The New York herald., 1864-09-15


result of the PENIS slvania October election.
The real question now before the country is
the question Of capacity between Lincoln and
Mcclellan The latter stands upon the demo-
cratic Union war platform of 1863; and,
though the time is Short he may, perhaps,
recover the ground subsequently lost by the
party 10 following their copperhead peace
jack o'lanterus. The Pennsylvania October
election will settle the question
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The Crisis Of she RebeiHon--Inrorrn rn tio on
Direct from Ricnmond.
FRESH ON Richmond youthful refugee
from RELENTLESS rebel conscripton has given
us some very interesting and important infor-
nation of the present condition Of things in that
quarter. His testimony is bnt a confirmation
Of the late letter OF Gen Grant, the reports of
rebel deserters. and the confessions OF rebel
journals; but It Is none the less important on
tdat account He tells us that the hopes Of the
dismantied Southern confederacy are now re-
now The bearer Of Cesar and his fortunes"
and that, in view OF a mighty and desperate
effort to break through The coils which General
Grant is weaving around them, the rebel chiefs
are sweeping into Lees army every white male
within their reach, Capable OF bearing arms.
betwee9 Tie ages OF sixteen and 6fty-fve
years. Houses, stores and Offices are entered,
and the victims Of this eyhausting CONSUMPTION
are simply tapped upon the shoulder and or
dered to report at this or that camp for active
service, and they are under requisi!ion from
which there is no escape except through the
pcriis Of desertion
II further appears, from the same intelligent
witness. that, Notwithstanding this inexorablc
and effective recruiting system, the army OF
Lee does not now exceed seventy-five
thousand men, and that the column Of Early
in the Shenandoah valley. does not exceed
ten thousand. At the same time. the failing
supplies OF Richmond admit OF no alternative
paper currency has been reduced one-third in
amount by tie jeff Davis Mississippi remedy
Of Reputation, and yet il takes six hundred
dollars OF that legal tender to procure in Rich
mond a barrel Of -four. Our opinion from the
first, that against the strategy and combine
tion. Of General Grant the formidable and
elaborate deieDccs o. Richm ond would grove to
JEFF. Davis deluson and snare, is established.
He is fanke6 from his subsistence and he
must com e out and fight ior it or abandon his
cause. in the Judgment OF the civilized world,
with the abandonment Of bis capital.
He will fight. lie is obstinate, hesdstrorg.
savage and desperate. and he has resolved
upon Waterloo victory or defeat. He can
rot. however, abandon Richmond without a
fight that will settle the question bew cen the op-
posing armies, because. with or without fight.
his evacuation leaves him no other resource
on the eve OF a terrible struggle for Richmond
and we areglad to assure our readers that Gen.
Grant is ready at all points He j. well in
formed Of the straits, the necessities, the move
ments aud the designs OF the enemy. and is
ready for him. Lee must do something, not
only 10 secure Subsistence, but to effect poll
tical diversion ii IavcF Of his master ia Europe
and in our Presidential election. The rebel
Leaders still believe in The promises OF Siideil
oil French intervention. aud IL the promises Of
the coppcrhe4ds of Northern Instruction;
but Lee must first break the coils OF Grant
The struggle is at hard: and while we fully
rely upon General Grant. lei tIere be Ko re-
Taxation il the eGorts u tbe government and
cur loyal fellow citizens of the North 70
strengthen him il cvers possible why. A
Union victory now q, Richmond will be tie
virtual end o. the