The New York herald., 1862-10-31

memss against the hebeiIAOn Gsss ehu
West.
There has been very little change apparently
since our last published advces, in the relative
positions of the two great hostile armies in
Northern Virginia. But. near Cumberland, on
the extreme right of the immense line covered
by General Mcclellan, that active mountain
oampaigner, General Kelly, has just performed
very neat operation in the capture Of q rebel
cattle hunting detachment and on the extreme
left, eighty miles distant from Kelly, General
Pleasapton is actively removing the advanced
guards of Lees army from Loudon county. At
the same time the central division of General
McClellan's forces is steadily moving the out
posts of the rebels backward towards Win
chester.
Tho special object Of Lee is evidently to
move over the Blue Ridge, at several Of the
gaps, so called, which command the shortest
and easiest roads to Richmond. These crossings
lie between Loesburg and Culpepper Court
House; but, as all this line is actively secured
by our cavalry expeditions from day to day,
Lee will most probably be compelled to keep
up the valley, for the safety of his trains, to
point opposite Gordonsvlle; and hence we
suspect that there will be no general engage
ment with Lee this side of Gordonsville. As
for the pursuit Of his army up the exhausted
upon the score of subsistence. Gen. Mcclellan
therefore, must keep within convenient dis
tance of his depots Of supplies, and between
the enemy and Washington, until he can get
between him and Richmond and compel
HIM to make a stand. Lee is in position
from which it requires the incest strategy to es-
cape, and Mcclellan is advantageously posted
to intercept him in any direction. And SO there
need not be any uneasiness or impatience in
regard to our Army of the Potomac.
The army, late of General Buell., but now of
General Rosecrans, is en- route from Kentucky
for Nashville, perhaps with the Wow of giving
another lesson to General Bragg, whe, it is
suspected, is preparing for desperate enter
prise in that direction. AT the same time, along
the northern border of Mississippi, the broken
columns of Price, Van Dorm, Lowell and Breck-
inridge are reported to be concentrating for
another trial Of strength with General Grant.
But he will be ready to meet them and beat
them at any point, and at moments notice,
and, it may be, before they expect him. Indeed,
between Rosecrans and Grant we may antici-
pate soon to hear that the armed forces of the
rebellion have been swept from Tennessee and
from Northern Mississippi down into the inte-
rior Of Alabama and Georgia.
But to complete the work of the suppression
of the rebellion in the Southwest, the Missis-
sppi fotilla Of Admiral David D. Porter will
shortly move down from Cairo to New Orleans,
in conjunction with land force under General
McClernand; while the feet of Admiral Far
ragut and an army under General Banks will
be despatched, perhaps, to liberate the Union
people of Texas, and to look after the contra.
band traders at the mouth Of the Rio Grande,
and perhaps in an opposite direction.
Thus it will be seen that President Lincoln
is preparing actively, not for one heavy blow,
but for numerous and simultaneous as
saults upon the remaining strongholds
of the rebellion East and West and
by our land and naval forces. We do not
imagine that in these operations the seacost be-
tween Beaufort, N. c., and New Orleans will be
neglected, but that round the contracting circle
OF the rebellion the armies of JEFF. Davis will be
assailed with irresistible force at every point,
and routed and dispersed. Accordingly, we do
not abandon the hope that before the lst Of
January the radical abolition policy Of a sweep
ing emancipation crusade will cease to be en-
tertaned at Washington. We expect in .
word, that the armed rebels of the South and
our disorganizing radicals Of the North will be
put down together-the nrst by our powerful
fleets and armies, and the latter through the
sound public opinion of our loyal States, as re-
vealed in this autumn elections
THE PRIvATEER ALABAMA.-We have heard
nothing more of the operations of Captain
Semmes and his privateer since the return of
Captains Hagar, Clifford and Tilton. The next
accounts that reach us will probably increase
the number of vessels destroyed by him to five
and twenty or thirty. Government has not as
yet taken the steps requisite to put stop to
his predatory career. The vessels that have
been sent after the Alabama are, with one ex-
ception (that of the Tuscarora), not of the kind
calculated to overtake her or to interfere with
her work of destruction. The Vanderbilt is being
fitted out for the purpose, and will be ready
to sail in day or two; but these two vessels
are not sufficient to follow up and circumvent
an antagonist SO adroit and we'll practiced in all
kinds Of sea tricks as the pirate Semmes. 1t
was great mistake on the part Of the depart
ment not to arm and despatch simultaneously
with the Vanderbilt the Baltic and Atlantic
now employed as transport ships, and ranking
among the fastest steamers adoat. Then, again,
II has the Come ccticut and Rhode Island
two very fast vessels, and which, mounted
with rifed cannon, would either one of them be
able to cope with the Alabama. The saving
Of expense, If economy was the object In with.
holding them from this service. will we fear