GENERAL SUMMARY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1760, 30 August 1862, Page 5

GENERAL SUMMARY.

[From the " Home News," June 26. ] The narrative of the civil war in America during; the last month is, upon the whole, favourable to the South ; but it leaves the problem of the future as difficult of solution as ever. The first incident is a very complete victory by water. The Federal iron-clad squadron was completely beaten by the Confederates, at a point about seven miles below Richmond. The flotilla consisted of the redoubted Monitor ; the Nangauck, which is not exactly a sister ship to the Monitor, although constructed on a somewhat similar principle; the Galena, a steam sloop, which bad been hastily equipped to match the Merriiuac ; and two other iron-clad ships, carrying, we are told " long guns/ These vessels proceeded up the James River for the purpose of co-operating with General M'Clellan's army : and their ascent up the stream appears to have been unimpeded till they arrived at Fort Darling. At that place, the navigation was {artificially closed by chains and sunken vessels and piles, and a strong battery had been thrown up on a precipitous bluff. It was here that the Federals were defeated. After four hours fighting, and a loss of more than 1000 men, they were forced to retreat. The Monitor, it appears, could not elevate her guns in the cupola to hit the high battery. The 100 pounder of the Nangatuck exploded at the first fire, and she too was rendered useless. The Galena was pierced by no fewer than eighteen shots, — a fact which shows that the verticai fire from the fort must have found out some weak poiuts in her armour. The whole squadron, thus disabled, dropped down to Jamestown Islaud, off Williamsburg. The next success of the Confederates was on land, and in another direction. Confident in their power of overrunning Virginia and with their forces close upon the capital of the South, the Federals appear to have concentrated their whole attention upon Richmond, and to have thought it advisable, and, strange to say, not unsafe, to strengthen M'Doweli by drawing off large bodies of troops from the division under General Banks, who was in possession of Winchester, upon which be had fallen bask after his receut repulse. By this movement, General Banks's command was reduced to 4000 men, the Federals never dreaming of the likelihood of a enewal of the attack in that quarter. The opportunity, however, was too good to be lost; and the Confederates advanced upon him 15,000 strong. Against such odds there was nothing left but flight. Winchester was, accordingly, precipitately abandoned, and the flying General never slacked rein till he put the Potomac between him and his pursuers. Aloug the whole of the route, the slaughter was heavy and incessant The loss of the Federals is not known, but it must have been considerable ; and at Winchester, a vast amount of military stoics fell into the hands of the Confederates. The bare prospect of the Southern troops entering Marylaud, and following up their triumph by an advance upon Washington, which would have been quite easy, produced a pnnic in the capital. It never witnessed such a scene of tenor before. The people, however, were soon reassured. The President took immediate possession of all the lines of railroad for military purposes, recruiting began afresh, with as much alacrity as of old, and Bauks's division was speedily reinforced. Several regiments hastened to the protection of Washington ; but in the meanwhile, the threatened danger had passed away. The Confederates having driven the enemy off the soil, had quietly returned to Washington. Banks being reinforced, speedily retrieved his misfortune by re crossing the Potomac. At the same time, i General Fremont executed a rapid march of a hundred miies through the mountains of Western Virginia, for the purpose of effecting a junction with him, Jackson's army abandoning Strasburg as he approached, according to the tactics now almost universally adopted by the Confederate generals. The valley of the Shenandoah is, therefore, again occupied by the Fedeials. At Corinth, General Beauregard has pursued a similar course, quietly evacuatiug the town, and carrying away with him everything he required. It is suspected that this noiseless and mysterious retreat — for nobody knows in what direction be has retired —is merely the screen of ulterior designs. It is very likely that the Confederates are playing this Parthian game simply to gain time. Summer is coming; and summer is their most powerful ally. At New Orleans the spirit of resistance to the new powers continues to manifest itself in all possible shapes short of open violation of the law. General Butler has allowed himself to be so much incensed by the patriotism of the ladies, that he has issued a proclamation against them, which has the merit of being the most" disgraceful military order that ever appeared in the civilised world. It is decreed by this order, that ladies who offer anj offence to the soldiers, shall be treated as women of the town " plying their vocation !" The effect produced bj this announcement upon the people of every country in Europe, may readily be conceived ; and the burst of indignation which broke out from the whole press of the Continent, at once drew a marked and shuddering line between the moral sense of the new world and old. The subject has been alluded to in both Houses of Parliament, and Ministers have not hesitated to speak of it in those terms of manlyindignation which it is peculiarly cilculated to provoke. It is by no meaas clear that the American government hus thought it ueccssary to visit this monstrous act with any mark of displeasure. A Washington paper announces that General Butler has been succeeded as military commandnut of New Orleans by Genenil Shepley; but in fact, General Shepley was appointed to that subordinate function by General Butler himself, who, for all- we know to the contrary, still holds the supreme appointment of general commanding the department of the Gulf. We shall be ready to acknowledge that the American government has purified itself of this infamy when we hear that General Butler has been dismissed the service, and declared incapable of cairyiug arras under the Federal flag for ike rest of his life.

