The New York herald., 1864-09-19
the Necessities and Probable Designs or
the Enemy.

Dlscoursing upon the probable consequences
OF the fall Of Atlanta, the Richmond Examiner
says that Sherman desires rest;" that "the fed
erai army is much shattered and much tstigued;"
that its "iong line of exposed communications
to the rear, which is standing disgrace to the
councils of Richmond, need looking after and
strengthening" that "the reinforcements which
would enable Sherman to push forward In
further enterprises are required for another
and more important purposs"--the capture
OF Richmond" that ION this one object the
whole military power Of the federal Union will
now be concentrated" and that "Grant will
40 longer be distracted by two great enter
prises," inasmuch las one OF them is accom-
plished and well of his hands"
This Richmond philosopher next, in follow
ing up this line of speculatiops, informs us that
Petersburg is falsely esteemed the key to
Richmond" and that the Yankees Ger
roneously suppose that the fall Of the one
involves the other" However, he ad-
mits that "if they bring together force
large enough to overwheln Lees armN
wheresoever the battle may be. they do imperil
Richmond, and with it the Confederate cause
itself" In explanation of this view of the
small Importance Of Petersburg, we have the
rumor that Lee contemplates the evacuation OF
that city and the shortening of his lines to the
immediate defences Of Richmond Petersburg
in fact, was only valuable to him as military
position commanding the Weldon Railroad
Having lost that road, and failed in every effort
to recover it, Lee may possibly abandon Peters
burg, to save it from destruction from our
shells, and, without another struggle, he may fall
and concentrate his forces for some decisive
movement in some other direction His neces-
stiles are such that he cannot wait much longer.
His supplies are diminishing, his soldiers are
on shorter rations than ever before, his rein
forcements come in hardly in sufficient num-
bers to repair his losses from desertions; and
still the lines Of Grant are tightening around
him.
Lee, in fact, must shortly attack and des-
perately endeavor to dislodgs "the Yankees"
or be must gather up his moveables, blow up
his magazines, spike his heavy guns which can
not be carried off, destroy the army foundries
mills and factories Of Richmond, dismiss his
prisoners OF war now In the city, and move off
army, archives, JEFF. Davis and his Cabinet, bag
and baggage, scrip and scrippage, southwark to
some safer locality. We believe that if Davis
could have had his way this thing would have
been done, as q matter of military strategy,
long ago. He has been overruled by Lee and
the other Virginians in his councils; but stern
necessity may at last overrule Lee. The rebel
Confederate scrip factory, aud some other
things, were removed from Richmond to Colum-
bia, South Carolina, last spring, and doubtless
in view of the possible contingency of the
transfer Of the whole establishment of JEFF
Davis to the same place. We think it possible,
too, that the object Of junction of the army Of
Lee with that Of Hood may prove the decisive
consideration in favor of the evacuation Of
Richmond.
General Grant at present stands between Lee
and Hood; but Lee, by the evacuation Of Rich
mond, may in a single days march got in be-
tween Sherman and Grant The moral effect
of the loss of Richmond We know would be fa-
tal to the so-called "confederacy," but it would
not be so speedily fatal as decisive defeat Of
Lees army, involving the loss Of Richmond.
The question before long will be determined
by stealthy evacuation or by the bloodiest
struggle Of the war General Grant is pre-
pairing himself at all points for this latter alter
native; but we do not abandon the idea that
from the strength and completeness of his pre-
parations be viii! yet secure the rebel capital
without another general engagement The
alternative, we believe, will soon be made ap-
parent to JEFF. Davis, if it be not now, that he
must abandon Richmond to save Lees army, or
sacrifice that army in o vain struggle to hold
the city We await in confidence the coming
developments Of the campaign; for, whether
Davis shall elect to fight or fly, Richmond is
now within the grasp Of General Grant, and he
will not relax bis hold upon it.
THE AMERICAN MrLLIosAIREs.-Th rapid ac-
cessions to wealth on the part Of the business
men, shoddy contractors and merchants OF this
country, as exhibited in the costly dressed and
.bejewelled pronenaders in Broadway, the oc-
cupsnts Of the stalls in the Academy Of Music,
seen in the rich and expensive equipages on the
Park, in the crowds Of gay frequenters at the
numerous watering places and summer resorts
has been . subject Of surprise not only 10 our.
selves here at home but to the people of older
countries who come among Us from time to
time.
These evidences Of prosperity have be-
come more apparent every succeeding day
since the war was fairly entered upon; and
the result is that . new race Of mil
lionaires have sprung up in our midst,
showing the old psrvenues, but in more
substantial guise than the ghost Of Ban.
quo did Macbeth, from their stools" The
star Of the shoddy contractors has made rapid
way upwards, but whether to become nyed
light or . mere trsnsitory asrolte, soon 70 fall
to earth again, remains to be seen The won