The New York herald., 1862-11-22
The Advantages and Necessities Of sa
Active Winter Campaign.

active prosecution of this war East and West.
They expect it, too, from the promises held out
by the government, from it's vast preparations
made aud its formidable aggressive movements
afoot by land and sea. Particularly in reference
to the grand Army Of the Potomac ID this belief
OF forward movement entertained, regardless of
The SHOWS, rains, frosts and thaws of Virginia
winter. The pressing necessities no less than
the present advantages of the government for
bid the idea that three or four months are to be
wasted in winter quarters.
The depreciation of our paper money-fede-
raj and local; the pressure Of the national Tax
bill upon all the business avocatons of the loyal
States; the doubts and misgivings resulting from
the continuance of powerful rebel army be-
tween Washington and Richmond; the enormous
sums of money required to maintain the op-
posing army Of the Union, and the heavy rein
forcements Of men demanded from time to time
to repair ts losses, whether fighting or inactive
will suggest some. of the necessities for active
operations regardless Of wind or weather
The impression is widely entertained, and we
think il well established in truth, that the Union
army in Virginia is stronger and better pre-
pared now for the work Of a triumphant cam
paign than it ever has been heretofore, or is
likely to be hereafter The experience of last
summers campaign on the Richmond peninsula
has also proved that, if he would escape the
deadly malaria of those swamps, and those
tropical rains which render them almost impas-
sable, General Burnside must avail himself Of
the advantages Of the winter season for his ad
vance upon the rebel capital.
The present situation of the contending par
ties in this war is widely different from that Of
last November. Then the well considered mill
tary combinations originating with General
Scott aud entered into between General Nc
Clellan, as Gencral-in Chief and Commander of
the Army of the Potomac, and General Hslleck,
chief in command in the West, involved the
detention of the rebel army at Manassas until
the return of spring. But active operations in
the West though brilliantly successful, were
brought on o month too soon, and thus the
rebel army at Manassas was prematurely hur-
ried away, and was thus enabled to anticipate
and prepare for the movement of General Nc
Clellan upon Richmond by way of Yorktown.
we'll employed by him in the completion of the
Notifications encircling Washington has been
since abundantly demonstrated. Had ihe fall
of Fort Donelson. Bowling Green and Nash.
vile been delayed a month longer. however, a
simultaneous advance Of the Union armies. East
and West. would have carried everything be-
fore it, including Richmond.
cta nIc fha tior No nhay
of Virginia is apparently falling back upon Rich
mond 1t must be followed up, therefore, at
once, and brought to a decisive engagement. or
the reduction of the rebel capital may become
another siege of Sebastopol. The object of the
enemy is to gain time to strengthen and multi
ply his defensive works; the object of Burnside
is to grant as little time possible for this pur
pose. But in advancing upon Richmond the
safety of Washington should not be overlooked.
We have shrewd, vigIant and desperate
enemy to deal with. II is possible that his pre-
sent designs may be to entice General Burnside
and his army into the Richmond peninsula, and
then, abandoning the city to its fate General
Lee may hurry back with his whole force upon
Washington, with the resolution of taking its
the city from Arlington Heights. To meet this
possible contingency General Halleck should
be provided with a competent reserved force
near Washington. We do not assume the wis
dom required to instruct him in the art of
war, but would simply admonish him that
experience is teacher whose instruc-
,ions are entitled to respect, aud that our
h..-n t.l
too light an estimate of the vigilance, resources
and temerity of the enemy.
Let Washington be rendered perfectly safe
without requiring General Burnside to keep a
sharp eye in that direction while advancing
upon Richmond and let him be further assisted
with cooperating land and naval force by
way of the James aud York rivers, and bis ad-
vance upon the rebel capital will be the death
blow to the rebellion The army of Lee, ir not
captured or destroyed at Richmond, will be
enveloped by forces sufficient to capture il or
scatter it to the winds; and, with the loss Of
this army, the suffering aud exhausted people
Of the rebsllous South will themselves come to
the rescue. They will recognize in the results
of the late New York and other elections of the
Northern States a guarantee of security in the
Union, and they will adopt the saving alterna-
tive of submission.
But time il precious. The condition Of the
federal treasury and of the currency of the coun-
try, the heavy drain upon the resources of the
loyal States required to sustain our immense
fleets and armies in the field, admit of no mac
tivity, no waste Of time, money, men and oppor-
tunities, by waiting upon the elements. We
must during this winter, II not before the expi-
ration of the present year, convince the people
of the South of the folly of further resistance,
and England and France of the folly of inter.
vention, or we know not what may be the
consequences.
GREELEY VOLUNTEERING FOR FORT LAiAY-