The New York herald., 1862-02-18

i Foley OF the AsmsinistratiOn and o
the Southern People.
The capture of Fort Donelson, with the bull
. Of its rebel garrison Of fifteen thousand men
r is indeed great and decisive victory. Stand
: ing alone it would be so but, identified al
{ 1t is with a succession Of Union triumphi
D in the West and in the East, its importance
is immensely extended With the news of the
brilliant little affair near Somerset, in Southern
Kentucky, on the 10th of January, in which
the rebel General Zolleoffer was slain, we
of General McClellan's infallible combinations
and resources for a crushing campaign Our
rolina and Missouri, including the triumphal
exploration Of the Tennessee river into the
State of Alabama, and eliminating in this
grand affair on the Cumberland, all confirm
the accuracy Of our estimate in designating
that little battle near Somerset as the "be-
ginning Of the end"
For a month or more after our disastrous
battle Of Manassas the people of the loyal
States were troubled concerning the safety Of
Washington, and apprehensive of an attack
upon it by the army of Johnston and Beaure-
gard. The efforts Of the government, then,
were necessarily directed, first to the security
OF our national capital, and secondly to the
plan and the men and the means Of grand
comprehensive campaign against the strong
holds Of the rebellion. While thus employed
ON our side, the hopes Of the rebels were
strengthened, not only by eur apparent mac
tivity, but by their accidental or incidental vic
tories of Springfield Belmont and Lexington.
Missouri and by the bloody tragedy to cur
troops Of Balls Blaf, on the Upper Potomac.
1ttis true that against these rererses we had
se,ured a full equi@aient in our naval victories
Of Hatterass Inlet and Port Royalt but, consi-
derirS the vast means employed in shese expe
ditonsy the rebels still consoed them selves that,
not having caphlreSs any importans seaboard
city, or cut of any, important Southernrailroad,
We had aecemplish.d d little or nothing.
We had done nothing to take away the
Northern humiliation or the Southern yrestige
of Bull raH; and neansias the rebel leaders
had some reason to expect, upon short notice,
the powerful assistance Of England. Thus they
have been encouraged to prepare for resisting
well equipped Union army of six hundred
aud,fifty thousand inen, ard a naval force of
war ships and guntl oats which alone would be
equal in. this war tolsa resisting army of two or
even three hundred thousand Southern men,
with their inferior artillery. But, consulting
these facts, It required no prophet to foretell
the Consequences with this great Union army,
and its cooper nsing naval forces placed in
position around the whole defensive line of the
rebellion, frorn Missouri to Virginia, and from
Fortress Monr se down along the seaboard to /.
the outlets Of New Orleans. The revolted,
States were 4 Aus reduced to the condition Of ..
be!eaguered city and break in its defensive
lire at an,f point would open the way to the
citadel its Hf.
This def snsive line was broken at Somerset,
and in Il lose later and still enlarging Union
successes at Fort Henry, Roanoke Island and
Fort Dor lelson We have only fuller develope
ment Of General McClellan's encircling combi-
nations The rebel leaders have relied upon.
their il lternal network Of railroads; but they
now discover that, with our absolute command
Of e,water, exterior and inland, we can cut
them off even from their railway communica-
tionA. Hence their late great railway protecting
camp at Bowling Green was abandoned when
th ey saw that the possession of Fort Donelson, in
opening the Cumberland river, would give to
as the most convenient military way to Nash
vile. With the evacuation of Bowling Green,
however, and the loss Of their principal de-
fences on the Cumberland, they have placed
both the railroads and the river leading TO
Nashville in our possession.
1t is needless at present to conjecture the pro-
gressive developement Of General McClellan's
programme. It Is satisfactorily developing it.
self It has confounded his abolition revilers,
created wholesome panic among the rebel
leaders and armies, and will carry joy, hope
and courage to the majority Of our Southern
people, who have thus far been only the passive
and helpless victims Of Davis and his ruling
confederates. Let the honest Union people Of
the South now rise up and vindicate their 10y
atty in bold and general movement for the
Union, and without further bloedshed this re-
| isli;asa x..;ll ha axtinQuished Qtherxisa