The New York herald., 1862-12-22

Ace for the present that he has received seri-
cus check, that he must turn the rebel works In
his front or abandon that line or march, and
that they are celebrating now in Washington
,ipon what he IL next TO do. The absence Of
any formidable supporting movement TO Gene
ral Burnside by way OF Suffolk and Petersburg
or the James river peninsula has enabled the
rebel General Lee to concentrate his forces
in front Of fredericksburg, aud to delay another
advance on our side perhaps for weeks to come.
Including the present petty experimental di-
versions against the rebels along The seaboard
OF North and South Carolina even with the vic
tory just won by Gen. Foster, We must admit
that the prospect Of q decisive overthrow this
winter Of the armies Of the rebellion in the
East has become exceedingly doubtful. Had
our forces, land and naval. which have been
Sirihbled away in small detachmen!s from For
trcs Monroe to Port Royal, been concentrated
with the Banks expedition OH the James river,
she victorious yankees" might have celebrated
lheir s'merry Christmas in the rebel capital.
But the James was the line Of General McClel-
Ian, aud is therefore not the line for General
Halleck.
In the West the condition Of things appears
SO be little better, and promising speodier and
greater results. The forces--land and water
Of the McClernand and Porter Mississippi
river expedition are all moving steadily
down towards Vicksburg--a stubborn re-
bellious s.ronghold--which this time. we
expect, will SOON succumb. in being simulta-
.neously assailed in front, flank and rear But,
while Grant, MoClernand and Porter are thus
moving southwark, General Rosecrans, at Nash
vile. is threatened with very formidable cou-
centraiion Of rebel orces, hurying in from all
sides 10 the menacing army Of Joe John
ston. Their calculations are that If they can
defeat and disperse the army Of Rosecrans
and recover Nashville, they can dispose of
Grant and NcOlernand in very short order.
Nor can the correctness Of these estimates
he doubted. u is to be hoped, therefore,
that General Eosecrans will be at once suff
GENTLY strengthened to enable him to resume
offensive operations. From million Of men
in the field we cannot understand why he has
not been made strong enough to clear the re
bells out OF Tennessee, eastward into Virginia
and routhward into Mississippi, Alabama and
Georgia.
The great trouble with the present blunder.
ing heads Of the War Office seems to be a clear
ing up Of the whole rebellion at once, from
every pOint around its circumference Of two or
three thousand miles. Common sense, how
aver, would suggest the abandonment, tempo
rarily, Of its unimportant extremities for some
crushing blows ut the head, the stomach and
the heart Of the rebellion" At ali events, if,
- rr e
and most Intelligent soldiers in the world,
equipped with the most formidable weapons Of
modern warfare, and we'll fed and clothed and
with cooperating naval force equal to
another army Of half a million OF men, we can
not in this winters campaign bring to terms
of submission th. States involved in this rebel
lion, the war will most probably be trans
-,uitied as the legacy of Mr.. LiEcoln to his
successor.
Bat why should not the war be brought to q
successful issue before the return Of spring!
Against the overwhelming Union land and
naval forces indicated the rebels, without the
vcstigc Of a navy, excepting the British pirati.
cal ship Alabama, have IN army Of only bali
million Of men, badly fed in rags, without
shoes, indfferently equipped anG poorly armed,
and utterly incomi etent in anything like equal
nuinbors, in al open field fight to cope with
the Union troops. This winters campaign,
therefore, will settle the question whether this
war IL coming to an end or is to be transmitted
10 the next ad ainistration. The prevailing
public apprehension is that, under the existing
Cabinet and war directing Influences at Wash
ington, this administration will be o failure;
,nd every consideration of policy and duty on
the part OF President Lincoln demands sweep
ing reconstruction of things ut headquarters,
aud without further delay.