The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-05-27

| The Repulae OF General Banks and tns
Lesson which IL Teaches.
The repulse Of General Banks fron the val
ley Of Virginia can only be regarded as very
unfortunate event. That he has made . mas
terly retreat, after having been brought several
times in collision with the overwhelming forces
OF the pursuing rebels, ID apparent from the
distance of sixty miles or moro traversed by his
little army in two days. lie has thus, In saving
his army from capture, done more than could
have been expected Of him under the circum-
stances But he has succeeded, not only in
saving his troops, but his baggage trains, which
would have been more valuable to the scantily
| supplied rebels than the capture of three times
the number Of his men, without their supplies
and transportation.
General Banks, therefore, may DO justly
considered as having skilfully discharged his
duty in this retreat; but still the rebels have
doubtless secured valuable military stores, to
considerable amount at Front Royal, Stras-
burg and Winchester ; and, in recovering the
control Of the great valley abandoned by our
troops, the rebel guerillas may be expected
to be prompt and merciless in their acts Of ven
geance and plumber against all those of the
local population accused or suspected of Union
sentiments and sympathies. The extensive region
conquered from the rebellion, and the success
full labors therein of General Banks of the last
three months, in behalf of the Union, are lost in
this single overwhelming dash Of the enemy
upon his unwisely diminished forces.
Whatever down to this event. may have been
the programme Of the War Office In reference
to the cooperative movements Of the army of
General Banks and that Of General Mcdowell,
it is very evident at length that the government
comprehends the necessity of instantly revising
It's plans to defeat tho real movements of the
enemy, now so clearly disclosed. Mr.. Score
tary Stanton may have acted prudently in
strengthening the army Of General MCDOWELL;
but be must now be convinced that the
army Of General Banks, instead Of being
reduced, should have been strengthened at the
same time. The rebel army at Richmond and
thereabouts occupies central point, which
gives it . great advantage in striking out at any
exposed column Of our forces around the en-
closing circle Of our advanced lines of occupa-
ton, and the column Of General Banks in the
Shenandoah valley was thus In . particularly
exposed position.
PROFESSIONALLY the rebel authorities at Rich
mond were immediately informed Of every
regiment withdrawn from his army, and in
this way the rebel army Of Jackson was REIN
forced in season to drive back from the Shenan-
doah valley our four or five thousand troops
there Originally thirty-fve thousand) in
double quick time over the Potomac river. We
presume, however, that Mr.. Secretary Stanton, in
reducing the army of Gen. Banks was satisfied
that Jackson had been finally driven off; that
his forces were moving across to join the rebel
camp in front of Gen. Mcdowell; and it is alto
gethsr probable that the rebels industriously
circulated some such idea, in order to deceive
our generals and our War Office and to lead
them sstray. At all events, we have been out
generalled again In the Shenandoah valley. and
have lost it temporarily; but We do not appre-
bend that this rebel raid will amount to any
thing more.
This disaster, too, will soon be amply re-
paired. The government Is thoroughly aroused,
and Mr.. Secretary Stanton, always represented
as wide awake, il now undoubtedly 30. Within
the present week, we dare say, he will have
thirty or forty thousand troops within support
ing distance Of Washington and General Banks,
Independently Of the army Of Gen. Mcdowell.
With third Of this aggregate force against any
possible rebel foray, however bold and despe-
rate, Washington Is secure within its encirclng
Notifications. We have not the remotest idea,
however, Of . rebel foray upon Washington.
but a very strong impression that within the
next two or three days the rebel Jackson will
receive such news from Richmond and the
Potomac as Will move him again, II not cap
tured or cut off, up the Shenandoah valley a.
rapidly as he came down
Taught the wholesome lesson, by this repulss
Of Gen. Banks, that it is dangerous to presume
too largely upon the distance or weakness Of
the enemy, and that our rear should always be
protected, we doubt not that our Secretary Of
War, under the instructions and personal super
vision Of President Lincoln, will promptly re-
pair damages, and put an extinguisher upon
the rebel guerillas Of Virginia, by pushing
them, after tho fashion Of Gen. Mcclellan,
to the wall.
ENGLISH VIEWS OF THE CAPTURE OF INV On
LEANs.-The news Of the fall Of New Orleans
appears, from the advices received by the
Kangaroo, to have produced . marked impress
sion in England. Nothing but the bare fact Of
its capture had reached there when the Kan
CARGO left Liverpool, and Of course, no accurate
conception could be formed Of the difHculty
and magnitude Of the undertaking, and Of the
desperate gallantry with which It was effected.
Sill the Importance Of the recapturs Of this,
the principal cotton port Of the South, by the
federals, seems to have been fully recognized,
although the secession agents and thar organs
u the English press were industriously seeking
70 depreciate ito effect When Charleston, So
~annah and Mohila fall info nnr handa a Hau