New-York daily tribune., 1861-06-06
THE IMMINENT PERIL.

In recent private lette.- to an intimate friend,
Attorney General Bates says:
1t is glorious to witness the almost pgodiga pa
trotism of the North; and yet the Government ~ EN-
barfassed with its unearned wea,h-like tho bee iu
the fable, smolbeFed in honey"
At the moment ths written. the Govern
ment so embarrassed" with prolered super
t1uity Of soldiers, had not one more than Thirty
thousand men in and about Washington, which
number might be increased in an emergency TO
Forty Thousand within twenty -four hours and
(by drafts from Fortress Monroe, from Cham.
berfburg and Eimira. and by leaving Baltimore
feeby garrisOoed) to Fifty thousand within two
days Admitting that JEFF. Davis were this day
advancing in force from Manassas Gap TO
drive the Union advance over (or ntO) the Po-
tomac, We aesert that Forty Thousand tomorrow
and Fifty Thousand rext day are the outside
numbers of the army with which Gen. Scott
could oppo,e him.
In what strength, theu, are the traitors abe
to assail the Union pOsitou on the right bsnb Of
the Potomac
Of course, oil estimates OF that force from this
,ide must be copjectural, since Union correspond,
ents ia JEFF Dayis's domniors walk as on tie BRINK
of precipice TIE last of ours who reported
70 ue from Richmond made the rebel aggregate
in Virginia only Tnlrty TAousapd, but admitted
that they were augmentpg at the rate Of thou
sand per day and would soon be Fifty Thousand.
We believe he under tstimated both their actual
strength and the rate Of daily increase. Ii is
notorious that rot Ooly the Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, aud Mississippi, but Louisiana, Tenuss-
see, Kentucky, aud even Arkansas, are repre-
sented in tho camps at Richmond, Norfolk, Ma
aassas Gap, and Harper's Ferry. 1t ia certain
that Jef. Dayiss arrival in Virginia and taking
oommand in person Of the rebel forces has stim-
ulated his followers ia that region to preternat-
ural activity. The Virginia papers now rarely
reach us, and they are systematically silent with
REGARD 30 military movements; but We cannot
believe tbot jeff came 20 Virginia empty handed,
ond we suspect he has by this time nearly strip
ped Florida Of trOops in order 20 strengthen
hiuscf in Virginia. We Judge that Fort Pickens
viii continue 10 be merely observed, not attacked
and that Tennessee has been, il being, silently
do1g9ed of her best volunteers 70 strengthen the
rebel cause on the arena where its life-aBddeGth
struggle murt be made. Virginia hereelf pro.eAds
to have giyen 10000 majority for Secession, and
probably has east at least that number Of Scces-
sion Yo.es; If co. she ought 20 be able 70 back
theIn BY Fifty Thouaand nuskets. In our cp.n-
ion, therefore, founded on a careful weighing of
facts, there arc this doy One Hundred thousand
men IN tho traitor camps in Virgioio, Of whom
Dnis can combine seyenty-ive Tholtand for m
ad.ance On Washington whenever he shall SEQ it.
Az We write, we perceive in Tie Wortd
statement that Mr.. S. ". Williams, Union
lawyer Of Washington, lately in Richmond, there
heard JeE. Davis address three regiments at q
reYiow, and heard hun state, In the course Of
bis harangue, tina. he had Sixty Eight Thousand
men yrder arms within that State and Twenty
FIVE Thousand on the way thither. making a
total Of Nnety-rhreo Thousand. And this we
belie7e 70 be very near t.se truth.
Now, just suppose that JEFF. should tomorrow
advance from MGlassas Gap ut the head Of even
Sixty Thousand men, kayng drawn ali but
handful away from Norfolk, Richmond and
Hsrpsrs Ferry for this purpose, and that tue
Baltimore traitors, having control OF the City
Government aud Police, should rise BY pTccou-
cert burn the railroad bridge. nnd break tho