The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-07
PATIENCE MEG ESsARY-ALTERED SIT.
UATION.
From the Times.

from the Yfpes.
Whit now is specially needed is patience on
the part of the people. Let loyal men through
out the North but possess their souls with the
Tesolute spirit of their great military leader, and
il is certain that the Rebellion cannot hold out
many months longer. We don't say this with
any prophesyirg disposition. Predictions lie
like broken potshcrds along the whole path Of
this war. All sensible men have long since
ceased to value them come from what quarter
they may. But mathematical calculation from
Settitd data is not prediction The present stu
alton admits OF such calculation, and therein IL
dihers from all that have preceded IL.
Hitherto, the future has been OWNED mainly
from Anticipated issues OF particular battles, or
par Var strategic movements. II some great
conflict were impending, the superiority of our
army inTlumbers would give many minds an ab-
solute confidence that the enemy must sustain q
crushing defeat, which would end the Rebellion.
AYben the conflict came, owing TO some unappre-
Ciated advantage of the enemy in position, or
some other cause, it would give us but drawn
battle, OF, at most, an indecislve victory.
The particular Care of the Rebel Generals al
ways 10 keep open their line of retreat, has almost
uniformly deprived even our positive successes
Of nearly all practical fruit. So far as mere
strategy is concerned Il Il always idle to prog
nostcafe its results for in our necessarily i'm
perfect knowledge Of the enemy it can never be
fully known what counter-strategy may be
brought 10 meet it, Thus predictions of decisive
overthiows from particular movements or en-
counters have a hundred times failed, Fair as
they have been on The surface, there has always
been enough of the uncertain element in them as
70 make ,htm worthless.
"heiG is now, we think, IN essential change in
the sitIadOn Geographically, the two great
Grmies have reversed their pOsiti ms. The Army
oftle 9omac bears upon Lee from the south
instead of the moth. This Of itself tells with
coDseL nence upon Lees lines Of supplies aud Of
retreat. for these lines al run southward; we be-
iieve is can surely be calculated with fatal con-
sequence.
Let us look calmly. The business Of the Army
of the Potomac hi,hero has been 20 bo assdil-
ants. Its object was he Rebel capital, and TO
secure thRL~ had TO maintain the aggressive. II
has TO ~ little at the cUemy's iutrcuChcd posi-
tiOns; rkuCCcsstul, IL was only 60 find itself
confront hh utbcs positions vet more tirmd-
able. s mode OF aggressive warfare must
put any however brave or numerous, at
an nmeI is0dyantgge.
To DC, els that Il will ever attain
it's obIec Rafr TO declare ,hntit will lttaiu IL
by-a cer ptci6ed time is simple presumption.
The chaL position has made 10 no logger
necessary D. the Army Of the Potomac, 0r at
least its great bnoy, 20 be assuilants. Richmond
Is not now the immcGia'c, bnt the ultimate OH
ieCt. The special purpose n " is 10 destroy the
Communications leading into Richmond That
de'nuctiOn is to be accomplished mainly by
cavaly.
The i~'antIy have simply 10 maintalu their
present a. 'anced positions MS the base for cavalry
expeditions. Their business is chiefly defensive
and 70 long as IL is certain that their present in
tTenchments cannot be carried either by strate-
gem or battle, with any force the enemy can
bring against them, an end Is made Of whole
class Of contingencies that always threatened
when they were on the aggressive. So far as
regards that, then, the future may be counted
upon with far less uncertainty than ever.
1t Is certain that the resources of vi ginia can
not for any long period support Lees great army
without taking into account AZ all the fact that
these resources are certainly reduced by the
great number of noneombatants within the State
who are incapable of being removed. 1t is GER
can contribute supplies from without, and that
roads for the seasons of the year when these
roads are practicable, are too limited to be of any
material service.
The only question then Is, whether our cayalJ
can keen these two railroads permanently unaYaf
able we don't see how il Is possible for any onI
who has read of the work Just done by Generals
Wilson and Kautz, 10 doubt ii. 1t Is officially
stated that sixty miles OF the railroads were 81
destroyed that Il would be impossible to rebuild
Them in less than month. This operation car
ne reneated MS often as occasion demands. With
our great superiority In cavalry, and with our ac
ouired knowledge of the country the enemy can
not prevent these swoops.
-, thew 1--WE times their number Of men, the
not effeetually guard those long lines o
around located at no greater distance from on
lleYedese. few minutes work 6t any one poin
urning of bridges, or the blowing up OF
prevents the transmission OF troops iron
atened point 70 another. And day
ipted work Of destruction on any par