The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-01-30

we Mtenoon, coslue ~ 1851 pa Exchange closed AZ
! l70ls III.
Cotton rapidly advanced yesterday to SIC Soc for mid
ding with lively Inquiry. There was considerable &C.
tivty provisions and breadstuns Pork -four and grain
closed higher. Sugars wores16c &c dearer with liberal
saics. Whiskey 70 56c. with sales OF 900 bblS
Wool pepper, metals and tobacco brisk and buoy
ant lair business reported in hay hides skins,
leather, hops, taow, teas moasses, fruit and foreign
liquors Moderate freight engagements were effected
The news from Havana Of the deprcdaons OF the Florida
on American commerce Caused intense anxiety among
American shipowners.
The Reopening or the pIississippi-Gene-
raj McClernand Doing the Work for
yicksburs.
We have some cheering news for our readers
this morning from General McClernand's Army
of the Mississippi. He has moved down in
front OF Vcksburg on the Louisiana side Of the
river, and is engaged in the excavation of .
ditch which, when opened at both ends. will it
Is believed speedily enable him to silence all
the rebel batteries Of the town.
Our illustrative map will furnish the necessa
ry explanation. Vicksburg is situated upon
range Of bluffs at the turning point Of a great
bend in the Mississippi. Within the peninsula
formed by this bend the land level is hardly
above the surface of the river when its banks
are full. as they are now reported to be. Across
this peninsula OF soft alluval soil. eight or ten
miles west Of Vicksburg, "cut-off'' was com
menced by General Williams last summer, and
hundreds of contrabands were employed for
two or three weeks, but all to no purpose.
on account OF the low stage Of the
river. But now, with the banks of
the river full, and with two brgades OF
soldiers at work in the trench, we may expect
soon to hear that this '.cut Off has been opened
THAT orr gunboats and transports have passed
through it. that the mighty river is hourly widen
ing and deepening the channel. and that yicks-
burg has ceased to be an obstruction to the
navigation Of the Mississippi, and has suddenly
become as valueless TO the rebels as an inland
town.
Island No. 10 was circumvented by an ope-
ration Of this kind last spring; while the
stupcndous defensive rebel works on the bluffs
at Columbus were turned and captured by our
successful enterprises mp the Cumberland and
Tennessee rivers some seventy-fve miles inland
from the Mississippi. It.is said that the great
city Of Babylon. the massive and lofty walls of
which dcfed assault or siege, was first taken by
the Modes and Persians by turning the river
Euphrates. which flowed through that splendid
metropolis into an artificial channel outside,
thus converting the natural bed Of the river
into a dry passage. by which the invaders
marched under the ovcrarching walls into the
heart Of the city. Gen. McCernand, therefore,
in turning off the channel Of the Mississippi
from Vicksburg. is following an example which
lies many generations behind the exploits Of
Alexander.
Entertaining no doubt of the success of this
"cnt-ot" at Vicksburg, the rebel army of over
hundred thousand men, which Gen, Joe
Johnston is concentrating at that point. will
very soon. we suspect, be moved down to Port
Hudson. the last remaining rebel ioothold on our
great continental river. But what will he the
prospect TO JEFF. Davis of holding Port Hudson
against the forces Of Grant. McClernand and
Admiral Porter from above, and of those Of
Banks and Admiral Farragut from below! We
think that The passage Of the FIRST boat through
the Vicksbnrg ''cut-oif' will open the Missis-
sippi to New Orleans, and that, once open. our
gunboats will keen il open from Cairo to the
Gulf. and to the end of the war.
Thus with the success of this Vicksburg en-
pertinent, Arkansas. already substantially sub
dued, and Western Louisiana and Texas, will be
"cut on from their rebcllious confederatcs on
the eastern side Of the river and speedily
brought to terms: and thus the bulk of our
military forces in the Southwest may soon be
able to cooperate inland with General Rose
Grams. Meantime. with the hardening of the
miry soil Of Virginia which we may now
reasonably expect-wc look for some decisive
movement against the rebel army of the Kappa
hammock and for another thorough shaking up
Of the rebels in North Carolina. The country
expects the administration to strike while the
iron is hot. and we are gratifed to believe that
its numerous biunders OF the past are in fair
way to be eclipsed by great successes. Let the
President drop the negro for short season
and direct all his energies against the armies Of
the rebellion, and he may still restore the
Union in its integrity.