The national Republican., 1862-09-23
THE MILITARY POSITION.

to the Home Guards of that State.
The news from Western Virginia, that the
kanawba salt works were not destroyed after
all, but are now in full blast for the benefit Of
the rebels, is seriously bad. Salt was the great
lack Of the rebels
The military position upon the upper Po.
tomac has not changed within twenty-four
hours.
The raid Of General Stuart's cavalry into
Williamsport is so much in the line of that
entcrprising corps, that il con hardly he said
to give variety to affairs.
A dispatch from Frederick represents that
it is complained Of in Gen. McClellan's army,
that the Union troops on the Virginia side Of
the Potomac did a not intercept the rebels, in
their retreat" If the rebels were as numer.
Gus and formidable as they have been made
by all the representations coming from Gel.
McClellans army, it would require much
larger force to " intercept" them, than could
have been mustered by massing all the Union
troops on the south side Of the river.
\ dispatch from Frederick gives the fol.
lowing account, we know not how reliable, Of
the ford at which the rebel army retreating
from Sharpsburg crossed the Potomac:
"The river ia swollen somewhat by the late
rain, and fOrding is rather 4 serious business
The ford At which the rebels crossed is directly
opposite to Shepherdstown, two miles from
sharpsburg. But one wagon could cross at =
Nme, II being very narrow, with deep water
each side of II; but as their wagon train was
not very large, they managed TO get everything
over"
If this is the truth, or any approach to the
truth, the regret at the escape Of the rebels
will take on a considerable addition of sur.
prise.
A city paper of last evening enlarges upon
the difficulties of pursuit of the rebel army
BY Gen. Mcclellan, from the present point at
which McClellan's force is situated The
same paper intimates that this force will re-
turn in this direction, and make new star
on some shorter line for 1--WE SUPPOSE Rich
mond.
If Gen. Mcclellan does not cross the Poto
mac where he is, and drive the rebels out oil
the Valley of Virginia, he must at any rate
have some force on the north side of the upper
Potomac to prevent renewed raid into tht
Cumberland Valley.
1t is the Virginia Central railroad which
is perfect whip-row Tor the rebels, enabling
item 10 mcnace our whole front. from vii
Transport to fredericksburg. If we can only
cut that railroad somewhere, say at Gordons.
vile, il will bc unsair for the rebels to remain
III the Valley at all.
Without spcculatipg further upon the fu,
ture, it is obvious that the present military
position, although good one, il nothing
more is proposed than the defence Of the 10y
al States, is a very bad one, in view of the
fact that j, is not II defensive war We are Gu.
gagged in, but u war for the repression Of re.
bellion in the seeded States We art, oday
no nearer the possession Of Virginia than Dt
were in April. 1861, and it is doubtful il tn,
military strength Of the resistance to US hal
not increased in quite "a great n proportion
as our own. That is the plain truth Of tht
case, and we may as well look it in the face.
II would seem that the President has look
ed it in the face, and has become satisfied thai
the repression Of this rebellion, by merely
military measures, is an impossbility. Thai
was obvious to some from the start. and tC
increasing numbers as events have progressed
Indeed, it has been so for a long time tC
nearly everybody woo really desired that tn,
rebellion should be crushed, and who alst
knew that it could only be ended by being
crushed, and that compromise was out of thu
question.
THE POLITICAL PosIrIoS--THE PRESIDENT
| PROCLAMATION.
The Presidents proclamation, OF yesicr
day, will be read with far more exciting in
terest than The details of battles. This proc
lamation is the beginning Of the end, o.
rather i. is the end. Il makes efectual th1
measures devised by the wsest, most cour
ageous, and most patriotic Congress ever rs
sembled under the Constitution o! the Unite,
States, TO rcprcss the rebellion by striking
at what was at once its moving cause ant
its vital part
As it was slavery which alone brought OIL
this war, SO ii was the possession Of thei
slaves which alone enabled the rebels to main
tain it. The legislation which the Prcsideli
has now made tIlectual, was adopted upol
this maturcly considered view Of affairs an'
its wisdom will be vindicated by the result
At any rate, the military method of suhduin'
the rebellion has been tried and utterly failed
and if the policy Of Congress is not cnectua
no other remains
| The President has even gone beyond th
legislation OF Congress, although not bcyon
their known wishes. lie has proclaimed tn
freedom Of oil slaves, as well of loyal owner
US OF rebels, and whether they escape TO III
or not, in such States, and part of States, a
shall remain insurrectionary on the first da
Of next January. We should have been sa
isfcd if the proclamation had merely carrie
i