The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-01-05

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The Campatgm In the Southwsse-xts Tire
| mendous Importance.
| All eyes are now anxiously turned to the South
west. The great battles at Murfreesboro, in Ten
nessee, and at vicksburg In Mississippi, OF (which
the accounts are not as yet satisfactory, hav,
deepened this solicituds. Tho din of war In til,
East appears to have been hushed ever since the
battle Of Fredericksburg. The campaign in
Virginia is thus far failure, and the movement
Of Foster in North dependent upor
it--has also necessarily failed General Foster
acted his part well and won several victories
but no could not hold what he won, because
Burnside had been defeated ON the Rappahan
mock owing to the laundering stupidity 81
Washington which delayed the pontoons. The
movements against Wilmington and Charleston
are no parts of plan of campaign, but for
run, by taking possession of the forts ct those
points by means Of the gunboa ats. Success in
these expeditions Is therefore of comparatively
small importance. The interest in the grand
drama now being performed on theatre so
extensive as to embrace all the slave States
south of the Potomac is concentrated for
the present in Tennessee, in Mississippi and
Kentucky, and the two States by which Ten
nessee is bounded north and south. Owing
to the peculiar strategy which distinguishes
General Hallsck and the War Department, the
$780, 900 men who are fighting the battles of the
Union are scattered in numerous armies all
around the edges Of the vast region of rebel
dom. There Il an army at Washington and an
army at Falmouth, an army in Western Vir-
ginis, an army in North Carolina, an army in
South Carolina. an army In Louisiana,
an army in Missouri, IN army in Arkan-
sas, two or three armies in Mississippi, an
army in Kentucky, and an army in Tonnes
see, under Rosecransy second only to that un-
der command Of Burnside. Thus, instead of one
or two great overwhelming armies concentrated
upon single decisive point, striking blows IS
with the hammer Of Thor upon the head and the
heart of the rebellion, number Of small hammers
are at work all around the acknowledgements
like those with which a carpet il tackled GOWN
and the consequence is that "nobody is burt un-
less it be ourselves There 10 enough of mutual
slaughter indesd-more than would be necessary
'or two or three decisive bettles-hut it is
sttendsd with no important results, and b
useless destruction of life and property, making
10 impression on the rebellion.
II Rosecrans should now succeed under this
,icious system, or II his army should not be
Utterly destroyed, it will be. ewing to the
bravery Of his troops, the skill Of his officers
md his own generalship, together with no
ordinary share Of good fortune, and not In the
slightest degree to superior military guidance
from Washington. There II . tremendous
issue Ut stake. II the combinations Of the
csssful, and If Rosecrans receives ample
achievements in time, he will infiiet nOrtal
blow upon the rebellion; for il he routs and
destroys the enemy under Joe Johnston at
Murfrsesboro there is nothing 70 pre-
vent his triumphant march 10 Mont
gomsry, the capital of Alabama, the effect
of which would b TO HON in the remnant
Of the rebel forces in the Southwest to mar
row space along the eastern bank of the Lower
Mississippi, thus cutting OF completely the
communication between the Atlantic States and
the Southwest; while the capture of Vieksburg
would open the Father Of Rivers from Cairo to
the delta, and all subsistence from the territory
west of 1t would be completely cut Oh.
Late Geographic dispatches announce the
storming of the rebel works in their great
stronghold on the Mississippi; but this the Rich
mond papers not only deny, but positively as
sert the repulse~of our arms with terrible car
mage But assuming the truth Of the Northern
Intelligence, and at the same time decisive
victory gained by the army Of Rosecrans, there
would be speedy end to the rebellion, and the,
conquest Of Virginia, the total overthrow Of
Lees army and that of Beaaregard in South
Carolina and Georgia, would only be question
of time, and that very brief time too.
But on the other hand, II the combinations Of
the Union arms in the Southwest should now
fail, and the Confederate cheftains should be
finally victorious in the conflict with Roseerans
by the sudden accumulation of large reinforce
ments, owing to their interior and shorter lines
and their having possession Of the railroads
and the Geographic communication, the for
tunes Of our cause would become desperate
Not only would the army Of ROsecrans be
destroyed, but Nashville would be in danger,
and Grant and Sherman would b placed in
imminent peril; and by vigorously following
up the blow the rebellion would be placed in
saoh triumphant position as to turn the tide Of
invasion 10 the North. The fsct Of Joe Johnston
the confsssedly second best general in the Gen.
fsdsrate army-being assigned TO the chief COM
mand Of the rebel armies Of The Southwest, and
the other fact, that the Confederate President
himself, deening the situation in Virginia suf-
ficiently safe under Lee thinks the crisis In the
Southwest needs even his own presence, are
proofs Of the Immense importance which Is
attached by the leaders Of the rebellion 70 the
success or failure Of their arms in that dires-