The New York herald., 1862-08-25

lie, spirit ana enterprise, cast lutO the Suauc
every other nation on the face of the globe
when peace again blesses our native land?
The Campaign I'm virginia-The Crisis
or Danger and the Hour Of Safety.
Has there been q general battle in Virginia.
on the line of the Rappahannock, within the
last twenty-four hours! Has the enemy sue
ceeded in crossing that stream and in turning
the right wing Of General Popes-or have the
rebels been repulsed, or are they still
maneuvering on the south side of the river and
which to cross? Upon the answer to these
questions depends the safety of Washington or
the speedy suppression of this rebellion.
1t appears that Fighting of a desultory
character has been going on for several days
past;" that "the enemy has been repulsed at
all points by our batteries, but not without
some loss of artilierymen and horses" Best of
all is the news that the bulk of the army OF
General Mcclellan has arrived at Aqua creek
(near fredericksburg, and his forces are now
within supporting distance of those Of Pope
and Burnside, and that in the aggregate they
constitute far more formidable army than that
of Mcclellan at the opening OF the seven days
battles in front of Richmond If, therefore,
there has been general engagement on the
Rappahannock within the last twentyfour
hourY we have every reason to believe that it
has resulted in an important Union victory;
but if there has been no engagement thus far
of any moment, then we may congratulate the
country that the crisis of danger is past, that
the hour of safety has dawned upon our army,
and that terrible and irresistible rebound
against the insolent enemy will not long bo de-
layed. From the facts and reports before US
we conclude that there has not been any en-
gagement with General Pope of any import
ance down to the latest news from his army.
The heaviest columns of the rebels APP
pear to be moving up near the foot hills
of the Blue Ridge against the right wing
of General Pope, as if for the double par-
pose of fanking him in that direction
and crossing 90 the Ridge" by way Of Sper-
ryville into the Shenandoah valley. Their
programme would thus seem to be the division
of their forces into two columns should a trial
with General Pope justify it-one column to
move down by way of Manassas to menace
Washington in 'front.' while the second pushes
down the Shenandoah valley under Stouewall
Jackson for q dash into Maryland. Thus, with
the defeat Of Pope, the relative positions Of the
two armies would probably be very soon SUBJ
stantially the same, from Harper's Ferry to
Manassas, as they were at this time year ago.
But, if General Pope to this day has not been
called upon to grapple with a superior force,
or, if called upon to fight, he has repulsed the
enemy in an important engagement, we may
safely conclude that Jackson will be denied
the pleasure of another dash down upon Har-
per's Ferry, and that General Lee will soon be
compelled to turn his back upon the Kappa
hammock.
II is difficult to understand how a rebel army
of one hundred and fifty or two hundred thou
sand men could have moved up by this time,
in the rear Of Pope, from Gordonsville co the
Upper Rappahannock, if we take into the esti-
mate the important items of subsistence and
transportation. "An army" says Frederick
the Great, lis like a snake it moves upon its
belly" The country north of Gordonsville
has been drained Of its supplies. and beyond
their railroads the means of transportation
possessed by the rebels are extremely limited.
Undoubtedly Gen. Pope has broken up the
numerous bridges on the railway behind him,
and thus in the work Of repairs for the purposes
of subsistence Gen. Lee would be necessarily
checked in his pursuits for several days Hence
we conclude there has been no important en-
gagement with Gen. Pope, from the inability of
the enemy TO bring forward their army. and
that by this time our forces on the Rappahan-
mock are amply prepared and strengthened at
all points TO battle and defeat the approaching
enemy.
Gen. Hafleck has accomplished most diff
cult and dangerous undertaking. Between our
two armies Of Mcclellan and Pope lay rebel
army at Richmond twice the strength Of either.
| The object was to bring round the army Of
| Mcclellan over two hundred miles by water
| to Q junction with Pope before the rebels could
take the hint and cross over their whole force
| by railroad, sixty or seventy miles to the Rap
panannock, and cut Pope to pieces and push
| into Washington. Secondly, there was the
| danger TO be avoided Of the destruction oi
| Mcclellan in the midst of the work Of BIZ
evacuation. The diversion of Pope toward,
Gordonsville saved Mcclellan from an attack
although 1t increased the danger OF the destruc
ton OF Pope. But Mcclellan, nevertheless
has, by bis skilful arrangements, disappointed
the enemy, ard has effected his junction witt
Pope in the nick Of time.
Thus Gen. Lee is confronted by an army 0
veterans too formidable in numbers and to-
strong in their position to be assaied at yer
ture, but rendered stronger every hour and q
every point by incoming reinforcements. vii