Returning to Richmond, the present centre of interest in this war, we find the Federals moving slowly forward towards the capital taking; possession of Hanover CourMio'ise, which stands between Richmond and Fredericksbur<j, and establishing their lines almost within sijjhtofthe town. This position excited Jhe most intense anxiety, and the universal hush of expectation was soon followed by the roar of battle. The conflict took place almost under the walls of Richmond, and although in uo sense decisive, the engagement was fierce and sanguinary. In order that the action may be properly understood, it is necessary to indicate the nature of the ground on which it occurred . The Cliickahominy River, running from the | north of Rich 110 ml in a south-easterly direction down to the James River, is crossed by two roads — one leading direct to Richmond, by railway, and the other to a turnpike road lying to the south, at a place called Bottom's Bridge. A part of M'Clellan's army had crossed by this latter road during the week ending on Saturday, May 31 ; and General Casey's division, consisting of 6000 men was posted in advance between the two roads. On the mornof Saturday, a terriffic storm burst over the camp, and the valley of the Chicahorniny became flooded. In this state of things, communication with the Federal troops on the opposite bank of the river became difficult; and the Confederates, promptly availing themselves of these tempting circumstances, de scended in great numbers, some say do less than 35,000 strong upon the division of Gene* ral Casey, which was soon thrown into dis-or-der, and, after a vain effort to rally, fled in confusion, leaving twelve batteries of artillery and all its baggage in the hands of the enemy. The Federal troops, however, were speedily made aware of the havoc that was going forward, and in the course of the afteruoon two divisions were brought up to the rescue, followed by reinforcements from the main body of the army. The contest continued till nightfall, and was renewed by the Confederates on the following morning. By this time the Federals had collected in force, and making a desperate struggle to recover their grouad, succeeded in driving the Confederates back at the point of the bayonet. The final result was the re-occu pation of their original positions by both armies, with a loss variously stated, but admitted by M'Olellan to amount at bis own side to nearly 6000, between killed, wounded, and missing. The victory is claimed by the North. But all the advantages of it are obviously on the side of the South. If tbe North had succeded, something more would have happened than the bare recovery, at a heavy loss of life, on the second day, of tbe ground from which they bad been beaten on cbe first day. It is very certain, upon Mr. M'Clellan's own showing, that the North has gained nothing by this engagement ; and not to gain in such a case is to sustain a moral discomfiture. The issue, one way or the other, does not much alter the aspect of affairs at Richmond. It is to be expected that the capital will ultimately fall into the hands of the patient general who is investing it ; if not by military skill, perhaps by starvation. But the sequel of the war is as far off as ever. The Southerners are not to be subdued by an invading army. Vanquished in one place, they spring up in another ; and the restoration of the heptarchy may be considered quite as probable an event as the restoration of the old republic of America. Nothing of moment has occurred since. The flood in the val'.ey has extended over a surface of about three-quarters of a mile in extent, and M'Clellan is endeavouring, day and night, to construct bridges to enable him to cross the river. Should he succeed in this object he will take the enemy in flank, and advance his troops to within an hour's march of Richmond. It is believed that M'Dowell is on his way to form a junction with him, and that the final attack is delayed till his arrival. From Charleston news comes of an engagement in which the Federals claim the honours of war. They have established themselves close to the town, but have not yet taken it. The Confederate garrison has been reinforced by troops said to to have been detached by Beauregard from the main body of his army. A strong desire exists in Europe to bi ing this fruitless war lo a conclusion, and rumours of negotiations have gone the rounds of the principal journals. No actual negotiations, how* ever, have been opened, nor is it likely thatanv mediation will be attempted unlil the Americans themselves are prepared and willing to receive it. In the present state of things voluutary interposition would be mischievous. England and France must wait a decisive blow, for which they may long wait in vain, or they must wait to be asked. The Italian Parliament has passed a vote of confidence in ministers, with direct reference to the arrests at Brescia and Bergamo ; and the accounts given on all sides lead to the conclusion that harmony has been restored between ■ Garibaldi and the government. ' The ghostly carousal that has been going forward in Rome, in celebration of anew batch of saints, is not without its political significance. The cardinals, bishops, and priests