The New York herald., 1863-07-26

inst The enemy was overtaken at Elk creek. 1--WE
thousand strong. under General Cooper. and wsA
there vigorously attacked by twenty-five hundred
men and twelve guns Of General Blunt's command.
The fight was an obstinate one; but by bold
charge it was finished in the fight of the rebels.
who left all their stores in our possession. Our
cavalry were pursuing the fleeing rebels when the
express left. The rebel loss was sixty killed and
twenty-four wounded. Colonel williams, of the
First colored Kansas, was severely wounded.
EUROPEAN NEWS.
The news from Europe which we publish to-
day has been received by the telegraph from the
steamer Scotia, at Cape Race, and the City Of
New York and Olympus, which have arrived at
this port. The intelligence is four days later, and
possesses many features of interest. The City of
New York made one of the fastest passages on
record across the Atlantic, for screw steamer
accomplishing the voyage from Liverpool to
Queenstown and New York in eight days and
twenty-three hours. The most interesting and
important part Of the news is the withdrawal of
Mr.. Roebucks motion for the recognition of the
Southern confederacy, after spicy debate in the
House of Commons, which will be found fully re-
ported in another part of to.days paper. The
remarks of the O'Donohue on that occasion were
characterized by much friendliness to America.
discussion had also arisen on the case of Bri-
tish vessel-the Margaret and Jessie-alleged to
have been sunk by federal war steamer off the
Bahamas. and the matter referred to Lord Lyons.
to demand explanations and redress from our
government. The other branches of news are Of
general interest to the reading public.
Queen Victoria will visit Germany for four
weeks in August, staying at the Castle of Rose
nau. She will travel as Duchess of Lancaster,
and will visit the King of the Belgians for day
en- route.
MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.
The Spanish frigate Princessa arrived at this
port yesterday, and anchored in the bay. At
noon all the men-of-war lying off the Battery
hoisted the Spanish national ensign at the fore
and fired salute as a mark of respect to the
Princessa..
The Commissioners of Excise received and ap-
proved large number of applications for liquor
license last week. AS they will shortly hold
their last session for the current year. all persons
who need license had better apply therefor imme-
diately.
The Position OF the Rebel Army OF Vir-
gtnia.
After much mystery as to the whereabouts
of General Lees army, it would now appear
that he has given the slip to General
tween his rear guard and our forces at
Thornton's Gap, has succeeded in crossing
the Blue Ridge at that point and was safe at
Culpepper (or Orange) Court House at late
hour last night. General Lee was undoubtedly
in pretty strong force at or near Front Royal
on Friday, and his cavalry was driven from Ma
nassas Gap about sunset on that day. From Front
Royal he appears to have pushed on to Chester
Cor Thornton) Gap, through which, notwith-
standing the obstacles he was supposed to have
met with there he passed in safety.
Under these circumstances, what is to be the
policy of the administration.
The army of General Grant is amply sufficient
to take care of the debris of Joe Johnston's
late army Of odds and ends and the demoralized
and retreating army of Bragg. This will leave
the splendid army OF General Rosecrans free
for liberating campaign through East Tennes-
see and Southwestern Virginia. and 80 on to
Lynchburg and Richmond. Perhaps the late
cutting of the Virginia and Tennessee Rail-
road at Wytheviile may have been the initial step
to movement against Lee on the part of Gen.
Rosecrans. The time has certainly arrived for
the liberation Of the long suffering and cruelty
prosecuted loyal people of East Tennessee; and
this duty, not less than the policy of powerful
diversion from the Southwest against Richmond,
is we hope, at the bottom of the new campaign
of our Army of the Cumberland.
A crushing defeat or dispersion of the rebel
army of Virginia is all that is now required to
bring this war to an end, or to contemplate
guerilla warfare which will soon exhaust itself.
All the movements of all our armies between
Virginia and Mississippi should therefore be
now mainly directed, not against Mobile, or
Charleston, or Wilmington, or Richmond. but
ton or dispersion of which, in single blow,
secures airs the strongholds of the rebellion.
There is now no place Of refuge in the cotton
States for JEFF. Davis and his government, his
Confederate scrip and his books and papers.
He is not wanted in North Carolina. He has
no choice, therefore, as it appears to us, but to
"die in the last ditch" at Richmond; and hence
the supreme Importance ofnow allowing neither
time nor facilities in any direction to Lee for
the recuperation and reinforcement of his army.
EUROPEAN VIEWS or THE SOUTHERN REBEL
LioN.-Our telegraphic advices from Cape
Race inform US of the arrival of the steamer
Scotia off that place. Her mails will not come
to hand for few days more; but as the steam
vessels which left this and other ports of the
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