The New York herald., 1863-07-28

groceries. Hemp, hops, hides, leather, oils, metals and
naval stores lightly dealt in The freight engage
ments were heavier
The Escape OF Gen. Lee-The War DE.
partment Responsible.
The escape of Gen. Lee with his army from
the Shenandoah valley to position on the
may lesurely fall back upon Richmond without
fear of further molestation, may justly be re-
garded as great national misfortune. He has
adroitly succeeded in his efforts to avoid an
other battle with our pursuing and victorious
army, and, having fairly slipped through our
fingers, all calculations as to when and where
he will be brought to final settlement may be
dismissed We have lost the golden opportnni-
ty for ending the war in single decisive blow,
while JEFF. Davis, with the powerful nucleus Of
Lees army to build upon, may battle all our
plans to catch him, and prolong the war for
weeks and months, and perhaps for even an
| other year to come
The responsibility for this misfortune we set
down among the outstanding balances of the
| country against the War Office. Technically,
Gen. Meade is Immediately responsible; but we
have no doubt that he has been SO embarrassed by
his required communications with and orders
from Washington, from day to day, in regard to
this thing that thing and the other as to relieve
him of the responsibility and to fix it upon the
War Office. We know that the first battle of
Bull run was not lost by General Mcdowell,
but through the blundering mismanagement of
the War Office, especially in reference to Gene
raj Patterson's army column in the Shenandoah
valley. We know that General McClellan's
peninsular campaign would have ended in his
occupation of Richmond had he been season
ably reinforced by the War Department with
even half Of the fifty or sixty thousand mea
which were vainly scattered about the country
down Stonewall Jackson. We believe, too, that
had General Mcclellan been reinforced at Har-
rison's Landing the army Of Lee would never
have left the defences of Richmond for his
destructive campaign Of last August and Sep
tember against Washington and his grand
foraging foray into Maryland.
But General Halleck could not or would not
comprehend how Washington could be defended
on the James river, and hence the recall of
Mcclellan and the terrible disasters entailed
upon tho army of General Pope. Next, after
| the battle of Antietam, when General McCle-
Ian had got his army again completed,
equipped, in splendid fighting condition and in
| motion, and was within few miles of the rebel
| army, and with every prospect Of great and
decisive victory he was removed, and we need
not repeat what followed. The mere mention
Of the names of Burnside and Hooker will
serve to remind the feader of all this budget Of
blunders of the War Department. Nor can we
doubt, with all these precedents before u.s. that
the conceited but incompetent chiefs Of the War
Office have spoiled this campaign Of General
Meade by taking upon themselves, as usual, the
management of the little details as we'll as the
general movements of his army the instant
that Washington is out Of danger.
We regard this escape Of Gen. Lee as o very
unfortunate event. 1t has afforded the rebels
at Richmond more substantial consolation than
any other event Of the war. Nor is this very
strange; for with the loss of Lees army the
cause Of the rebellion would have been at once
| at an end, whereas with the rescue Of that
army, as from the very jaws Of destruction,
there is still hope entertained or encouraged
by Davis and his fellows of the final rescue Of
their Southern confederacy. We cannot resist
the temptation for calling yet again the atten-
tion of President Lincoln to his intermedding
but incompetent official subordinates in the
War Department. Let him remember that for
all their blunders the country will hold him re-
sponsible; and that now, while the armies of the
rebellion may be utterly routed aud dispersed,
| the people expect It to be DONE Our late i'm
portant victories, we believe, have been won in
| spite of these blundering heads Of the War
Office; but II we may Judge of the future from
| the past it will be long time before our he
roic and always willing Army of the Potomac
will demolish the army Of Lee, or get into
| Richmond under the management Of Stanton.
and Halleck, and Wilson, and Wade, and
| Chandler.
The CAPTURE OF JEPF. DAVIS CORRESPOND
| EScE.-The private papers and correspond
ence Of JEFF Davis, captured near Jackson,
Mississippi, as we announced yesterday, pro-
| mise some very interesting and important reve.
lations. 1t appears that q negro disclosed to
| one of our foragng parties the place where
JEFF. Davis library was hidden. The party
proceeded TO the house and found several
thousand volumes of books and several
bushels Of letters and political papers from
distinguished personages North and South