The New York herald., 1862-10-28

Oar Army of TIE Potoaao-signs % -
Advance.
Our --latest advices from Washington end fr0al
Harpers Ferry indicate an early advance upon
the rebel army Of Virgins. The main body Of
that army is stil believed to be in the neigh-
borhood Of Winchester, although II appears
that by several roads, General Lee has been
actually preparing for retreat back to Cor
louisville. We dare say, however, that his
movements and designs are understood at Har-
pers Ferry and at Washington, and that, al
though he may be permitted to cross over from
the Shenandoah valley to the eastern side Of tho
Blue Ridge without q battle, he will be inter-
| cepted and compelled to tight somewhere on
| the way to Richmond.
We anticipate, upon the approach of our forces,
| the retreat of Lee out of the Shenandoah valley
| by the nearest roads for Richmond, with the
| idea Of drawing General Mcclellan after him
into an exhausted country 30 far that he may
be cut off from his supplies, and be out
| up In detail. But we do not imagine
that General Mcclellan will be led astray
| upon any such wild goose chase a. this, but
that with the rebel forces, bag and baggage.
removed. from the rear Of Washington. he will
adopt one of several other plans for outing
them. of from the rebel capital N i
| With the receut chilling rains upon-Ais shoe
less and half naked troops, Lee cannot remain
I among the cold nloantains of Northern Vir-
giuia He will be compelled to move south
ward 70 get into more genial climate. and
with bis removal all our forces, from Williams
port to Washington may be put in motion
against him.
In the West II is probable that the late
rains will not only very much facilitate our
army transportation on the Ohio and up the
Great Kanawha to the salt works of Charles
ton, but also on the Cumberland and Tennessee
rivers. With anything Of rise in these two
streams, the army of Bragg will soon be cleared
out of Tennessee, and all the remaining frag-
ments Of the rebel forces of Price, Lowell and
Van Dorm from Northern Mississippi and Ala
bama. But the paramount object desire and
| expectation Of our loyal people is decisive
campaign in Virginia, before the rains. SHOWS
frosts, thaws and mud OF the winter in that
region have rendered ali military operations
| there impracticable till the return Of spring.
| We are gratifed to hear that our Army Of the
Potomac is beginning to show some signs Of an
| advance, and it is to be hoped that the govern
| ment at Washington and all concerned will re
gard an immediate forward movement Of that
| army as superior to all other questions and
movements Of the day.
The TRIBuNEs ARITHMETIC or THE ELEc-
TIoNs.--Horace Greeley's education in arthme-
tic and mathematics must have been sadly me-
elected, when be attempts to palm off upon the
public such fallacious figures as he exhibited
yesterday to account for the republican defeat
in Pennsylvania by the alleged fact that the re-
publicans have gone to the war, while the de-
mocrats have remained at home. The argu-
meut is based on the fact that the democratic
publican vote has fallen off to great extent.
| Now it does not follow that those who have
| fallen of have gone to the war; II is true that
| some Of them have gone; but it is more probA.
BILE that the majority have joined the democratic
ranks, and have supplied the place Of the far
more numerous voters who have enlisted in the
| army Of the Union from the conservative
| masses. II is evident that as q general rule
the fighting element is the democracy. The re-
publicsns, radicals and sbolitionists rarely
fight. They do not believe in fighting them-
selves, but are very anxious to get other men
to Hgbt for them. Greeley not long since ad-
mitbsA that his 1000, 900" abolitionists "never
smelled battle and they have not yet come up
to the scratch. CONSEQUENTLY their presence in
the field could not have affected the elections.
| Nor have we heard anything Of Gov. Andrews
myriads who were to swarm the roads from
Massachusetts, II only the chorus Of liberty"
were once raised. Tho chorus Of liberty meant
BY Greeley and Andrew s the emancipation
proclamation. Before the elections Greeley
denounced the army - democratic, pro-
slavery army. Now, for different purpose. he
claims that II Is republican.
i
SAUvx QCI PEUr--The Richmond journal, are
| dsvoting good deal Of space to the discussion
of the question - to what terms the South
would accept a. the basis Of settlement with
the North. That is u good sign; for II shows
that they are beginning to realize the necessity
Of speedily coming to some conclusion npoE
the subject. A better symptom still is the fact
stated by the Richmond Enquirer of the Esd,
| that large numbers Of persons, principally