Lincoln, seeing his danger, and f3 hoping for a turn of good fortune, came to "rescue. Ho refused to accept the resignations. ~tl he acted very wisely. For a victory, such as Bi lias been achieved since, and the disaster of wtaicfcsburg is already forgotten. Tho rumour had been sent for turns out to bo "fcimded. Nominally on the Ist, but really on the 2nd "aniiary, Mr. Lincoln issued his proclamation "faring all tho slaves free in the rebol States, «at he enumerates, and leaving all slaves s bondage everywhere else. Ho further to?"* all liia officers and officials to recognize * assist in tho promulgation of such freedom, «he advises the slaves themselves to abstain -as if that were possiblo under the to work for reasonable /■?»• This proclamation, which rrfarks a *®*> epoch in the fall of tho American •wttion, concludes by describing tho measure P °* •rt of justice, and calling down upon it r wvour of heaven. Lord Chesterfield says p*hen you go to tho opera you should leave p understanding outside the door. Mr. r took tho hint when ho entered into the r*"* of tho bones and tho banjo. He has **$• left Ida logic behind bin. To decree the H-cipation of slaves in States over which he has' and to maintain slavery in States over he exercises an authority greater than that itself, is manifestly an outrage If freedom be the object of the *tf l; authorise slavery in one place, j^ 8 " it in another ? Had Mr. Lincoln prouniversal emancipation, he might hare

secured important moral support in Europe ; but as a barbarian reprisal in tune of war, has had tho effect of increasing, both in America and out of it, the odium which has already gathered so ominously round Mr. Lincoln's government. The Democrats hit tho weak point >f this proceeding when they declare that it is illegal, and that no State is bound to obey it; aud only ono Federal general has, as yet, announced liis intention to execute its provisions.

President Davia has retaliated by a Proclamation in which ho declares that all slavcß that shall avail themselves of Presidont Lincoln's now charter shall be handed over to tho States to which thoy belong, and that tho same course shall be adopted with all officers commanding them. He further decrees that General Butler shall bo hanged should he fall alive into tho hands of the Confederates, and extends the same sentence to all officers serving under him. This is very shocking ; but it admits of tho miserablo excuso of necessity. It is almost impossible for the human imagination in quiet, civilised countries to comprehend tho horrors of a servile war, when the revolt counts by tens of thousands, collected in masses, and tho victims by isolated units. Yet this is exactly the issue incited, and, as far as h can bo, enforced by President Lincoln. "VVo may deplore, but can hardly censure very severely, the savage response of Mr. Davis. Between tho two Proclamations, tho belligerents may now bo considered to havo reached tho last extremity of sanguinary violence. Nothing remains but a war of mutual extermination.

The determination of England to romain neutral satisfies neither party. The Chamber of Commerce at Now York havo appointed a committee to consider what ought to be done with us for our conduct in reference to tho Alabama, and other such aid, which it appears wo have given, to tho Confederacy; and the Confederacy denounces us for not aiding them by agreeing to tho mediation proposed by Franco. As soon as they havo done with each other, the belligerents threaten to fall upon us. But wo have this comfort in reserve, that they will not fall upon us together; for whatever may bo their disliko of England, their hatred of each other is considerably more deeply seated.

Missouri is tho only State that has passed a resolution in favour of tho Proclamation. Tho Governor of Kentucky has denounced it as illegal and impolitic, and recommended tho Legislature to enter a protest against it.

General Butler has beon superseded by Genoral Banks, the object of whose mysterious expedition is thus explained. If Butler had been removed in disgrace, there might bo some hope of a better future for New Orleans and Washington 5 but ho is removed to reccivo higher honors, as a proof that his administration has given full satisfaction to the government. According to various reports, he is destined cither for a great command in the field—which, with President Davis's Proclamation before him, he may be advised to decline—or to succeed Mr. Stanton, whose retirement is considered inevitable. He has been received in Now York with popular ovations.

