The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-07-01

The Army and the Designs Of General
Lce-A Great Political Revelation m
Any Event.
There is no longer any mystery in regard to
the main object of this Northern campaign OF
| General Lee. His movements are 30 manifest
Iy intended to draw out, divide and cut to
pieces our Army Of the Potomac, and then to
descend upon Washington, that all conjectures
Of probable campaign on his part IN any other
direction may be judicously dismissed.
The simplest theory of his programme is the
capture of Washington, and with this achieve
ment the dictaton of peace upon the basis OF
Southern confederacy, through the interven-
ton Of England and France. Our Baltimore
correspondent, however, in his letter, which we
publish to-day, advances the opinions that Lee
contemplates not only the capture, but the per-
manent occupation, of Washington; that, once
firmly established in our national capital, he
will not dictate the peace Of a Southern con-
federacy but the reconstruction Of the Union,
somewhat after the fashion of General Monks
suppression of the Puritan Commonwealth of
England and the restoration Of the old mon
arcby
But our correspondent, in showing how
Washington may be captured and per-
manenty occupied by General Lee, has
forgotten one very important item of
resistance which completely demolishes his
calculations. He has forgotten that from the
Potomac river and the Eastern branch every
part of Washington may be shelled by the
Union gunboats; that the river is open below,
and that we have fleet of those boats patrol
ling the river. The siege Of Vicksburg and
Port Hudson also suggests some difficulty to
the rebels in passing the Washington fortifca-
tions. Let it suffice for the present that Lee is
aiming at Washington, and that upon the issue
of this campaign depends the reconstruction or
dissolution of the Union.
In either event there is reason to apprehend
that there will be an end Of ''the Union as it
was and the constitution as it is" With the
progress Of this rebellion political revolu
tionary movement has been progressing in
both sections in favor Of State rights and
another tending towards a strong consolidated
government. In the rebelious States of the
South this revolutionary spirit of consolidation
has already resulted in the establishment of
perfect central military despotism-perfect as
that Of Timour the Tartar or that of DR..
Franca of Paraguay. They have a confede-
rate constitution framed upon the model of our
federal constitution; but the one is as much
dead letter in South Carolina to-day as the
other. The recognition of Southern confede-
racy would doubtless be followed by con-
solidated Southern oligarchy or mock republic
as absolute in power as the Protectorate of
Cromwell or the French Consulate, which Ma
polcon the First readily transformed into the
French empire
With the dissolution of the Union strong
military establishment will become the first
necessity in each division, and strong military
central government will accordingly be the
first result. With the reconstruction Of the
Union the bloody instructions OF this rebellion
will probably be sufficient for the suppression
in the federal government of all these embar-
RAISING, hair-splitting political dogmas OF State
rights and human equality. The instincts
and the interests of the ruling landed aris-
tocraoy of the South will naturally lead
them to an arstocratic government restored
to or detached from the Union; and the
lessons Of this rebellion will lead the substan.
stial conservative classes of the North in the
same direction. Under q strict State rights
Interpretation of the constitution, the general
government weuld have been utterly power
less TO lift hand against this rebellion. Mr..
Buchanan so accepted it, and 30 he did nothing
but whine and cry over his wrecked and help
| less situation
Reunited or broken up into two or half a dozen
| confederacies, the solid agricultural, manufac-
| turing and commercial interests of this country
| will have had enough Of "the constitution as it
is" interpreted by our radical democrats and
abolition reformers We cannot imagine, how
| ever, that General Lee has the remotest idea Of
reconstruction of the Union in any contin-
gency, in any way, or upon any basis what
soever, except that Of subjugation. lie is
stalking the last card Of his Southern confedera-
| cy in the campaign against Washington. If
successful, he calculates upon foreign interview
ton and Southern independence; II unsuccess-
ful, he calculates on falling back upon Richmond
and fighting there to the last extremity
The issue is that of Carthage against Rome.
We have carried the war into Africa; but the
enemy Is laundering at our gates Let him be
expelled; let his army be scattered to the winds,
as il can be, with General Mcclellan in the
place of Halleck as General-in- Chief and then,
with tie easy extinction Of the remnants Of
the rebellion, the good practical sense Of the
American people will rebuild from ''the Union
as it was and the constitution as it is a COM
mon government as strong to maintain itself
for the future against abolition agitators and
secession consprators ~ against its foreign
| enemies.
1 THE RuxoRED REoALL or GENERAL Nc
GILLIAN TO THE CmEr CoxAAsD.-It became
| bruited about Yesterday morning that Gene