The New York herald., 1862-08-01

OF Immediate and Energetic Action At
Washington.
From various concurrent sources of infor-
nation we get down the armed forces of the
rebellion now in Virginia as not less than three
hundred thousand men. This vast army lies
between the line of the James river and the
will move northward to attack the army of
Gen. Pope, or dash down the James river upon
the army Of Gen. Mcclellan, is now the fore
most question in the public mind. Gen. Nc
Clellan is not prepared to advance against an
opposing army of three hundred thousand men
in their strongest position behind the fortifca-
tiOns of Richmond; and Gen. Pope, for the
present, is doing all that can be expected Of
him, in keeping vigilsnt eye upon jackson,
Ewell and other rebel chiefs threatening the
reoccupstion Of Manassas, or another descent
down the valley Of the Shenandoah and raid
through Maryland for the back door of Wash
ington.
We know. too, from the recent sanguinary
battles before Richmond, that the rebels, when
they discover an opening for damaging blow.
will not wait to strike until it may suit our
convenience. Their programme is for short
war. They cannot survive . long one. Hence,
under their sweeping conscription act, they
have mustered every able bodied white man
within their reach, between eighteen and thirty
Eve, into their army Hence they have con-
centrated the elite and the bulk Of this great
army in Virginia, for "short, sharp despe-
rate" and decisive struggle. They may be
mistaken; but the Interpretation which they
give to the late seven days battles is that Rich
mond is safe for several months to come, with
. comparatively small force left in the occupa-
ton Of its defences, and that they are free to
move at any time . body Of two hundred
thousand men to Harrison's Landing or to the
Potomac river.
Such is the situation and the indicated policy
of the great rebel army Of Virginia. Jef. Davis
and his confederates, having resolved to risk
their whole game upon "a single hazard of the
de- are wide awake. Their resources are
taxed to the uttermost to feed and clothe their
great army, and hence they appreciate more
than we do the Importance Of energetic action
and the value Of time. They must use their
present army before it is frittered away; for if
frittered away they cannot replace it. 1t is all
they have. If we, therefore, are not prepared
within a few days to resume offensive opera
tions we must be prepared, north or southeast
Of Richmond, to resist the shock of the enemy;
for we apprehend that the present calm is omi-
nous of another storm close at hand.
We ought to have to-day an army Of three
hundred thousand men in Virginia. Why have
we not? II the rebels can raise such an army
from white basis Of Eve millions, why do we
Of the loyal States fall short with white popu-
lation Of nearly twenty-three millions, and while
in everything else our means and appliances
for war are a. twenty to one compared with
those of the rebellion? It is because, relying
upon our consciousness Of strength we have
failed to exercise 1t, while the rebels, conscious
Of their weakness, fight with the unanimity and
the energy Of despair. We can afford to triie
with them no longer. We must be prepared
within this month Of August for reckoning
which will substantially end this rebellion, or
for an exhausting and ruinous war Of indefinite
duration.
We have been fighting this rebellion for
fourteen months, by land and water,
around . great circle Of three thousand
miles Excepting one tough and troublesome
link, we have destroyed the whole chain Of the
rebel defences Of the Mississippi river, and
excepting two or three We have conquered all
their strongholds on the Atlantic seabOard. We
have rescued Maryland, like brand from the
fire, and Missouri and Kentucky; we have over
run Arkansas; we hold the State Of Tennessee,
the greater part of Louisiana, every important
point in Florida, and parts of Mississippi, Ala
bsma, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and
more than one-half the great State Of Virginia;
so that, with the fall OF Richmond, the chosen
capital OF their confederacy, the game Of Davis
and bis fellow conspirators is at an end. and
they know it.
They have shaped their plans accordingly
protection of irregular troops and guerillas, and
have gathered up their substantial strength
in the feld'for the defence of Richmond, and,
il deemed expedient, for dash upon our own
capital. We must be prepared to meet the
enemy - we find him, and we must be prepared
to meet him, not when and where II may suit
our convenience, but north or east of Richmond,
at moments warning. What, then, would we
have the government to dot We would have il
gather an army of three hundred thousand men
into Virginia at once, and from the old troops in
the Geld in other quarters, if this army cannot
otherwise be Immediately raised.
But it can be otherwise raised, and twice
over. The government appears to be satisfied
with the volunteering system but the country
is not satisfied with it's apparent results at this
crisis. The question still recurs, Why delay
general draft or call upon the militia, which
in thirty days, would place at the Presidents
disposal five hundred thousand fresh men and
end the war in three months and, especially
why this delay, when neither Mcclellan nor Pope
is strong enough to advance upon Richmond?