Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-07-29

iuential party at the South Of whom JEFF Davis
himself vas the exponent and the chief. who
were opposed TO any invasion Of the North, OPP
posed 70 any movements against Washington.
opposed, ia word, 10 offensive warfare Of any
kind, and advocates Of system Of strict defen-
sive warfare. That party exists 10 longer. The
results of Early'S expedition have destroyed all
their theories They are now a. strong adyO-
Gates of offensive warfare a. General Lee him
self; and, in consequence, il j. understood at
Richmond that in afew months, or perhaps much
less time IL the plans Of the rebel leaders ad
hcred to- the seat of war will be transferred from
the South to the North; one rebel army will in
wade Pennsylvania, another will invade Ohio or
Indiana. Washington will be again threatened /;
and this time by an army Of 100 200 troops, bent
upon is capture.
TRUE SOURCE oF TBE STRENGTH of THg SOUTHERN
sRNfEs
/, may be laid that j. will require large armies
10 carry these plans into effect Ii will require
strong armies: but military success depends upon
discipline and good generalship, and not upon
NUMBER as Se have learned 10 our bitter cost.
/ suppose the readers of the World never
deluded by the oft repeated fable that the rebels,
long ago, had cOnscripted every man, and that
when the armies now in the field were defeated
their military power would be gone. The fact is,
the recruiting system IN operation at the South,
based upon the French recruiting system, is so
perfect that il keeps the ranks of the Old regi-
ments constantly full. A French regiment al
ways has at home recruiting station and a re-
cruiting officer: and the new recruits. after some
preparatory drilling. are sent at stated times,
monthly OF quarterly To join their regiments
ii Is so at the South. There are 10 day thOus-
ands Of Young men OF from twenty one 10
twenty five in the rebel army, who have ;huS
joined their regiments during the last six months
Such a thing a regiment in the rebel
army is a rarity lmague for moment what 4
state of discipline must prevail in an army thus
constituted, aud seasoned by three years of
constant service; ia al army. too where merit in
an officer, and merit alone. is the road to promo
ton.
NUMERICAL STRENGTH or THE SOUTHERN ARMIES
So far as mere numbers are concerned the
rebel armies are large enough to carry into exc
cution the above designs. They amount now TO
about three hundred and seventy five thousand
mem mean electives; perhaps rather more
than that If the above plans attempted.
two hundred thousand troops will be assigned to
the invading forces; fifty thousand will be left
to defend Richmond. and the remaining one
hundred aud twenty five thousand will be dis
trbuted as occasion may require
DETERMINED TO CAPTURE WASHINGTON.
There are those at Richmond, men in high DO
-tion and of good judgment, who go further,
and who say that the capture of Washington be
fore next November may be regarded as almost
certain These men are among the few who en-
JOY any degree of intimacy with Gen Lee, and il
is possible that they derive their impressions from
what they know of the views of that officer. All
the rebel leaders. including jeff. Davis and Gen
Lee. now united in the determination to con
quer their Independence on Northern soil, and to
dictate the terms Of peace from Washington
these terms TO be based the recognition of the
South as an independent natiOn-and they have
come To this determination because they believe
that that will be the most speedy, as well a. the
most effectual manner of terminating the war.
THE SOUTHERN PEOPLE TIRED WAR.
The southern people, although they are By nc
means discouraged OF dispirited, are tired Of the
war. They want it to be terminated, because
they wish to be at liberty TO cultivate their cot
ton, sugar, rice and tobacco. and to manu- facturs
their tar. turpeutine and rosn in peace. The na
tons of Europe are suffering for the wan, OF
these commodities, which the south alone cal
supply cheaply. But. in order TO produce then
probably, the south must have and will have
her old established system of domestic labor
SENTIMENTS or THE SOUTHERN PEOPLE,
/ The people of the south believe that they have
amply demonstrated their ability to maintain thei
/ Independence. But they will continue the wal
4 for ten years sooner than abandon what they con
scientiously believe they are fighting Tor, namely
the right OF self government and the right of reg
I ulating their domestic institutions i'm their owl
way, subject Ooly TO the provisions of the Const
tuition OF the United States, which they have
adopted substantially as their own They ar
IDENTIFY desire peace But they will make nt
! peace that does not recognize these principles
] & ~ A. / a.,
toward the South-his policy of emancipation
and conhscation, and of arming the slave,
/ against their masters-has rendered that impos-
sbe, rs long "a he, orthe Republican party, con
tinues in power The only terms of peace which
the South would accept are, separation ant
independence. In happier times, under Demo
cratic administration, and after long years of mu
tual Cancellation and good Offices on both sides
reunion under the old Constitution may be posi-
BILE. But of all the crimes that rest upon the
soul Of Mr.. Lincoln this is the greatest. that h,
has made any present or speedy restoration of th,
Union utterly impossible
sIGsIFIoANcE OF Mr.. LNcoLx's PEACE pRoro-
SAILS.
1t is more than ikev that some inkling of the
real military power of the rebels, and of thu
above plans and views, has reached Mr.. Lincoln
and may be at the bottom Of his half hestatins
course IN regard to the hext draft and in regard
to the half way proposals for peace which he has
authorized to be made. The key note TO all thai
he says or does, and to all that he has said OF
done for the last six months, is his absorbing in
terest in securing bis re election, and in remov
ing from his path all possible rivals. 1t was fol
this that General Grant was called a Lieutenant
General 1t was for this that Mr.. Lincoln so ur
gently disclaimed all responsibility for the result
OF the campaign against Richmond. and so per
sstently fastening that responsibility upon Gen
| eral Grant Mr.. Lincoln has plenty of that low
cunning which distinguishes men OF bis stamp
who by accident or the force of circumstances
have been raised to positions the duties of which
they are unable to comprehend But he is az
incapable OF negotiating an honorable peace
as he Is OF conducting a successful war.
DRrID