The New York herald., 1864-04-19

es c~.ssg D~stssvs ssrvggie.
We are on The eve ofa campaign whose re-
suis IA. 10 al probshilIsy. ts decide the war. We
have 10 contend vith IN enemy who. N he does
not sraciiy stand st bay. appreciates that the
present struggle d In al likelihood 10 be final.
and b prepared 10 nshs With desperation pro
pcrsicsais 10 the greatness Of the Issues al stake
The armies that The rebels nov have in the neld
are their last They are their foriorn hope. and
every nerve hs been strained 10 make them
eihsient Our svn armies are larger than they
have ever before been. are in splendid state
Of organization snd discip,ins. and are COM
msnded by colder ef great ability. In few
days moro ws may fairly count upon . contn-
ued season oi weather favorable for the move
ment Of armies. ana In . few weeks at most
the battle will In eli probability be fought
for We take n for granted that this great. de-
cisve battle will be fought in Virginia Gen.
Grants initiative concentration Of troops for .
movem ens against Richmond has 40 fer given
direction and purpose 10 the movements Of the
enemy. and they follow him, - usual. step by
step. Unable 70 withdraw any considerable
OF increasing the force in Virginia, they have
drawn in all detschmens and forces on unim.
portant posts, and, except the cavalry that now
harasses Kentucky. they are about to concen-
trate almost every available man In the two
armies commanded respectively by Johnston
and Lee; and the greater Of these armies win
undoubtedly be the one under Leo Already
that force appears to have been increased by
the accession Of the force under Longstrcet, and
it is now reported that Hsrdees command.
from Johnstons army. is also on the way TO
Virginia. And Lees army may be reinforced
from the same direction to an even greater ex-
tent than this; for il is doubtless the Southern
plan to refuse battle ~ far as may be with
the army under Johnston. to manGuvre aad
gain time there, and to fight with the army in
Virginia. But it is worth while to remember
that, however shrewdly Johnston reasons and
however well he may manguvre, he has in
Sherman. Thomas aud Hooker very different
year Of the war, when he got away from Patter-
son so handsomely to reach the field Of Bull
run at critical moment
Az to where the battle may be fought in vir-
ginia will apparently depend upon which gene
raj shall start first; for Lee will take the ntia-
tive if he can get it. Despite the demonstrations
for movement by way OF the peninsula, be-
tween Lee and Richmond. Lee still holds his
position on the Rapidan, and II compelled to
await Grants advance, will doubtless fight
there But if Lee should triumph. victory on
the Rapidan would be . barren one to bim
II would merely prevent or defer Grants ad-
vance to Richmond; and the time is past when
the Southern confederacy can afford to fight In
decisive battles. Lee has had enough Of victo-
ries on the Rapidan aud the other rivers that
cross our path on the way to Richmond. r.
therefore. he can get the start. he will manpuvre
to fight north of that river, and doubtless
at some point where victory would insure him
more than the mere safety Of his army
In view Of the great struggle that is thus to
take place so soon, and Of the great issues de-
pendent upon it. it is to be hoped that the gov
ernment and the whole country will do their Mt
most to add to the efficiency Of our armies. Let
the last atom Of possible power be given to
them. Let the Presidential aspirants relinaush
their schemes for a little. and the politicians
cease their clamor. Let Congress lay aside its
factous quarrels, and give TO this cause for a
strength Of the nation, and great aud glorious
victory must certainly be ours.
PRESIDENTIAL MOVEMENTS Times is ad-
vocating the Lincoln movement with the zeal
Of man who has made good bargain; the
World, outsider finds some encouragement for
the war democracy in the Fremont movement;
but General Grant is about to make a move
ment which If successful will eclipse and
command all the Presidential movements of
the day. and which, il unsuccessful, will throw
them all into confusion. We are awaiting the
upsbot Of this grand and momentous movement
Of General Grant
JERF. DAVIS BrsY.-We have the report from
Newbern that 'sthe North Carolina railroads are
busily engaged in transporting troops and sup
plies This means that jeff Davis is raking
and scrapng the States below for the desperate
struggle that Is before him in Virginia Of life
or death to his despotic reign and his desperate
cause
A CHEERING SiGHT-The number OF lame
ducks that were to be seen limping around
Wall street yesterday.
GREAT UNToN VICTORY That OF the govern
ment and the national currency just achieved
over the gold gamblers.
City Intelligence.
LEcTrRH BY W. F. LYoNs proon1S.--It will be seen
BY an advertisement IN our columns that Mr. ". =.
Lyons s to repeat bis lecture in the Brooklyn Athensum
tomorrow evening the 2eh instant on the subject o,
"The Irish IN Exile its great sccees when delivered
IN Irving Hall afew weeks ago, may presume 10 fair
guarantee tbat II VIII he nuneousiy attended In our
sister city The subject Is admirably treated and We
need not say one OF great interest to large porten OF
the community.