of all degrees assembled to assist at the canonisation of the Japanese martrys, have addressed the Pope in defence of the temporal rights of the Holy See, and his Holiness in reply has appealed to their support on that vital point in an Allocution which declares the temporal power indispensable and indefeasible. It was originally understood that this gathering was to be strictly ecclesiastical for religious purposes,, and here is tbe fruit of that understanding. The problem is getting more aud more knotted every hour. The Pope is said to have transmitted an official communications to the French government, announcing his final dertermination never to enter into any compromise ; and the Turin Parliament, with the consent of the government, have agteed upon an address, in reply to the Pope's Allocution, the object of which is to set aside the doctrine of the temporal power, and to assert the opposite doctrine that Rome belongs tv the Italian people. The King, upon receiving this address, has not hesitated to endorse the national doctrine. Thus when an adverse wind blows from the Vatican, it is sure to be answered by a hurricane from Turin. j Tbe news that a check had been sustained by the Freuch in Mexico hus been fully confirmed. Reinforcements, at first to the number of five thousand, to be increased if necessary, are to be forwarded immeuiately to the scene af contention, and no efforts aie to be spared to insure the success of the enterprise. The conduct of France in this business is altogether inexpii. cable ; not only because it h not at all apparent what she can gain by conquest, but because the war itself, contrary to all example, is really unpopular in Frauce. Nor can it be pushedmuch farther without exciting jealously in other quarters. The Spanish government does not affect to conceal its vexation, and the minister has uheady declared that, if there is to be a throne in Mexico, he is not prepared to see it filled by any but a Spanish prince. American prejudices *ud theories hare also to be conciliated;

o that the troubles of France in that quarter an not be said to have fairly commenced yet. So far as England is concerned, the whole affair is a matter of indifference. It does not concern us in any way ; except that we may < be supposed to have an interest iv the distant ! and perhaps not very profitable, absorption of a, considerable portion of the French army. The question of retrenchment was brought forward by Mr. Stansfeld in the House of Commons in a speech distinguished by ability, precision, and moderation. There was, in fact, as Lord Palraerston observed, no difference between Mr. Stansfeld and tbe Government in this matter of economy, but a difference of substantives and adjectives. Had the discussion lain between Mr. Slansfeld and the Administration, it might have been' very easily settled ; but at the eleventh hour Mr. Walpole announced his intention to propose an amendment which, although by no means hostile in expression, possessed a peculiar significance, coming, as it did, from so prominent a member of the Opposition. Lord Palmerston at once took up his ground on this amendment ; and before Mr. Stanfield addressed the House, he narrowed the whole debate to this single issue,*, declaring that he regarded Mr. Walpole's amendment as involving literally a vote of confidence, and distinctly informing the House that be should consider any debate which arose upon it as bearing upon that point alone. This bold and adroit proceeding made him at once master of the situation. The Opposition declared that they had no intention to upset ' the Government. There had been a meeting ! at a Lord Derby's the day before when it was ' unanimously agreed that no such attempt should be made. Lord Palmerston, however, refused to receive any assurances. It was a vote of confidence or nothing. Driven to this extremity, Mr. Walpole withdrew his amendment, the discussion was taken on Mr. Stans- < feld's motion, and a majority of 367 against ' 65 declared in effect that while economy iv the public business was highly desirable, the ' country had tbe fullest confidence in tbe ad- ' ministration of the revenue by the present ' Government. ( Debates have been raised also on the cotton supply from India, and the continuation of the '' fortifications now in course of completion for our coast defences. On both questions the views of the Government were adopted by the House. Our current domestic annals are unusually ( scauty of incidents. The Exhibition absorbs j nearly all other topics. The receipts have { considerably improved since the doors were ' thrown open to the masses, and the manage- : ment finds its account in the rush of shilling visitors. But the guarantors are by no means J out of the wood yet ; and although their pros- , pective risk is diminishiog every day, nobody is ( sanguine enough to expect its extinction. But • it is not yet quite safe to prophecy. If the ( weather be favourable 1 , there is uo saying what ■ may happen. The largest number that has yet visited the Exhibition in one day by p ay- j ment was 61,311, and should the attendan st keep near that rate during the 96 days still < before us everybody will be secured, and a j surplus remain over. ,