The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-09-16

rosPecteu mere IOr MS quiet, conservative views
and conduct-resigned his position as President
of the Bank of the Republic, in this city, and re-
moved his local habitation to the State of Geor-
gia, or the Empire State, as the Confederates
prefer calling it. Mr.. Lamar's experience fur
nishes us most apt illustration of the vast
expansion of ideas and Imagination generated
by the heated Southern air, and conclusively
proves, what we have so often asserted, that the
most practical common sense man in the world
is Transformed into Baron Munchausen by a
very short residence upon Confederate soil in
these piping times of war.
Shortly after Mr.. Lamars arrival at
Savannah he was chosen President of the
Bank Convention at Atlanta, Georgia, but at
that time be could scarcely sympathize with the
expanded views of the seeded financiers, and
in part sustained the reputation he had acquired
here as an excellent practical business man,
| with no chimerical nonsense about him. Nothing
could resist the effect of Southern air, more
| potent than that of fairy land, however, and
now we find the practical Lamar writing to his
friends here that the Southerners have half q
| million soldiers now in the field that they will
have a full million by the LIST of next May; that
by the date of the receipt of his letter Washing
ton will be captured by the Confederate forces;
that Baltimore, being secessionist at heart, will
next be easily taken, and that Philadelphia
will then be captured and its rich stores go to
| fill the stomachs and pockets and cover the
limbs. backs and general nakedness of JEFF.
Davis land pirates.
AS to the half million of men already in the
field, that is statement to which not only
Mcclellan, but also Beauregard and Johnston,
may take objection. We can imagine the be-
wilderment of the rebel officers when they are
assured that they have half million of men at
command, and yet find it impossible to hunt up
these mythical troops +" In what feld?" they
Indignantly demand, as they survey their deci-
mated forces-some sick of the camp measles
and the smallpox; Mississippians breaking
their rifles and going home; North Carolinians
leaving by whole regiments on the double quick
to defend their own sea coast, and take a long,
| regretful look at Forts Clark and Hatteras-"in
what ield?" As to the million to be raised by
next May, that is merely question of proba-
bility. The whole Southern States Missouri,
ing to the census of 1860, only one million one
hundred thousand males between the ages of
eighteen and forty-iivc. Now, if the Confede-
rates get all these men, they will do more than
ever Napoleon could do with the aid of his con-
script system, or, indeed, than any other man
ever did Still the ranks may be filed up with
the old and the young-veterans in years and
halo to- &c.
| may b, raised. But not million Of men, but
of children and people in their second child
hood. If so, however, we cannot see it, and
we don't think any one outside of Confederate
dom can. If Washington is taken, then our
telegraphc reporters must be slow fellows, or
else the whole thing has been so very quietly
managed-as most rebel "victories" arc-that
nobody knows anything oft, except Lamar
and the South Carolinians. Baltimore and
Philadelphia may be taken after Washington is
taken-just as Person said that certain book
would be read when Shakespeare was forgotten
but not until then. But why stop at Philadel-
pha? Why not take New York, also, and de-
populate Broadway and decash Wall street?
This taking cities by letter is so very easy
Pi'tu tuts We WOuucI IL Is uOt auOpVcu US gene
raj rule of warfare, as Cooper's Monikins made
verbal promises to pay legal tender through
| out their dominions, and exactly equal to a
cash settlement. Besides, this is the only way
in which these cities will ever be taken by the
| Confederates, and so why not have the fun and
| the glory of it at once! Let Lamar write an
other letter, by all means, and occupy New
| York.
mosphere is inimical to truth, and that the
| Southern confederacy is a huge confederated
| lie. When the ideas of such man as Lamar
become expanded to million Of men and to
! Philadelphia, to what numbers and distances
may we not expect older and more practiced
| residents Of the confederacy to extend? Seces-
siondom is like brilliant soap bubble, float
ing in the sunshine filled with gas and sustained
by great deal of blowing. Pretty soon the
gas or the blowers will give out, and then there
will be a crash-the confederaoy will vanish,
and no remnant of its brief but gaseous exist
ence will remain except, perhaps, o few episto-
| larry trophies like that of Lamar.
| TIE SUBORDINATEs IN THE DEPARTMENTS AT
WASHINGTON publish in another column
an enthusiastic letter about Quartermaster
General Meigs. We have no disposition to dis
| pute the truth of the statement. On the con-
trary, we are glad to find that General Meigs is
so Jealous and upright an officer We would
| L. H. l. IL u