The New York herald., 1863-07-12

that the administration will begin to brace
itself up for the great trials Of statesmanship
which will next be demanded at Its hands. We
hope, in . word, that President Lincoln, ad-
herring to bis own sagscious policy, will aim at
nothing more In his measures Of peace than
the simple restoration Of the Union.
THE CAvMa IN or THE SOUTHERN CoNFEDE-
RAcY.-Several recent transactions expose the
extreme weakness of the Southern confederacy
II is on Its last legs. First the mission OF Vice
President Stephens, which was undoubtedly
one of peace; second, the concealment of the
surrender Of vicksburg for some four days;
third, the acknowledgment that Johnston could
not muster an army sufficient to raise the siege,
though he had 80 long . period given him to
do it in; fourth, the extravagant and outrage
Gus falsiHcation in the Richmond papers about
the battle Of Gettysburg, describing 1t as
a great rebel victory, In which Lee cap
tured 10000 prisoners. Ali these facts show Q
conscious Weakness rottenness at the root
that looks very like speedy and sudden cAving
In Of the whole confederacy; and If the recent
victories are only followed up rapidly, by put
ting fresh troops in the field, and that without
regard to the heats Of summer, the rebellion
will be completely overthrown before the first
Of the new year, or even before the sitting of
the next Congress There are some members
ofthe Cabinet who do not want the war ended
80 soon. But the skill Of our generals and the
valor Of our troops will do It In spite
of them. 1t may be asked, II our arms
recently have been 80 successful, what
is the necessity for fresh troopsf We an
swer: in order to guard against any future con-
tingencies, and particularly to show the Euro
pean Powers that they must not meddle in our
domestic quarrel, but leave US to settle it In our
own way. The heart of the rebellion is nearly
broken. A few blows more will finish it, unless
the radicals should succeed in placing their
abolition programme in the way of success; and
in that case, to the delight OF all loyal contrac-
tors, the war may last for twenty years.
THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE CoNscRIPTIoN.-
I. is now understood that the draft is to be
carried out Immediately. Indeed, 1t has
already commenced. See our news columns
of this morning. The people of the North
are evidently determined to submit quiet
ly to the conscription, as they are anxious
to aid the government, and understand
that the war must soon end if the ad-
ministration will but do its duty-that is, If it
will take such measures as must entail the total
destruction of the self-styled confcderacy It
is clear that the rebels have no more material
at their command Tor the formation of another
army. This is evinced by the fact that General
Johnston found 1t impossible to save Vicksburg,
while Lee must stand and fight as he is, there
being no possibility Of his obtaining reinforce
ments.
It is clearly the duty of our government to ut
tery disperse Lees forces and those Of Bragg, as
we'll as the few thousands still under command
Of Johnston. Charleston and Mobile must now
be attacked with overwhelming forces, and
with their capture the confederacy will cease to
exist. We shall then be enabled to offer to the
people of the South such conditions as will be
worthy Of our great government, and the result
will be the restoration Of the Union. with all its
former prestige and an immense increase Of
power and influence. But the administration,
to accomplish this, must be moved by single
purpose-that Of restoring the Union. The
people, 1t is evident are quite willing to do oil
in their power to aid The government, II 1t will
only carry out the Union programme.
PAnoLrD PRsoxERs-The public generally
have obtained the impression from the recent
controversy in regard to prisoners In Penn
sylvania and vicksburg, that the federal
government has been placed in an awkward
position BY the recent paroles. In other words,
that the parole Of those captured by General
Grant at vicksbuTg is In violation Of the cartel
or agreement under which the parole and ex-
change of prisoners have been made for the last
nine months, and therefore null and void. 1t
was decided that the parole made by General
Lee of those captured by him in Pennsylvania
was not binding. II those captured by
General Grant were placed in the
same category we certainly would have been
the loser. In that event JEFF Davis would have
a much larger number of veterans to reinforce
his armies than the authorities at Washington.
A general order issued from the War De-
partment on the Sd inst, recting the terms of
the cartel of September, 1862 sets this question
at rest, and shows that we have been the
gamer all around. The terms of the cartel
require that all prisoners Of war must be
delivered at the places designated, there
to be exchanged, or paroled until their
exchange can be effected. "The only ex-
ccpton allowed to this rule is in the case of
the commanders of two opposing armies, who
are authorized to exchange prisoners or release
them on parole at other points mutually agreed
upon by the said commanders" In the case of
Gen. Grant and the prisoners captured at
vicksburg, they were paroled under the mu-
tual agreement Of the two commanders,
and therefore in accordance with the
original cartel. The prisoners paroled
by Lee in Pennsylvania were made without