The New York herald., 1863-06-25

can arrive for its relief; or to lure him into a
battle at some point in Maryland or Pennsyl-
vana, or in the valley of the Shenandoah, and,
defeating him, cut off the remnant of his army
from Washington, thus rendering the capital of
the Union his easy prey.
All rebel movements towards Pittsburg,
Harrisburg and Baltimore may be regarded rs
feints No doubt if detachment of four or
five thousand men could by coup destroy
the government property at Pttsburg and re-
treat, it would be regarded as a very good en-
terprse; and Wheeling might also be visited
at the same time. But that Lee intends
to 60 there, or send any large number
of his army. under present circumstances,
is simply absurd. 1t serves Lees purpose to
menace several cities together. The citizens Of
Pittsburg. the citizens of Harrisburg. the cti-
zens of altimOre, and the citizens and resi-
dents of Washington, seem all equally
alarmed at the movements Of Lee, and at eRch
city the Inhabitants are led to believe that bis
designs are against them. He will do what he
Can to keep up that terror by occupying cen
trail position. But it is evident that considering
the difficulty Of capturing Harrisburg, with tho
wide Susquehanna between him and it, and how
little that city would repsy him for the operation
he has no serious designs on the capital of
Pennsylvania. Neither is it at all probable
that he will attack Baltimore as it is very Ger
tain he could not hold it, with Fort. MoHenry
In tho possession of the Union troops
nd khn ifv oonouoi1>1o IN
boats He might destroy It; but, as. at
least three-fourths Of the population sympa-
thize with the rebellion, he could have no ade-
quate motive in striking such blow. But
what he is far more likely to do is this: to
cut the railroad communication between Phila-
and Baltimore, and also between Baltimore and
Washington, thus isolating the two latter cities
from the North, while the cutting of the Central
Pennsylvania line, between Harrisburg and
Pittsbarg, would isolate Maryland and Wash
ington from the West, the Baltimore and
Ohio road having been already destroyed
from Harpers Ferry to Cumberland. And
it is probable that this Is the real object of the
raids in the direction Of Pittsburg and Harris
burg. Without taking man from the army
under his own immediate command, which, it
is said, numbers one hunded and twenty-five
thousand men, he can employ in this business
the Independent force which roamed over
Western Virginia before he arrived, under
Jones, Jenkins and Imboden, numbering nine
thousand men; aud, in point of fact, it is a
small part of this force that, under the protec-
ton of the army of Lee, has hitherto created
all the CONSERVATION in Harrisburg and other
parts of Pennsylvania. Lee himself will pro-
badly soon occupy Frederick or some central
point between Baltimore and Washington, thus
compelling Hooker to come out and fight him,
under pain of being isolated from East, North
and West-every point Of the compass ex-
cept the sea and from that, too, no
doubt, he would ultimately attempt to
cut him off by establishing heavy bat
teries on the Lower Potomac. Meantime
we shall probably soon hear of the capture Of
Maryland Heights and the inadequate force
which holds it.
Thus does the second campaign in Maryland
develop ITSELF Its crisis cannot be far distant.
The most tremendous consequences are involv-
ed. Lee has again crossed the Rubicon. Should
he be again defeated, and that decisively it will
be the death blow of the rebellion, and the
whole concern will suddenly collapse But if
Hooker should be defeated, and Washington
captured, the hopes Of the confederacy would
be revived, and no mortal man can predict
what grave results might follow such catas-
trophe.