The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-03-30
Spirit of the Press-Mr. Lin
coins Presidential Movements South.

Il
M
(from the Richmond Examiner, March 12.)
The military operations-if they de-
serve that title-of our invading enemies
begin to wear an unsettled, uncertain and
desultory aspect. The grand, combined,
deliberate movements which were TO have
slowly but surely crushed the life out of
the rebellion" have become small, ner-
vous, sudden, spasmodic Sherman 4 i'm.
mense expedition for the conquest of Mis-
sissippi and Alabama has disastrously |
collapsed before Forests handful of Con- |
federate horscmen; and the next thing we
hear of it is that the troops destined for
Mobile and Montgomery are steaming
away up the river to try their luck some
where else-possibly to reinforce Meade,
possibly to be shipped to Fortress Mon
roe, and essay another campaign on the
peninsula or the south side. y X n
When Grant told his men lately that
most of Johnston's army was gone from
their front, and that there was nothing to
prevent them from proceeding to Atlanta,
aud SO overrunning Georgia, taking
Charleston and Richmond in the rear, the
unsuspecting men set boldly forward, ex-
pecting surely to plunder the barns and
eat-houses Of North Georgia; but be-
hold! at Tunnel Hill they found some
lpestilent 'rebels" actually standing still
and offering battle. 1t was not in their
programme; nor did it accord with their
inclinations, and scarcely tarrying long
enough to ascertain whether it was seri-
GUS opposition or not, they thought it
best to go back to their intrenchments on
the Chickamsuga. So. also, the army of
FLORIDA was shamefully cheated into a
still more perilous advance by the repre-
sentation that there would be nobody to
dispute it; the gallant fellows were to
have nothing to do but to drive away the
cattle and destroy the corn, and so cut off
rommissarfat of the Confederates. How
were they to know that Lieutenant Gen.
Hardee, with twenty-five thousand men.
would meet them full in front and charge
and cut, and stab in that savage kind OF
way? They are not very sure, indeed,
whether it was Hardee,s with twenty five
thousand, or Lee, with fifty thousand;
they did not stay to identify, or to couht
, with any closeness or precision. One
thing they are sure of-that they were
sold, over twenty hundred of them slaugh-
tered or wounded; and all, rs il now turns
out, to gain three votes for Lincoln in the
coming Presidential campaign.
In fact, the whole war at present has
itself become Presidential campaign.
The proclamation that ''rebel' State may
come in whenever oue-tenth of its inhab-
itants undertake to govern the other nine
tenths, is regarded trump card for Lin
coin. And this was the grand design of
the mighty advance of Sherman upon
Mississippi and Alabama. He was to oc-
cupy so much of the country that one
tenth part OF the people of those States
might be encouraged Cor compelled, it
pattered not which) to pretend that they
were erecting new State within the ene-
my's lines, and to turn the flank of Chase
and chrckmate Fremont Grant was also
to plant and cultivate Stree" State OF
Georgia. With its capital in Atlanta, and
leaving Milledgeville ont in the cold, was
to furnish Presidential electors for Gcor-
gia, in the grand real campaign of the
year. e5a -
Every where else around our borders
the wavcring and shifting proceedings of
the enemy partake of this wire e-pulling,
log rolling character. 1t is not, perhaps,
SO much that the rogues want seriously to
hurt us. this is only their method of stump
ing the S,uth. Seeing that We will not
act as rational beings, and give up our re-
bellious pranks, in good time for the usual
election of.Presidential Electors, this is
merely mode they have adopted of get
ting hold of ten men in every hundred az
4 us, who will takc in hand to govern the
other ninety for their own good, and or
uaniziEg States behind Yankee bayonets,
vote for Lincoln and save us all. 1t is
! altogether in mercy and loving kindness
they are coming in now, to see whether
there be, peradven,ure, ten just men whosc
: p ous "loyalty" may possibly save the rest
They had not expected such obstinate re-
sistance to their benefeent design, now in
this last stage of the rebellion" Picket
spoils their game in North Carolina; Polk
and Forrest in the Southwest, Johnston
in Georgia, Finnsgan in Florida, and as
for South Carolina. that most impractica-
bic little State, there seems no hope Of it
at all; though, indeed, tt is wonder they
have not formed loyal" State there
with runaway negroes on the sea islands,
The Presidential campaign in the South
is. so far, failure.
According to the present system il is
clear that our enemies believe us even
still to be playing at President making
They do not yet understand that we are
resolute to be rid Of them forever, and
determined rather to die than to live with
them in the same political community
1 again. To some persons, earnestly pom
dering this matter, there seems one way
and no other; it is to take no more pris
oners, and, as necessary corollary, to
admit of no surrender on our part. Stu
pid and absurd as our enemies are, they
will at length understand that this is no
mere game of President making when
they find that the penalty of falling into
our hands is death; when they perceive
that our soldiers go into the field each
man with his life in his hand, meaning
to conquer or die. s doI
One 80 fho nat r,srcar a~.h e