The New York herald., 1863-11-19

The Probability or Active Operations az
Chattanooga and on the Rs pidan.
Our yesterdays dispatches from the Army
of the Potomac bInted dsrkly at the possibility
of Immediate active operations on the Rapidan.
and our dispatches from the army under Gene
raj Thomas declared that the campaign would
not be closed without decisive and bloody
struggle for the possession OF Chattanooga aud
East Tennessee" Such concurrent premoni-
tions Of battle from these two sources may
seem significant; but we have 40 great faith in
either It is always possible that positive Or
ders up 10 any extreme of sbsardity may 60
| from the War Department TO generals in the
field and that therefore. is an element in the
consideration of these matters upon which we
cannot reason. But, that disturbing element
aside, we need not expect battle ct present in
| either of those places. No one can suppose
that an officer of General Meades judgment,
left 10 his discretion, would hold his army in
idleness In season ct for active operations
merely to enter upon Campaign in q season
totally unfit for it. The country can very well
remember what the early days Of December
brought forth last year through active opera
tions in Virginia; and. though General Meade.
may not need the lesson. we might suppose
that even the War Department could under
stand it.
AS for the position of affairs at Chattanooga,
our strength there just now lies in our ability
to stand still-to take our own time, and not
to move until we are completely ready Ths
Southwestern struggle will turn in soms do
gree upon the question Of reinforcements and
supplies. How scarce food is in the confede-
racy we all know, and it is now perfectly GER
tain that the Southern government ia unable to
supply sufficient rations to its armies Nor can the
armies live upon the country; for if there were
food in the land the commissary would not be
without it. Moreover, when the Southern
armies retreated before Grant and Rosecraus
they drove before them out of Tennessee and
Mississippi into Alabama not less than million
negroes. Every one of these swarthy fellows
lights in our cause Whenever he gets dinner,
and is able to make the scarcity Of provisions
greater. And with the food question in this
position now-two months after the harvest
what will it be before the winter is overs Nor
is the Southern government in any better posi-
ton with respect to its ability to reinforce its
armies. Restricted to narrow territory, whose
population ia already drained. it can only rein
force ono army at the expense of another; and
reinforcement OF this kind has an inevitable
limit.
But, while the rebel army in the Southwest is
without the ability TO improve Its condition, and
is in condition that will every day grow worse,
it is all the other way with General Grant.
He can wait until his lines of communication
are perfect, until his army is in proper con-
dition in every respect, until his plans are
mature, and be is able to move as he pleases,
and crush the confederacy by one grand blow.
He will not 60 too slow, and he cannot go too
carefully. He should not agbt battle whose
result will be doubtful when the battle begins
for it jQin bis power to be as certain of the
result of his battle before he fights it as be can
be after it ID fought. Since he has IL in his
power to do all this with time, and certainly
cannot do it all just now, we do not expect
that be will fight very soon.
4 Cabinet Crisis at the Acadomy-Dipio-
matte Dlmcalties About . Domino.
The most illustrious personages are the Of
tenest in hot water. To be great is generally
to be miserable. Napoleon the First squab-
bled with his marshals Napoleon the Little is
bothered with his family, and especially with
his Mexican relations. Queen Victoria is con-
stantly worried by her ministers, and par
ticularly by Lord Palmerston. who repeats at
eighty the amorous peccadilloes which dis
tinguished him at eighteen. President Lincoln
has great deal of trouble with his Cabinet,
where Chase and Seward snarl and fight.
as it's their nature to. How, then, could
Maretzek expect to escape the penalty of
greatness! He is tho king Of operatic i'm
pressdrios, aud his head now lies as unessily as
any other csput that wears q crown. There is
serious cabinet crisis at the Academy of
Music. The largest If not the most important,
of Aaretzek's assistants threatens to desert him
at the hsur Of need Medori is the malcontent.
The difficulty is oil about domino. Il an.
pears that Marstzek intends to revive the
celebrated opera "Don Giovanni to-mor.
row evening Msdori was to sing In this
opera; but, in order to do herself Justice
she thinks that she requires q new
uominOs Mdrohch reiuseS 10 guy n6r
new domino, on the ground that he has domi-
no in his wardrobe which is quite new enough
for the occasion. Medori, unlike the majority
Of her charming sex, insists upon having her
own way and her new domino. MAretzek holds
out the old domino, a. sort Of olive branch,
In one hand, and, raising the other hand to-
wards Heaven, vows that she must take that or
the consequences. Medori declares. with the
fury Of Norma and the steadfast resolution Of
Lucrezia Borgia, that she will not sing to-mor-
row evening unless the new domino Is furnish
ed. Maretzek shrugs bis shoulders, cocks bis
American beaver over his Italian nose, and
replies that IL she does not sing he will break
of her engagement and begin . suit to recover
the salary he has paid her In advance. That is
tho way the matter stands at This. present writ.
Ting. As all the negotiations Of the affair have
been conducted in the Italian language and the
highest possible tone Of voice, the whole must