The New York herald., 1862-04-07

ViC. W WeStSfa Ii btofo dHu uoilVefe FoIk
steady, with Of at slS $lS 12I, and
Western primo mess at s12 so sl3. and new prime at
SO Is $40 So Sugars armer in good request
and about re. higher, with sales Of about 1000 hhds
including lots Of Porto Rcos but chiefly Cuba
covados Coffee steady with sales Of 700 bags Of Rio
at p e. and 100 do. Marscabo, 22c 100 mats Java
at 2lc Freights inactive and heavy especially for
Liverpool, while engagements were moderate.
The New Defensive System OF the Re-
bellion-Light Artillery and Shifting
Armies.
The rebel government and the chiefs Of the
rebel army have evidently resolved upon a
new system of defensive warfare. Their " i'm.
pregnable" positions, however strongly forti
fed by nature and by encircling lines Of
abaf;s, deep bitches, rife pits, masked bate
ries, narrow causeways, and enfilading re-
doubts, provided with the heaviest artil-
lery, have been tried and have signally
failed them. Port Royal, Fort Henry, Fort
Donelson, Columbus, Bowling Green, Ma
nassas, Hatteras, Roanoke Island, Newborn
and New Madrid have settled the question
against any inland stationary defences, how
ever we'll chosen and skilfully contrved and
heavily armed. Hence We have no doubt as
to the truth of the recent pithy observation
attributed to the rebel General Sidney John
ston, substantially, that 'the Confederate forces
cannot depend upon holding any fixed position,
for there is no position which they can select
for stand which cannot be turned by the
superior forces of the United States
This is the discovery which the rebel leaders
have made from the disastrous failure of their
whole line of frontier defensive works, from
Manassas to Columbus. They are accordingly
driven to the necessity Of some new defensive
system; and the system which we are convinced
they have thus resolved upon is that of shift
ing armies and light artillery. We have already
had an example Of this new system in the late
battle at Winchester. The rebel General Jack
son, having equipped his army of twelve or
fifteen thousand men expressly for rapid move
ments marched down with it from Mount Jack
son to Winchester--over forty miles-with
twenty-six field pieces, in two days, made a
spirited fight Of whole day and then. although
somewhat beaten and hotly pursued. made
good his retreat, with the loss of only two OF
his guns.
This, then, we are satisfied, ia the general
system Of warfare which henceforward will be
pursued by the rebels. They will, Of course,
stick to their defonces and heavy guns Of the
Mississippi river and Norfolk to the last, and at
Cornth and few other places they may still
adhere to their forts and heavy artillery; but
their prevailing system henceiorward will be
that Of General Price and General Jackson
that OF shifting armies, disencumbered of heavy
guns and baggage trains, prepared for long
marches at q short notice, and ready to risk, il
necessary, fight, in the face Of repulse, with
out much danger Of serious loss, even IL de-
feated, from their careful arrangements for
rapid movements.
The Norfolk Doy Book, in the extracts from
il which we published yesterday, has given
us some conclusive testimony upon this
point The Ordnance Burssu of the rebel
government appeals to the Southern people for
the delivery Of all the bells they can spare, for
the purpose of providing light artillery for the
public defence. The Chief Of the Bureau says
that while copper is abundant, the supply OF
tin Is deficient TO convert the copper into
bronze Bells contain so much tin that z, 400
pounds Of bell metal, mixed with the proper
| quantity Of copper, will suffice for q field bat
tery Of six pieces. Those who are willing to
devote their bells to this patriotic purpose will
receive receipts for them, and the bells will be
replaced, if required, at the close OF the war
o hey will be purchased at fair prices
Places Of deposit for The bells are provided al
Richmond, Va; Fayetteville, N. c.; Charleston
:. c.; Augusta, Atlanta, Savannah and Knox.
vile, in Georgia; at Mount Vernon and Mont
gomcry, Ala, little afraid of MOBILIZE; al
Columbus, Miss, and at Baton Rouge, La.
| New Orleans doubtless being considered
an unreliable depot). "Persons and congrega
joins placing their bells at The service Of tht