The New York herald., 1863-08-23

haustion Of the rebellion are becoming appa-
rent TO the world in thousand manifestations,
the military strength and resources of the
Union, on the land and on the water, are, we
may say, just beginning to be developed. The
contrast thus presented is one of the most re-
markable and instructive that can be produced
from the history of any contendng parties of
any nation of ancient or modern times.
AT this juncture we have an army of some
five hundred thousand men in the field. The
expiration of the terms of service of large
number Of regiments, and the casualties Of our
tremendous military operations since January
last, have cut down our aggregate force from
between seven and eight hundred thousand
to half . million. But, under the draft, and
from which the Army of the Potomac alone
is being reinforced at the rate Of thousand
hundred thousand fresh men added to our ac
tive land forces; and by November we expect
the whole three hundred thousand of the last
requisition of the President will be in the field.
In the meantime, while against the splendid
and powerful army of Rosecrans advancing
down into Georgia from the north, there can
be little or no resistance by the defeated, de-
pleted, demoralized, ragged and half famished
army of Bragg, so, against the superior and
invincible legions Of Grant and Banks, whether
moving eastward or westward from the Mis-
sissippi, there is nothing in the contemplate
and disheartened forces remaining to Joe john
ston and his rebel colaborers in the Southwest
10 al fowl p%xyf fho
ward march Of the triumphant old flag of the
Union. At the same time we have no doubt
whatever that within a few days we shall hear
that General Burnsides army from Kentucky
has dislodged and routed the rebel Buckner
from East Tennessee and liberated the long
suffering and sorely tried loyal people of that
quarter, completely and forever, from the ter
rible despotism of JEFF Davis and his cruel
instruments of persecution.
There is but one army Of all the late proud
and defiant armies Of the rebellion which main
tains even the pretence of bold front and .
powerful organized force against our opposing
armies. We refer, of course, to the still defiant
rebel army of Virginia. But our latest intelli-
gence from the Rappahannock would justify
Lee is undergoing the pangs Of dissolution,
and that while he has been threatening another
advance towards the Potomac his real object
in these demonstrations has been to cover his
retreat to Richmond. The desertions from his
lines to the lines Of our army are much greater
than they have ever been heretofore; and these
dcserters all tell the same story, that the spirit
Of their army is broken. and that 1t is
rapidly melting away from Generalization
and despair. It is altogether probable, there
fore, that General Lee has been compelled
to move nearer to Richmond, in order
to keep the remaining remnants Of his army
together. It is possible, however, that from
the sweeping Conscription act Of Jef Davis
he may have acraped together some fifteen or
twenty thouSEnd fresh troops and some ten or
fifteen thousand reinforcements from the scat
tered detachments Of Wise and Pryor and others
around Richmond, and that he Is watching and
manGuvring for descent in overwhelming
force upon the right or the left flank of General
Meade, in the vain hope Of another success like
that of Gaines Mills, on the Chickahominy.
It appears, as if in corroboration Of this the
ory, that there are very few rebel troops at
Richmond, and that the few retained there are
employed either to prevent the capture Of JEFF.
| Davis by "Yankee" raid or to prevent him
from running away to parts unknown. In any
event, we may safely rely upon the vigilance,
| sagacity and cool discretion of General Meade
to take care and finish up the appointed work
of his noble and never-quailing Army of the
Potomac. The heaviest blow given to the re-
bellion, all things considered, was that Of
Gettysburg; and whether Lee shall elect
to try the offensive again, or to retire
behind his intrenchments at Richmond. his
next encounter with Meade will be the
end Of the war and the end of thai
terrible Southern delusion, an independent
Southern confederacy. Indeed, we are expect
ing the whole tottering establishment to come
to the ground with crash with the inevitable
fall of Charleston.
We cannot understand by what devices OF
chain of accidents the rebellion can be kept on
its broken legs till the meeting of Congress
Sweeping as is the conscription Of Davis, il
sweeps over very limited area, and over
States already drained Of their able bodied
men. All the forces he has now in the field
and all that he can raise by his conscriptior
can hardly exceed three hundred thousand
men, And what can they do against eight hun
dred thousand, everywhere victorious, and sup
ported by navy equal in itself to q land force
Of three hundred thousand men? We expect
then, that the rebellion will be completely ex.
tinguished BY the meeting of Congress; and, in
view of this grand result what is the policy
that should be adopted by the people of the
rebellious States?
They should proceed in Louisiana, Missis
sippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, and in every
other reconquered State, as soon as possible, to
the important business Of electing their mem
bers to both houses OF Congress, to aid in the