The New York herald., 1863-10-27

object rather to decline than to seek battle OF
the Rapidan or the Rappahaunock, or on ths
plains Of Manassas, it has been in consequence
of instructions from Gen. Halleok. And where
fore! Because Of this surpassing solicitude o.
the Generalin-C Chief for the safety of Washing
ton-a weakness which was most strikinply
manifested In his recall Of Mcclellan from the
Richmond peninsula, when wiser counsels would
have retained him there, and strengthened him
for decisive movement BY land and water
upon the rebel capital.
Let 1t suface, however, for the present, thai
the return of our army from the Rapidan ia
Centreville without general battle was In
pursuance Of instructions from the General-in.
Chief We understand, further, that the Secre.
tary Of War, who is fighting man, advocated q
different policy. He believes in " the spirit Of
the Lord" but he believes, also, that the Lord
helps those who help themselves. He does
not understand much Of that superdne strategy
which marches great army up hill enly to
march 1t down again; but he believes that, a.
Aeade's army is in every way stronger than
Lees army, great deal Of the valuable time
and shoe leather that have been wasted in our
late strategical marches and countermarches
advances and retreats, might have been turned
to profitable account in decisive battle or
two In the open country anywhere between the
Rapidan and Centreville. But, as General Hal
leck's judgment guides the movements of Gene
raj Meade, and a. we know from experience
that Halleck's peculiar weakness IL Washing
ton, we are afraid that henceforth the Army Of
the Potomac will be employed simply a. de-
fsnsive army Of observation for five or six
months to come. 3 a.
From this unpromising prospect in the East
we turn to the prospect in the West The latest
reported military movements in Georgia, Ten.
nessee and Mississippi indicate the preliminaries
Of an active campaign over all that region. It
is probable that Breckinridge and Hindman,
with twenty or thirty thousand men, have been
detailed from Bragg's army either to flank Chat
tanooga on the east or to cut of General Burn
side. But against any such enterprises on the
part Of the enemy we rely upon the vigilance
and activity of General Grant and General
Thomas for satisfactory checkmate. We hope
that General Grant, with his present enlarged
and most important field of operations, will be
permitted to pursue his own plans, as in the
campaign against vicksburg; for with the same
discretion allowed him we may anticipate the
same completely successful results. We hope
that General Halleck will be satisfied in dictat-
ing the strategy Of the Army of the Potomac,
and that in any event the President will restrain
him from intermeddling with the plans and
combinations of General Grant.
With this understanding, though our great
Army of the East may be held to the policy Of
''masterly inactivity" till next April or May,
our armies of the West, under the supreme
direction Of General Grant, may still, even be-
fore the meeting Of Congress, do much towards
the suppression Of the rebellion. But II Gen.
Grant is to be guided in all his movements by
orders from Washington, we can only anticipate
some misfortune which will place him on the
retired list Of our unlucky generals, and add
another witness to the charge that the admins
tration is quite as anxious to kill of every
general rising to Presidential popularity as it
is to break into pieces the armed combinations
of JEFF Davis
The ARMY PoIICE.-We publish in another
column an article from Stanton's organ, the
Warrington Chronicle, in regard to the opera
tions Of the so-called army police in General
Rosecrans' recent department. Itappears from
the statements of this article that the army po-
lice were in the habit Of committing the most
extensive depredations upon private property,
and were, in fact, an organised band of cotton
robbers. We do not know hsw much truth
there is In these assertions; but we do know
that government officials have been guilty of
similar outrages in other departments. The
abolition missionaries who were sent down to
South Carolina to convert the freedmen de-
spoiled the dwellings Of the rebels of pianos,
furniture, and all sorts Of articles Of use and or
nament from gold watch TO coal scuttle.
These articles were sent to New England, either
to friends or for sale, and may now be found
there in many private residences The same
safe game was played at New Orleans and all
along the Mississippi. Only yesterday our New
Orleans correspondent exposed some such dis
graceful transactions. The commanding off,
GERS, busted with their military duties, know
nothing Of these occurrences, and cannot be
held responsible for them. The officials at
Washington, who appoint men Of no character,
except political one, to positions where this
sort Of Wholesale plundering and grand larceny
is possible and profitable, are alone to blame.
Stantons organ, therefore, does not injure Rose
Grams by this expose, but only befouls STAN
tons own nest.
The PRESENT CONDITION or THE SOUTHERN
PEorLE.-Though much misery will doubtless
be experienced by the people Of the South in
the winter now nearly upon us, we should not
suppose that that will materially assist us to
end the war; Bread will not be wanted and
other wants are Of no account. In those dis
tricts Of the South where the soil has been
titled the crops have been good; and though
-four sells at forty dollars barrel in the rebel
currency, that price, IL we count the depreca-
t;or of tha rehel money Ia n lower mn than