Daily national Republican., 1863-07-28
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QUIZ MILITARY Foley IN VIRGINIA.
a. Every patriotic editor assumes In what he
writes upon military topics that the President
and the War Department are better informed,
and that II is not his province 10 make sugges-
tious touching operations In the field and yet
there are times during long war whom opin-
ions upon general questions are Of value. Such
time, in our Judgment, is the present. One
of our contemporaries, (the Baltimore 4,neri-
can, whose criticisms upon the conduct Of the
war, and suggestions as to Its prosecution have
boon characterized by wisdom, has stated that
the rebels are likely to concentrate all their
available force In the neighborhood of the Po-
tomac for the purpose of destroying Meade's
army and investing Washington. Our Govern
ment is no doubt capable Of spprecla:ing the
circumstances, and 1t will, with wise forecast,
prepare for any such movement on the part Of
the rebel chieftains. Guided by what Is as
well known to tho whole country as to
ourselves, we concur In the opinion of
our contemporary; and the further purpose
OF this article is 10 offer suggestions as TO the
way of meeting this necessary policy of the
rebels. We say necessary policy, for it seems
to US clear that the rebels have no other course.
During the month of July the rebel armies have
been reduced by the loss Of at least 5000 men.
Tho conscription, II efcctual, will not add
more than an equal number, and the conscripts
will not be nt for service In tho field till Sep
tember or October. Their present force can.
not exceed 25O,OoO men. or these, a portion
are west OF tho Mississippi, and are thus sep
arated from the Richmond Government. On
this side of the river there may bc 225, 900
troops. OF these, 5000 will be required in
the Southern States; but 1t will be practicable
for the rebels to concentrate 15o, 900 veterans
in Virginia. Such an army is not to be de-
spiscd, even after the loss Of Vicksburg and
Port Hudson, the retreat from Tennessee and
the disaster Of Gettysburg. In the presence Of
such an army what should be our pollcyi We
answer, without hesitation, that 1t seems the
part of wisdom for US to act on the defensive.
This advice may bs disagreeable to those who
imagine that the rebel power is quite nearly
annihilsted by tho losses and reverses Of the
last thirty days. These losses aud reverses will
be destructive TO the power Of the rebels, II time
be given for the full results 10 appear; but
should we uuwisely risk an engagement az aiust
odds, or under circumstances favorable TO our
enemies, and thereby Incur a defeat, their dis
asters would disappear In the cloud Of our more
recent misfortune. Had we followed up the
advantage gained at Gettysburg, the result
would have been favorable to us, even IL we
had not achieved a decisive victory. Every
contest in Pennsylvania, followed by the retreat
of Lee, would have enured to our advantage by
rendering 1t more evident that lie could not
maintain himself over the Potomac. But Lee
has escaped. It will prove In the end that
when he recrossed the Potomac he had the
power to go to Richmond, whatever our dispo-
sition In the premises might be. Hence, If sc
hght In Virginia, Lee will select the time and
nj "a f,r ths cnntaxt ln,h . ,o,..., 4. M. -.
to prove repetition Of those In which We have
been so often engaged since July, 1851. II, on
the other hand, wctske the line of the Potomac or
the Rappahannock, and act upon the defensive,
one Of two things will happen: Lee will attack
US, or he will distribute his army 70 the rebel
ohieftains In the south and the Southwest.
Should he adopt the latter course, we can
Improve the opportunity for a movement
upon Richmond. 1t is likely, however, that
he will hold his main army In hand, and
that he will be again compelled TO cross
the Potomac. This may appear improbable, but
1t should be borne in mind that after the loss
the country west Of the Mississippi, and
after the loss Of Tennessee and Kentucky, that |
the grass growing region Of the Confederacy is
iimiI ed tovirginis and the mountain districts of
North Cnoiins, Georgia, and Alabama. These
districts will be spesdily exhausted by tho sus.
tsnanee Of l5o,0o men and 81, 900 mules and
horses. Indeed &c is not easy TO see whether
:he necessity for animals, or the difficulty Of
fssdinS th>", will he a source Of greater de.
".s' u the rsir' g'''rnmsSt. Upon this view,
- it h"t plainly sI.e q" a, U compel them to
-Sassnss2ts a gAst fsrss 10 Virginia, avoid
5strs srssyt asdAr eiresnstsn1.s Of our own
ADoslsz, ssd ar,n To. sosl sf N.r,i.pd OR