The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1864-12-02
The Present Situation.

The following article from the Chicago
Times will give our readers the situation
of affairs between North and South at the
present time. Although it looks bad, 1t is
nevertheless true:
"In some preceding articles THE Times
has shown the character of the resistance
which is embodied in the rebellion. In
order that we may have complete un-
derstanding of the matter, it will be neces-
sary to look carefully at the capabilities
of the north for overcoming the resistance
offered by its antagonist.
SIT has been seen that the south, occu-
pying defensive lines, an6 already bank
rupt, $50 that the question of money is
merely nominal one,) has a superiority
of position which can only be equaled on
our par. by the use of large armies, and
the expenditure of amounts Of money
which greatly enhance the difficulty which
We have 10 meet. 100000 men acting on
the offensive are no more than 900
who simply hold the defensive; it is there
fore necessary that, in order to make any
progress, we should constantly keep in the
field force whose number exceeds the
first.named figures. 100000 men would
no moro than equal the force which the
south can keep in the field, end when we
have only this number, affairs must re>
main at deadlock, as they are in Vir-
ginia, at Charleston, Mobile, and else>
where. To push back the southern ar
mics, we must add fifty or one hundred
thousand men to this number, making the
army which would be large enough to op-
crate against the south not less than $780,.
900 or 100000.
"With this number constantly in the
field. the rebellion would be SO outnum.
bered that it would be slowly driven from
point to point till it would at last be forced
to yield, militarily, through exhaustion Of
men and arms.
Admitting that this number of men
will be requisite for successful operations
against the south, and we do not think it
can be successfully dispu!ed-we can
reach conclusion to the effect that one
year will probably not witness the end Of
the military power of the rebellion
100000 men will only hold the rebels in
equiAbrio, and, as the very first step ne
cessary towards progress, we must have
more men. To get more men, draft is
necessary ; and this is an operation whose
machinery is so cumbersome that some
months must elapse before it can be made
available.
=" We have now 100000 men in the
field. OF these, the time of one, third will
be out between this and next May. and OF
the remainder, the time Of two thirds will
expire within twelve months. One year
from to day, if there were no further
drafts, or any deaths from sickness and
wounds, our entire force in the field would
not number 100000 men. 100000 men
must therefore be put in the field between
this and the first of May next, in order
that we may commence the campaign OF
1865 with 350.000 men. BY tbs first OF
the following November. the time of not
less than 10000 of this force will have
expired, which, with the casualties OF
service, if the campaign be an active one,
will reduce our army, at that time, TO
about 100000.
Mr.. Lincoln must commence the cam
paign of 1865 with rot less than $4,000
men. If he does so, the next summer, il
our armies be properly handled, will be
the most trying that the south has ever
seen. She has, however, duling the past
season, lost but little against odds quite as
great, and she may therefore hope to meet
with equal success the coming year. We
have had our ablest generals and our lar
est possible armies in the field this year.
With them we gained little; we may
calculate that, ceteris paribus, we shall gain
just about the same next year.
1t is not therefore possible that The
south can be beaten before May next ard,
Judging by the past, it is not probable
tha: her resistance will be overcome be
fore the succeeding November. If she
can beat US back till that time, she will
find our armies reduced to 100000, and
is, consequently sure of existence till the
summer of 1866. In fact, all the proba
bilties 10 the case are, that the south can
successfully resist US. at the very least, un-
I'll the lst Of May 1866
"To prosecute the war up to that poin,
will require two drafts on the par. OF the
federal government. By May next our
Indebtedness will be nearly or quite So,
000,O00,00O, and if the south holds over
another year, it viii! amount to over $4,.
600, O,OO0,0 900, whose interest will be some
s24O, 900, ,OO0-a sum thirty times greater
| than the revenue Of the whole United
States befor the war began.
1.-Two drafts, and a debt which we car
never pay can plainly be discovered with
in period during which it is not proba
ble, and scarcely possible, tha: the soutf
will be conquered"