The New York herald., 1863-09-09
The Militsry eituation-A Dtssoivfag
View or tho Rebellt

Ths Mflttery eftuattOn-A DtssolvisS
View or the Rebellion.
While awaiting the inevitable issue Of the
slow but steadily progressing operations Of our
land and naval forces in front of Charleston,
we may proftably recur to the present stua-
ton and prospects Of the shattered and de-
moralized armies Of the rebellion in other quar-
ters. A very brief review, we think. will jus
tify the impression that in all probability, with
the fall of Charleston, the whole rcketty and
resling Confederate establishment Of JEFF. Davis,
military, civil and financial, will tumble to the
ground in shapeless mass Of ruins, dirt and
rubbish. A#
The latest Trustworthy intelligence from the
rebel army of Virginia represents 1t as in any
thing but an effective condition, either to un-
dertake another advance to the Potomac or to
resist the army Of General Meade, should be
move "onward to Richmond" II appears that
some Of Lees best regiments horse, foot
and artillery, have been sent southwark, but
whether to Charleston or Chattanooga we
have yet to learn. Assuming that Lee has re-
Of an army Of observation, comparatively
small force will be sufficient for this purpose,
and it is probable, therefore, that he has been
secretly sending OF reinforcsments to both
Bragg and Beauregard. II Jeff. Davis could
abandon temporarily the States Of Georgia,
North and South Carolina. for the sake Of con-
centrating under Lee another powerful army
for third attempt upon Washington he would
doubtless try the experiment; but the Difficult
ties to such an enterprise are now almost in
surmountable, in the way of subsistence and
transportation, to say. nothing of the dangers
Of "ire in the rear.n We suppose that Gen.
Meade's apparent inactivity, in the meantime,
is "mastsrly inactivity" and that while he is
prepared to avail himself Of any advantage
that may be offered for forward movement
he is also prepared successfully 70 handle any
force which it is possible for Lee to bring
against him.
There will probably be no general engage
ment between the two opposing armies In Vir-
ginia until Rosecrans end Burnside shall have
secured possession Of Chattanooga and the sur
rounding country; but, as this event may be
reported at any moment, General Lee at any
moment may be compelled to decide between
the abandonment of the rebel capital or the
reduction of the Southern confederacy to Rich
m0nd and the southeastern section Of Virginia.
In short unless, with our occupation Of Chatta-
nooga, General Lee shall move to the support
of Bragg and Johnston, the whole Of the re-
naming Southern seaboard rebel States, from
North Carolina to Alabama, will speedily be as
completely cut off from Richmond by Rosecrans
as if separated by the Mississippi river. This is
the grand design of the movements Of Rose
Grams and Burnside, and we have little doubt
that within very short time 1t will be
substantially accomplished. The demoraiza-
become too notorious to be questioned, and we
are sure that he will make but a feeble show
Of resistance against the powerful Union forces
that are enveloping him.
Equally decisive, from all appearances, will
be the present campaign Of Generals Blunt and
Steele in Arkansas As they advance, the half
starved, disheartened and demoralized detach-
ments Of the enemy falling in their way retire
or are speedily routed and dispersea.g General
Price, the hero Of more defeats than any Other
| commanding officer on either side, is reported tc
| be mastering considerable army, and the ubi
quitous Kirby Smith, in half dozen places al
the same time, 10 said to be moving TO his sup
port but, as the glory Of Price and Smith and
Of Southern invincibilty are all gone, we. can
hardly expect anything worse than the retire.
ment of the rebel army Of Arkansas into Texas
before the pursuing legions of Blunt and
Steele. wD
We have yet to dispose Of the splendid army
of Gen. Grant, and the smaller though equally
heroic and victorious army Of Gen. Banks. 1t
will be their business to gather up the fragments
Of the rebellion remaining in Western Louisi-
ana and Texas, and to look after Mobile; and
that Grant and Banks will do the work assigned
them, with the cooperation of the web-footed
veterans Of Farragut and Porter, is as certain
as that Charleston is destined to share the fate
Of Vicksburg and Port Hudson. The great
victory Of Gettysburg destroyed the pride, the
prestige and the hopes of the rebel army Of
Virginia, composed of the choicest military ele-
ments Of all the rebellious States; our reoccu-
patton Of the Mississippi river severed the So
called Southern confederacy almost as COM
pleteiy as If divided by the Gulf Of Mexico;
and now, while the capture OF Charleston or
the occupation Of Chattanooga by our forces
viii, in all probability, be the death blow to
the spurious despotism at Richmond, both
achievements will soon be among the facts Of
history. ts
With the fall of Charleston, which we expect
will be expedited by the expulsion Of Bragg
from Chattanooga, the question recurs, will not
the time have come for formal proclamation
by President Lincoln to the people Of the re-
bellious States, covering the amnesty indicated
in his letter to Fernando Wood. and Offering
generous concessions and facilities for speedy
restoration of the Union? This is much to be
desired, in order that, while our armies are still
in the field and ready for action, we may pro-
coed to the settlement Of the Mexican question
| and of our outstanding balance aoa;vrt tho ror-