The New York herald., 1863-07-25

Dr&oCQeS
west-Lee's Army the Last Hope oi
Davis.
Had we entertained any doubt that the re-
bellion was crushed in the Southwest with the
capture of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, that
doubt would have been dispelled by the facts
which we derive from the Richmond Whig in
regard to the heavy disaster suffered by the
rebels with the expulsion, by General Sherman,
| of Joe Johnston from the city of jackson,
Mississippi.
According to the testimony Of the Whiq,
Johnstons hurried evacuation, under cover of
the night (Which was the only course left him
to save his entire army from capture), turned
over into our possession all the rolling stock,
including forty locomotives, Of all the railroads
of Mississippi radiating from Jackson, east,
west, north and south. This loss to the re-
bellion is truly described as "incalculable and
wholly irreparable;" for it must be remem-
bered that there are no railway locomo-
tive factories between Richmond and the
Mexican boundary, excepting, perhaps, .
small cobbling establishment here and there,
the business Of which is the mending and not
the making of engines 1t follows that, with the
rout of Johnston's army and the losses of these
indispensable means of transportation at Jack
son, not only is the rebellion in Mississippi COM
pletely subjugated, but that, in connection with
the operations Of Rosecrans, it is virtually SUBJ
dued in Alabama and is staggering to its fall
in Georgia.
In fact, the army of General Lee is now the
only hope of JEFF Davis. What, then, is most
likely to be the policy Of the rebel leaders
with regard to this army? 1t has been tried
against our Army of the Potomac, and has mar
rowly escaped annihilation. Lee has evidently
no desire for another trial as the two armies
now stand in regard to numbers and efficiency
He wants time, like crippled soldier, to re.
cover from his wounds. He wants time in order
to summon around him all the reinforcements
which he can muster from all quarters.
We conclude that, considering the desperate
situation OF Johnston and Bragg, with Rose
Grams advancing upon them from the north
and Grant from the west, every possible
| effort will be made to hurry up the forces Of
Bragg and Of Johnston, and that all the rebel
guerillas from Southwestern Virginia and from
Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and that all
the scattered detachments of rebel troops be-
tween Virginia and South Carolina, II time be
allowed them, will also be moved forward to
the army Of Lee. Thus within a few weeks he
may possibly find himself at the head of an
army Of over a hundred thousand men; and
with such force he may again undertake the
desperate enterprise of redeeming all that has
been lost, or Of losing all that remains to JEFF
Davis, in another effort for the capture Of Wash
ington.
The letter which we publish this morning
from our Baltimore correspondent touching
the movements and probable designs of
General Lee is very interesting and
suggestive. Lee has now one Of only
two alternatives from which to choose
for the further prosecution Of the war. He
must bring up Johnston and Bragg to Virginia
or 60 down to Georgia to their assistance We
incline to the opinion that JEFF. Davis is now
satisfied that Richmond is the safest place in
his dissolving confederacy, and that he and his
ruling associates viii use their utmost energies
so to strengthen Lee, while avoiding another
battle, as to render him sufficiently strong
within few weeks to undertake another offen-
sive campaign.
This is the idea which we would accordingly
submit to the special consideration of General
Meade and our supreme military authorities at
Washington.