Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-03-30
me spIrit Of he Ilebei Pre,,.

The Spirit Of the Rebel Press.
The Rebel Press is industriously discus
sing the coming Spring campaign and
4rs drawing very dslusivs pictures Of the
condition and spirit Of the North. 1t is
scarcely possible to believe that the men
who are deludlng the people of the South
By representing their condition as much
superior to that Of the North, while
our srmies are demorsIized and depleted,
are not Wickedly endeaVOring to bolster
up Southern confidence.
There is, however, & possibility that the
earnestness with which these represents
tiOns are made, is the result Of genuine
conviction. They may possibly believe
that our armies are dwindling to insigni-
fcsnt proportions; that to strengthen
them the cutters and alleys Of our large
cities are dredged Of their worst Chsrao-
tsrs, "Of negroes, foreign mercenAries,
substitutes and cOnscripts, too worthless
to pay" and that the recent calls for 9 re-
serve force are evidences Of rapidly ad
vancing ruin and decay. The Richmond
Whig ssserts that the rebel forces are
equal in numbers TO our own army. Their
currency and army are being made better
every day BY the warm young blood Of the
country thst ispoured into it; while those
Of the North are directly the reverse. Now
the trnth is, that all these evidences of de-
csy upon which they count in the coming
campaign, do not exist. At the last report
Of the War Department all Of the 10000
call was filed up, not counting the late
establishments Of veterans. The 100000
call will also be filed. In q werd, not
only is our army stronger than ever before,
but it is the unanimous verdict Of sn &C.
quainted with the army that it was never
il better discipline, never more hopeful
and determined to restore the nationality
Of the Republic. Instead Of depletion, the
ranks are being filed, both in military and
civil affairs.
Another element Of weakness on
which they count is the existence
Of Peace party in the North. This was
much stronger year ago than it is to-day.
We assert, with the strongest convictions
Of certainty, that the Peace element is
much weaker to day than it has ever been.
There is, it is true, party opposed to the
present Administration, but that party
are in advance in many respects Of the
blatant'cOpperhesd peace at any price men.
The rebels have q smaller source Of comfort
in that direction than they have had for
at least one year. The Rebel Press talks
also, Of the impOssibility OfcOnquering the
South, except by determination. This is
of that species Of blsthering brsggsdo-
clio which bullies put on to mask their real
fear and apprehension. The recent cleo
tions in Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisi-
ania do not indicate such desperate desire
for determination as is evinced by the
Richmond editors. On the contrary, they
show that the people are rapidly gravitat-
ing to the cause Of the Union and Univer-
sal Emancipation. As for those who wish
to be exterminsted or driven into exile,
there is no doubt that they can and will be
grstiaed. Another, better and q more
loyal class of men from the North and
from Europe, will I'll up the South, and if
several hundred thousand rebels will be
exterminated, the world will be better off
in the new population and new civilization
which will take their place.