The New York herald., 1863-04-15

onsses pripc1 Of which snssaaned felroleum YVES
In moro request ms demand for most oiis< Knds II
egtsasfvs freIsht engagements re3dr.s4
Z N|1 ------
TAe Progress of the wsr--yehftKsr xrs
We DrirtinEs
Ths rcpniss Of Admiraa Duponts iron-clad
feet at Charleston indefinitely postpoaes, We
suspect, the resumption Of active operations
against that rebel stronghold. The door will
doubtless be kept more closely guarded than
heretofore against English. blockade ruuasrs,
with their "aid and comfort to the enemy;' but,
as the sickly suamer season in few weeks
viii revisit the South Carolina sesboard, We
conclude that nothing but some overwhelming
Union successes in other quarters will secure
tho capture Of Charleston before the return of
the malaria killing ffssts Of autumn. Inassd,
II is broadly limited In leading abolition jour
nal that the idea of crushing spring campaign
has been abandoned at Washington, and that
probably our military operations, until the end
Of the summer, will be limited to peggiag a
little here and pegging little there. as the ec.
casion may invite or demand.
The failure ct Charleston, together with
the failure at vicksburg, to gain say
decisive advantage over the enemy,
has, at all events, put an end to the
lnte confident expectations of the country in
regard to vigorous and decisive prosecution
Of the war. A month ago it wassbelieved that
the reduction of vicksburg and Charleston
would open the way southwark to the army Of
Gen. Hooker from the Rappahannock and the
army Of Gen. Rosecrans from Murffessboro.
But now, while it il manifest that Gen. Rose
Grams, enveloped by rebel bands of guerillas on
his TANKS and rear, and with powerful rebel
army, well posted, in his front, is not in con-
dition to advance, we are compelled to rely
upon Gen. Hooker to move forward and turn
the fortunes Of war in our favor. The great
disappointment however. which We fear awaits
US in Virginia Is that when Gen. Hooker does
advance he will find that the enemy have been
playing upon him their old game of Manassas
and Corinth, and that he will discover that while
he has been waiting for the roads to dry con-
siderable portion Of Lees troops, In order to
find useful employment, have been moved south.
ward to overwhelm by superior numbers the
army of Gen. Foster IL North Carolina, after
the style Of Harper's Ferry.
But vicksburg and Charleston render all con-
lectures Of impending operations on our side 90
very doubtful that they will probably be
than in pursuance Of the combinations of the
War Once, which invariably seem to be, when
reduced to trial, a lamentable budget Of
blunders Meantime, as the terms Of service of
largo numbers Of our soldiers expire in May,
their constrained inactivity at this time s 10 us
utterly incomprehensible, especially in connec-
ton with the fact that not the nrst step has been
taken to supply impending deficiencies East or
West. President Lincoln has been invested by
Congress with the dictatorial powers Of Cesar;
but he hesitates 10 use them. He Il too modest
entirely. If he could only pluck up q little Of
the spirit Of Cesar, or Napoleon, or Of OH
yer Cromwell, or Of Old Hickory, he might
play the Emperor, the Puritan or the dictato-
rial backwoodsman with impunity for the time
being while doing the great work Of trampling
this Southern rebellion In the dust. The coun-
try would support him. He would become the
idol Of the people. Why he hesitates and
shrinks from using the great war powers with
which he IL invested, when upon their employ
ment depends the success Of his administration
and the salvation Of the country, we cannot
divine.
II cannot be that President Lincoln has fallen
back upon the miserable, imbecile policy Of
James Buchanan-that most despiesbie slterna-
tive Of handing this war over ~ precious
legacy 70 his successor in otRse. Yst - things
are now going on, this rssslt sppsars'to be IN
evitable, or q condition Of general anarchy
worse than tbe most stringent despotism. The