The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-04-02
The War-What As the Administration
AhNnl.

Gold went up yesterday in Wall street to City
eight per cent premium. The fact may be en-
barrassng to Mr. Chase; but it hardly needs an
explanation. The "great expectations of the
country some weeks ago of substantial victo-
ries close at hand over the armed forces of the
rebellion have come to nothing. The operations
against Vicksburg and Port Hudson thus tar
have resulted only in failures, losses and disap-
pointments. Our land and naval forces assigned
TO the work of reducing Charleston and Savan-
nah appear to be waiting for e something to turn
up in their favor in some other quarter, and
General Hooker still remains fast in the mud
on the Rappahannock.
East and West our fleets and armies remain
stationary, or are bailled in all their aggressive
movements. We are supposed to have an army
of seven hundred thousand men in the field, and
from four to five hundred vessels of war of all
sorts How are these tremendous forces be-
slowed ? For, while it appears that the army Of
Gen. Banks may be too weak to make deliber-
ate assault upon the rear Of Port Hudson, and
while General Grant, in the absence of an over
whelming pressure of troops, is compelled to
resort to all sorts Of tedious experiments of
strategy against Vicksburg, it also appears that
General Rosecrans, so far from being able to
advance, is really in some danger from the pos
sbility Of an attack by a rebel army vastly SUI
perior in numbers to his own. We infer that
President Lincoln is satisfied that in the aggre-
gate he has soldiers enough, from the fact that
he has not taken a single step to strengthen his
armies through the CONSUMPTION act; but still
the unsatisfactory reports from the South of the
last few days are beginning to create the i'm
preston in the public mind that the campaign
of this spring and summer will fall lamentably
short Of the promises Of the government and the
late reasonable expectations Of the country.
We were amused for some time with the idea
that the rebels were about to evacuate Vicks-
burg; but that conjecture Is at length set
at rest. Next we are told that it is the opinion
of General Dix, at Fortress Monroe, that
the rebels at Richmond are actually engaged in
the preliminary business which indicates their
evacuation of their Confederate capital. De-
serters from the rebel army are reported as
bringing some positive intelligence to this effect.
General Hooker, however, it is said, has NO
faith in these wonderful reports; and he is in
position to know whether there is or is not
rebel army Of some magnitude on the opposite
hills Of the Rappahannock. The simple truth
is that Richmond, in the East, aud Vicksburg
and Port Hudson, in the West, are the most i'm
portant of the strongholds Of the rebellion, and
that they will not be evacuated without stub
born resistance.
Had General Mcclellan last fall been allowed
to remain even week longer at the head Of the
Armyofth Potomac he would in all probability,
have cleared the way to Richmond for while
he was close upon the rear of Lee, on the eastern
flank of the Blue Ridge, he had Jackson on the
troops Of the mountain passes through which
only he could come to the timely support Of
Lee. That golden opportunity, however,
having been lost, it may be useless
to dwell upon it. We are called
upon to deal with the matter as 1t now stands.
Why, then, does not General Hooker advance :?
We remember the outcry that was raised last
spring against the inactivity of Mcclellan.
What are the causes, then, which still detain
General Hooker on the Rappahannock, when he
boasts himself that he has 1.-The finest army on
the planet" We think it likely that he is de-
tanned by the superior powers at Washington,
and they are pursuing q military policy which
it is vain for ordinary mortals to attempt 70
comprehend.
We cannot, however, discard the suspicion
that the ruling powers of the Cabinet have been
devoting too much of their attention of late to
the petty spring elections of Rhode Island and
Connecticut and too little to the active business
OF the war, for the accomplishment Of any inn
portant results. But as little Rhode Island has
at length disposed of her election difficulty and
as Connecticut will shortly do so, may we not
hope that an active prosecution Of the war, in
GLIDING Monitor or two in the Mississippi
river, will then be undertaken? We would &c
specially ask Of President Lincoln himself is
not this q reasonable demand?