The New York herald., 1862-12-26

ing letter respecting the position OF the Cnrssisn
population in Asia Minor and Syria. and the pro-
gress Of American interests. missionary ana COM
mercial, in the Ottoman empire at large. France
and England through diplomatic policy. wish to
sustain the tottering rule Of the Sultan and hence
they represent to the world that the rights of TO-
reiQners are tolerated in the East and free exer-
else of Christian worship permitted. The writer
denies this. He says that the jealousies engender-
ed among the Christian Powers by the Crimesn
war induce each one of them to submit in turn to
the perpetration of the most gross wrongs and
outrages on their subjects by the Turks and Turk
ish authorities, the European governments, indi-
vidually, fearing that the complaint of one would
tend to elevate the influence of the others in Con-
stantinople. Hence the murders which have been
perpetrated on American missionaries and other
Christian settlers within the last few years, and
hence the probability that such acts will be re-
peated, unless the great Powers, throwing all
feeling of political rivalry aside, unite and tell the
Sultan that they must come to an end. One of the
murderers of Mr. Cofing, the American missiona-
ry had been arrested and ordered for execution,
the United States Consul at Beyrout, with the
commander of the United States ship Constella.
tion, doing good service in obtaining this act of
justice which it is thought will have sn.excellent
moral effect. The Constellation left Beyrout on
the 29th Of August, for the coast of Italy, with
all hands well. There were several French and Eng
ish ships-ofwar on the Eastern shores. The Mon
tenegrn question had not advanced towards q
solution. A young native, Of liberal education and
views, had introduced cotton gin from France at
Tarsus. The effect has been excellent, and it was
thought that five times the amount of cotton
would be cultivated next year. From this step
the writer anticipates the most important results
local revolution, which will eventually reform
the lawless habits of the population, by engaging
them in profitable agricultural pursuits, and the
opening of q cotton market which will tend more
thanan other to render Europe independent Of
the Southern States of America for supply of
that staple.
The Chicago Tribune (radcal abolition) say
that Gen. Grant has hitherto been held back by
Gen. Haeck, and that the latter is responsible for
the policy which has kept our army hanging
about Memphis and Corinth 80 long, inactive.
The rebel iron-clad battery Georgia, which was
built at Savannah, is lying just below that city, at
the head of Elba island, and is completely sur
rounded with distractions. She is covered with
railroad iron and mounts ten guns.
1t is reported that Attorney General Bates re-
CARDS the admission of West Virginia as State
unconstitutional. His opinion, it is thought, will
have considerable influence in preventing the Pre-
sident from signing the bill.
The Campaign I'm the southwest-Its
Weak Places ana Points OF Danger.
We publish this morning an interesting illus
trative map, at this time, of that portion of the
lower Mississippi valley which has become the
all important field Of the war in the Southwest
and in connection with this map we give
series Of letters from our army correspondents
which will materially assist the reader in an
intelligent understanding Of the military COM
binations and operations involved in this South
western campaign.
Between Nashville and New Orleans the diff
ferent army columns and detachments, Union
and rebel, operating on both sides Of the great
river-in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and
Louisiana-exceed,p perhaps, in the aggregate oil
the armed forces in the East between Frede
ricksburg and Charleston. On the Union side,
in the section of country represented in our
map, General Rosecrans has q magnificent army
at and around Nashville. General Grant and
General Sherman have each powerful column
operating further down-the latter on the Mis-
sissippi river below Memphis, and the former
on the Yazoo. Within striking distance, we
presume, Of Grant and Sherman, is the great
liver hotilla Of Admiral Porter or the co-ope-
rating land forces of General McClernand.
All these forces moving along together, il they
could be 80 moved, would doubtless be strong
enough, without serious check, to march right
on down to the Gulf of Mexico, clearing out
the rebels from the State of Mississippi, and
giving them a crushing blow in Alabama with
the occupation of Mobile. But we are sorry to
say that in the West, as in the East, there are
bitches and drawbacks attending the move
ments of our forces which leave US in doubt
as to the practical results that are to follow.
For example, we are informed from Cairo
that paroled federal prisoners arrived at that
point report the rscapture of Holly Springs.
Mississippi, by the rebels and that this recapture
resulted in the destruction Of large quaa titles
of cotton, over two hundred wagons and q de-
pot full of commissary stores, ammunition, DC,
valued at half million of dollars. Again, it
appears that a small rebel force made raid on
the suburbs Of Memphis on Sunday night and
carried off one hundred cattle and one hundred
and eighty mules; and yet again, that the rebel
forces operating in Northwestern Tennessee, in
the rear of Rosecrans, have burned Union City
and the bridge over the Onion river. The worst
feature however, in all these mshaps is the small
guard of three or four hundred men placed ovor
the valuable depot Of our army supplies at
Holly Springs. We have had numerous cases
of this sort, East and West, and many millions
Of army supplies have thus been wasted by the
culpable negligence involved in an insufficient
or unfaithful protecting detachment Of Union
troops.
But these successful rebel raids nnon the