The New York herald., 1862-03-05

The Rebellion-lts Geographical Area
New Rebel Plans OF Warfare.
We publish to-day . skeleton map of the
United States, in order to show at glance the
comparative geographical area Of the loyal and
rebellious divisions of the Union. From this
map ii will be seen that in territory, as
In population, and in all the means, ap-
pliances and facilities for war, the superiority
Of the loyal division of the country over the
disloyal fully bears out the proportion Of four
to one.
In military point Of view It will next be
observed, since the expulsion Of the rebel
forces from Kentucky, our successful invasion
Of Arkansas and our military occupation Of
Tennessee, that our rebellious States extend
along in single line from Virginia to Texas,
exposed alike on the seaboard and along their
northern boundary TO the hazards of an over
whelming invasion. In other words, every
one Of our rebellious States now being ex-
posed to our naval expeditions on one
flank, and our land forces on the
other, is called upon, against all demands
from its confederates, first to look after its own
defcnces on both Sides The loss of Tennessee
to the rebels it will next be seen, on referring
to our map, is an irreparable loss; for while
Tennessee was held by them she stood pro-
tecting barrier on the northwest and north to
North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and
Mississippi, all of which States now on their
land side are menaced bv the immediate pre-
sence of our armies.
What hope, then, is there to jeff. Davis, with
his usurped authority reduced to this single
tier of rebellious States, compressed between
our naval forces on the one side and our land
forces on the other side? What system of de-
fences will avail to protect this long line Of
exposed States, or any one of them against our
overwhelming forces on both sides? The rebel
managers at Richmond, with their eyes some
what opened to their desperate situation, are
discussing various expedients. One is prac-
tical commander-in-chief of all their forces, an
| idea which they have derived from the success
| full combinations of our fleets and armies under
| the comprehensive supervision Of General Nc
| Clellan. We presume, therefore, that they will
| appoint a practical general-in-chief of their
| forces, and we dare say that Beauregard will
be their man, and that his first headquarters in
this new capacity will be in the camp at Ma
nassas. In fact it is altogether probable that he
is even now directing the movements of all the
rebel camps along the whole line of the Po-
| tomac.
1t is next proposed, by learned tactician at
| Richmond, that the "so-called Confederate
States," as Earl Russell styles them, shall
abandon the guerrilla system of warfare, which
has so deplorably fallen short of their expecta.
tions, and try the other system of immense
masses of troops and great battles. For the
sake Of all parties concerned, it is to be
hoped that the rebel managers will adopt
this plan, and that they will try their first ex-
pertinent of great battle on the Potomac.
Since their late disasters in the West, we have
been apprehensive that if General Mcclellan
were not very quick in his movements he would
march upon Manassas only to discover that that
desirable flock of secession pigeons had slipped
out Of the net which he has been so carefully set
1 ting to catch them. But our opinion now inclines
to great battle. We think it quite possible,
in this view, that some of the rebel forces from
Bowling Green Nashville, Knoxville, North
Carolina, and from Yorktown and thereabouts,
have been hurried up to Manassas, and that the
rebel batteries on the lower Potomac have also
been levied upon for reinforcements to the i'm
mediate right wing of the Manassas rebel army.
We dare say, however, that if any such
movements have been and are going on to
strengthen the great rebel camp Of the Potomac,
General Mcclellan has taken good care to bc
informed of them, and that, in any event, the
movement of our army Coward to Richmond"
will, this time, find its most serious impediments
in The wrecks, broken bridges and obstructed
roads of a routed rebel army.
QUICK FIGHTING IN MIssoURI.-By dispatches