The North is still fighting, and calamity still follows its banners. Great fear has for somo timo prevailed concerning tho fate of the armios of the South-west, and the results have shown that they were not without foundation. Both the Generals, Grant aud Eosecranz, had been cut off from their bases of operation, and the choice of timo and opportunity lay at tho mercy of the Confederates. General Grant had marched southward, crossing Tennessee, and penetrating Mississippi, somo 10 or 80 miles to the south-east # of Memphis. His supplies were to be drawn from Couhnbus, along 250 milc3 of railway, and ho had no second lino of communication. Taking advantage of this illchosen position, the Confederates had no difficulty by an ingenious, but very obvious, diversion, in compelling tho garrison at the railway station of Holy Springs to surrender with a large amount of stores, in seizing finally on the whole lino of railroad, and eventually threatening Columbus itself General Grant appears to have had no alternative left, at the date of the last acounts, but to cut his way to-Memphis, with a view to form a new base of operations. Simultaneously with these movements a still more important struggle has been

going forward in Tennessee. General Rosecranz occupied Nashville, the capital of the State, which is connected by railway with Louisville in Kentucky. Hero tho Confederates under Morgan again seized upon tho line, and cut off the Fcdoral general from his communications with tho North. Under these circumstances, Rosecranz marched southward, somo thirty miles, on the 27th December, at the head of 45,000 men and 100 pieces of artillery, and on tho 31st attacked Murfrecsboro, whero the Confederates were in force. His left was repidsed; his centre, led by himself, was broken and defeated with great slaughter; and after eleven hours of fighting, and sustaining a terrible loss, roughly estimated at 2500 men and countless officers, ho rested for the night without giving way. It was, of course, life or death. His communications woro cut off. Ho was surrounded by tho enemy. In this condition ho renewed the attack on tho following morning. Tho fighting continued in this way for five days. On the sixtli morning Rosecranz expected a renewal of hostilities, but made tho discovery that the Confederates had retired during tho night in perfect order, taking with them 4000 prisoners, and a number of captured guns. Tho field was, therefore, in tho possession of the Federals, who are fairly entitled to claim the victory. They have since advanced 10 miles further to tho south. While this scene was going forward in Tenncsseo, tho Federals woro suffering a defeat at Vicksburg, in Mississippi, whero after attacking the place twice they woro obliged to ro-embark and retreat down the river with a loss of 5000 men. General Sherman committed the egregious blunder of opening his attack before tho arrival of the gunboats, which would have covered tho attacking party, and probably ensured success. The Confederates have been repulsed at Springfield ; but they have taken Galveston, in Texas, and inflicted considerable damage on the Federal fleet, capturing the Harriet Lano, and forcing tho commander to blow up his flag-ship, to prevent it from falling into their hands. Tho " Latest Intelligence " of tho ' Home News' comes down to tho 26th January. It is as follows :— Orr intelligence from New York is down to the 12th January. It appears that tho Confederate army withdrew from Murfreesborough in good order to Tallahoma, and was at Shelbyville on the sth. The 'Richmond Dispatch* of tho 6th , says that by this movement General Bragg has thrown East Tennessee entirely open to tho Yankees, and that if Rosecranz onco gets possession there, 200,000 men will not dislodge him. A week of desperate fighting at Vicksburg terminated in the defeat of the Federals. The attack was most determined, and the resistanco obstinate in tho oxtremo. Tho Federals fought to within two miles of tho city at ono time, but were driven back by a superior force under Gcndral Joseph Johnston. Whole regiments and brigades were engaged hand to hand, and batteries and fortifications were taken and retaken several times. The fortifications extend for six mile 9to the rear of tho city, and were defended by upwards of 60,000 men, a largo proportion of whom were suddenly concentrated upon the point. The latest accounts represent that the Federal forces returned to their transports hi no condition to renew tho attack. The Federal loss exceeds 5000. Among tho officers slain are Generals Morgan and Smith. 1500 Federals, under General Hovey, sent to execute a special order, are supposed to have been captured. Tho Confederate loss is not known. The flotilla under Admiral Farragut was unable to pass beyond Port Hudson to render assistance.