The Express.
London, England, 1863-07-01 00:00:00

THE CAMPAIGN AROUND WASHINGTON.

THE DESIGNS OF THE OONFEDERATFA.
(From the New York Herald of Julie 20.)

From the numerous despatches which we publish
this isetulag in mimosas to the movement. of the rebel
forces In Maryland, Pennsylvania, the Shenandoah valley,
I sad in the country between the eastern Sank of the Rime
Ridge sad the old battle ground of Manassas, it would sp.
pear, first, that, although the enemy have fallen back front
Chartbmsbarg, their forces are increasing in the portlier%
neck of Maryland, from Hamadan westward to Cumber.
land, along the lies of the Potomac ; and, secoadly, the;
from the sharp collisions between the cavalry of Geeenj
Pleasantou and the scouting horsemen of the rebels, Gonad
Lee, with the main body of his army, is probably lying
under the eastern base of the Blue Ridge, watching his op.
portunity for another descent upon Bull Run.
Had he entertained arty design of pushing forward to
Harrisburg and Philadelphia, instead of sending a detach-
ment of two or three thouaa•d troopers to Chambeesburt to
give the alarm, he would have hurried forward the whole
column of twenty or thirty thousand men under Gemmel
Ewell to the Susquehanna, without stopping at any point
looter than secemary to rest his troops, from day to day,
atercrossing the Potomac. A movement of this sort could
hardly have been arrested in time to says Harrisburg ; but
what would have been gained by the enemy with the
osampation of that city ? Nothing. Lee was playing for
• great prize. His deenoastrations along the Penosyl•
each' border had for their melt object the dtvisioa d
ear army of the Potomac, and his game with the division
of this army was simply to cut it up in detail, and then to
march upon Waskinstos. Hs has left Richmond, se it
appears from the testimony of eyewitneeses, with ally a
heedful of troops to yard It ; he has takes the risks of
losing the rebel capital, and of having his own army cut aft
from its base of supplies and its lines of retreat ; in a word,
be has risked everything for the bold and daring enterprise
of the capture of Washington. And wherefore? Became
the capture of Washington, though it would arouse the
North as some, would, in all probability, secure the
recognition of the noodled Confederate States as se
independent power by England sod France, even if Rich-
mood should simulteammudy fall into oar possession.
We have no evidence of • larger force of the enemy aloe/
the borders of Maryland and Pennsylvania than 20,000 or
30,000 men. The remainder of Lee's army, a body, we dare
say, of at least 80,000 men, remains to ~be accounted for.
Where is this immense force? Doubtlem widths arildag
distance of the army of General Hooker, and fully apprised
of all his movements. He has one invaluable safeguard
against • surprise in the splendid cavalry corps of General
Pleasanton ; but still we say, let General Hooker beware of
dividing his forces to circumvent the enemy, or be may
become more unfortunately entangled in the meshes of Les
than he was in the wilderness on the south side of the P.ap.
pahannock. The country has no desire for another haphazard
engagement with the enemy, when, by holding the army ci
the Potomac well in hand, and bringing the militia reams
of the North to the border front and to the defences of
Washington, earn work can be made of this daring robs/
army of Virginia.
Let General Hooker be stun be Is right before he leaves a
strong position, for offensive or defensive purposes, to d-
emos in broken columns to hunt up the invisible army of
Lea. Let fifty thousand fresh troops, with all the contra-
bands that can be mustered, be thrown into the defences of
Washington, and let the veteran soldiers of Heintzelmaa,
under his experienced guidance, be detailed to the Richmond
peninsula, and then let the army of Caporal Hooker, if es.
°sorry, cross into the Shenandoah valley sf ter the retreat-
ing columns of Lee, and the Virginia aunpugu will be
made as sore as that against Vicksburg.
We would of all things impress these paramount madder.
Woos upon the administration, namely—that the object of
this Northern advance of General Lee is Washington ; that
all his other elleged or supposed designs are mere deceptions,
end that so long as the brave legions of the army of the
Potomac are held firmly together the safety of Washington
and the defeat of Lee's army are inevitable, with or without
another great battle.