The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-08-23
The Chances Of Peace I'm America
From the London Spectator, July %.

From the London Spectator, July 70.
The public mind is swinging round
again. After believing for nearly TIVE
months that the South would be ulti
mately defeated, that the dauntless per
sistency of the North would wear on,
the fiery courage Of its opponents, thai
numbers and will would prevail alike
over skill and patriotism" it has sud
denly arrived at the conviction that thC
cause ofthe North is lost. Immediately
after Gen. Grants first battle even the
Times wrote respectfully of the chances
of invasion, but the check suffered il
the direct advance on Richmond, the
long pause before Petersburg, the ex.
cessive rise in gold, the dismissal OF
resignation of Mr.. Chase, the rumors
of an ''invasion of Maryland" and the
natural recoil of an over-excited antici
patton, have once more depressed the
balance; the Confederate loan has gone
up to seventy-six, the conservative pa.
pers once more speak of "the victories
Of the South" and the widest rumors,
if only the, tell to the disadvantage oi
the North, are received with instant
credit. All this while the facts of the
case either remain exactly where they
were a year ago, or they have altered
with one conspicuous exception, to the
advanta ye of the Federals. The mill
taiy change has been conspicuously in
their favor. Last year they were con-
tending in the West tor the Mississippi
apprehende1 the loss OF. New Orleans
were doubtful of the fidelity of Missou
ri, and wavered in policy for fear les,
they should affront irretrievably the
''neutral" policy of the State of Ken
tucky. This year the Army of the Mis-
sissippi has quilted the banks of that
river, and fought its way steadily and
surely to the very heart of the Confed-
eracy, has traversed such section OF
Georgia that military critics already
begin to discuss the possibility Of Gen.
Sherman intervening with decisive eff
ect in the Virginia contest. This great
result has, moreover, been accomplish
ed in the teeth of the strongest resis.
tance, of battles so severe that South.
erners estimate Gen. Sherman's losses
at 10000 men, of efforts so great that
the South is obliged to explain defeat
by the Northern device Of calling every
fresh retreat strategical movement.
Missouri Is either repentant or SO
completely controlled that the Govern
ment can rely upon the action OF the
State Legislature, and Louisiana has es-
tablished government which, howev.
er little it represents opinion, still pro.
hibits the State from exerting any or.
ganized force on the Confederate side.
Kentucky, which ruled the situation,
has just been placed under martial law,
and even Southerners have ceased to
speak of the campaign in the Far West
In Virginia, where the case seems SO
much worse for the Federals, it is in
reality even better. Those seventy
miles between Washington and Rich.
mond which were pronounced so i'm.
passable, have been traversed-travers.
ed in spite of the resistance rising into
the heroic-traversed with such loss to
the defenders that Gen. Lee, boldest OF
all Southern Generals, is reduced TO q
policy of comparative inaction, suffers
Gen. Grant to marah past him without
attacking his exposed line, and leaves
his adversary south Of Richmond rath-
er than risk another general action.
That this advantage has been obtain.
ed at an immense sacrifice of life is
true, but the very first datum of the
struggle is that the North can afford
this loss, and that the South cannot.