The New York herald., 1865-03-15

Of rebel troops are in North Carolina, thai
battle field was their proper place, inasmuch
as that battle was an attempt on the part of the
rebel forces in that State to overwhelm the CO.
operating force under Schofeld before 1t could
reach Sherman, or Sherman could come to its
assistance. Hence the. importance Of this bat
tie. A decisive rebel victory ct that point
might have shown us that that little battle was
a vital one for the operations in North Caro-
lina-though now, that the result is in our
favor, that fact is not so obvious. Had Schoaeld
been overwhelmed, all the forces above named
would have been concentrated against Sher-
mans single column, with, Of course, an in
fnitely better prospect of success than they
now have. II is indicative Of the rebel weak
ness that they could not concentrate enough
force to destroy Cox's little column, when the
destruction of that column offered to the enemy
the only possible chance to delay Sherman's
advance. Cox's column was reinforced on the
11th by troops from Wilmington, under General
Couch and the advance from that direction
is very probably at Goldsboro by this time
A little while ago the country was very we'll
satisfied with the military situation when Grant
held Lee at Richmond and Sherman advanced
with comparatively small force on his front
But now 1t is much better still, for Grant holds
Lee at Richmond, the force that was on Sher-
mans front is matched by fully equal force
under Schoield, and Sherman moves on un-
resisted, except by Hampton, who, to gain
small success, resorts to his pen, and is not
~ 40,
Sheridan has fallen like thunderbolt on the
lines Of supply in the upper valley that the
enemy considered most remote from danger.
His destruction of the railroad communications
at Charlottesville and Of the James River Canal
are pieces of irreparable damage, and will
cause depression at Richmond that may
almost throw the rebellion into its final spasm.
1t is not possible that the rebel authorities can
even make the attempt to repair these injuries;
but Lee must, in his present straitened circum-
stances, make up his mind to do permanently
without one more source of supply Moreover
Sheridan has, before this, in all probability,
cut the Southside road at Burkesville; and, with
that road cut, there is not single line in the
enemys possession leading from his capital to
any distant point Lees army, for the support
Of which the North Carolina farmers are already
asked to contribute, must then be fed from the
country Immediately around Richmond-a dis
trict that must by this time be very nearly
eaten out.
NAPOLEON ON CGsAR-REMARKABLE CHARAc-
TER OF THE WoRK.-We publish to-day some
very interesting extracts from the long ex-
pected work Of the Emperor of the French,
entitled "The Life Of Cesar" with remarka-
BILE preface, also from the pen of Napoleon
himself. The book, which is announced for
publication in France on the LIST Of March,
would appear in England on the 7th Of the
same month, and in a short time will doubtless
be reproduced in this country. 1t has already
been translated into several European Ian
guages, and on all sides the greatest interest is
felt concerning its contents. That the book
will have a large circulation and numerous
readers is not to be doubted, seeing that the
author is Emperor Of great nation; and, as is
well known, he strives in this "Life Of Cesar"
to institute a comparison between the career of
that ilustrious Roman and the times of the
First Napoleon, with q continuation of the
The preface to the book and the extracts
which we publish to-day will give our readers
fair idea of the work; and 1t will be seen that
the opinions which we have already formed of
it and published in the HERALD, of the 5th inst,
are borne out to the very letter. Faith in
the ascendancy of the "Napoleonic STAR"
and in the inevitable DEGREES of destiny,
tko ;oh fho a1ric
has been raised. As the First Napo-
leon was the imiator and reflection of
Caesar, so is tho Third Napoleon, according to
himself, to be the great agent Of civilization,
and the restorer of the Augustan age ave
must" he says, "recognize in the incontestab!e
influence of q man upon his age the proof of his
genius;" and again, ''the greatness of a man is
to be recognized by the sway of his ideas, when
his principles and his system triumph despite
his death or his defeat" In this he clearly al
ludes to the impress which he firmly believes
has been made upon the world by the ideas of
the First Napoleon, whose efforts to found an
empire in France failed for time, but were
eventually crowned with success by the bold
meas Of the present Emperor. For, says our
author, "the Imprisonment of st. Helena could
not prevent tho resuscitaton Of the French en-
pire." Thus he shows bis faith in his "star"
and in his destiny.
In the latter part of the preface the imperial
author uses these strong expressions:-"When
Providence raises up men like Caesar, Charlie
magne and Napoleon, 1t is to stamp new era
with the seal of their genius, and to accomplish
in few years the work Of many centuries !
Happy the nations who comprehend and follow
them! Woe to those who misunderstood and
resist theml They act like the Jews-they
cruelty their ,Messiah!' Thus he classifes
Cesar, Charemagne and Napoleon the First
among the saviors of the world and, as he
has risen to the empire which his uncle founded,