The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-04-29

same umo 70 meet his old and irrepro6G1bSo an
tagenist-our Army Of the Posonac-in greater
strength than no has ever encountered
heretofore. We suspect that he has dis
covered that division Of his forces
to save Richmond will entail upon himself
certain defeat In standing for . battle on the
Rapidan, and that, on the other hand, without
detaching considerable force to Richmond the
city will fall into the hands Of "Baldy Smith"
In this dilemma, what is the line OF strategy
which common sense would suggest to General
Lee! What safer course can be adopt than
to fall back upon Richmond, gather up jeff
Davis and his Cabinet, his scrip and archives,
artillery, machinery. ammunition and military
stores, cross over the James river, and, de-
stroying its bridges behind him, push down
into North Caroline, carry Newbern by storm,
and then, with its ample stores Of artillery, am
munition and provisions, establish himself on
new defensive position, in easy communication
with Joe Johnston, in Georgia
II Lee is so situated that by giving battle In
Virginia he will not only lose Richmond, but
his army to boot what else oan he do than
abandon Richmond to save his armyf And
this is his exact situation. He may plant him.
self behind impregnable intrenchments; but If
his supplies are cut off his army must come
out or surrender. Here Is q difficulty which
must be as embarrassing to Lee as the strategy
Of Grant Virginia has for some time been ex-
hausted Of its provisions for army purposes,
and North Carolina is nearly eaten out The
city of Richmond and the rebel forces in Vir-
ginia draw their supplies day by day over the
Carolina railroads from Georgia The necessi-
ties Of subsistence are thus daily operating
moro and more to render his gloomy capital
untenabe to JEFF. Davis, and this trouble only
increases with the increase of bis bread and
bacon consuming soldiers.
We shall not, therefore, be surprised If our
anticipations Of a sanguinary campaign in Vir.
ginia are soon quletod by the news of the he.
gira of jeff Davis and his Cabinet and General
Lee and his army into North Carolina What
them The moral effect of this abandonment OF
Richmond will, we believe, be as fatal to the
rebellion as if lost only after desperate and dis
astrous struggle to hold it. In eithers event,
we have no doubt that the so-called Southern
confederacy will be substantially demolished
before the end of May; that we shall have
peace dawning brightly upon Us by the
GLORIOUS Fourth" Of July. and that with
relief to the Treasury to the extent Of Eve
hundred millions Of its war expenditures, tho
prices of oil the necessaries of life will 60
down, and the masses of the people of the
loyal and the rebellious States will soon realize
the benefits Of the change
We do not count now upon another year or
half a year of war. but upon the breaking up
of the rebel armies and the dissolutieneof the
Davis confederacy, and upon great revolu-
ton against spectators and In favor Of the
people, in the brief interval to July. The
armies under General Grant in Virginia, when
they advance, will move with . force and
which will sweep away all i'm
pediments His position on going TO the relief
Of Chattanooga was extremely critical COM
pared with the advantages which he now COM
mands.