The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-04-27

Hafsisous S landing, with the james river !
s'a base. OF the preparations which |
they have made to defend Rich rnond [
against another peninsula CAMPAIGN, |
must defer speaking at present. It is
enough snow to say that they consider
them ample to secure the safety of their
capital. If, against his better judgement,
Gen. Grant should be compelled to make
an overland campaign against Richmond.
they would only hugh at what they would
consider his stupidity, and would depend
for the defeat OF his army upon the sa me
strategy and tactics by the use of which
they have defeated successfully Mcdowell.
Pope, Burnside, II ooker and Meade.
PLAN FOR GEN. LEES INVASION
OF PENNSYLVANIA.
ttbe instant, however, that Grants
real intentions toward Richmond are de-
velored, Gen. Lee will put the heads Of
his columns in motion Tor Pennsylvania.
Ills ruu'e will be up the Shenandoah val
ley, but he will make such strong demon
strations toward Washington that that
will appear to be his objective point He
will move with fully 1000 troops, name
/ ly, 10000 infantry, $4,000 cavalry, aud
2o0 pieces of artillery. and his troops
will be all veterans. He will go to Penn
! sylvania this time, to stay there, and to
remove the theatre of war, ard the pres
euce of tue two hostile armies, from Vir-
ginia to, the former State. His first OBJ
ject Will be, therefore, to break up Gen.
Grants campaign against Richmond, and
to cause the army of the latter to follow
! him into Pennsylvania. IF he can effect
this object in no other way, he riU utttck
/ W"shmgton. and that, too, from the North
! That the rebel leaders are confident, will
bring Gen. Grants army home again
even if they should be under the very
walls of Richmond; for the rebel leaders
are firm believers in the axiom that Gen
Lee defends Richmond best when he
threatens Washington. 1f, however, Gen
Grant should not return, If he remains il
front Of Richmond whether he takes rha
, city or not, Gen. Lee will be very likey
, t, take Washington and the rebels curlt
!, very well afford TO lose their capital tol
the sake of getting pussessicn of ours
Bu. Gen. Lee counts on drawing Gen
:. Grants army after him into Pennsylva
MIA, and on defeating him there, and thu
b ling free to carry ont the great objects
for which these two invasions Of tn,
North vii have hecn undertaken
: WHAT ENCOURAGED THE REB
ELS TO FORM THESE plans
UF INVASION.
The thing which gives the rebel leader
more confidence than anything else il
), their ability to carry out their plans sue
. cessfully is the conviction which the
entertain Of the fact that Mr.. Lincoln
n policy of scattering the available lnilitar
!; forces of the North in multitude of dc
, tached distant expeditions, will be con
tinued this year They are not ignoran
hundred thousand troops Bat .hey loo
5 at the large numbers of those that are am
II will be engaged in wild goose Red rive
expeditions; in Burnside's expedition
J. in carrying on the siege of Charleston, i
roaming over Arkansas, Missouri, and tn
;, 1'mdian terr'itury; in carrying elections an
: fighting copperheads iu the Norther
l. States; in '.peggiug away" at Mobil
b and in Florida, in guarding the long lin
n of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad; O
It garrison duty at Washington, Baltini or
o a dozen other points ON the peninsula an
d in North Carolina at Memphis, Wick
Y burg, Natchez, Nashville, Cairo, an
d dozens of other points; and they fgul
a up that all these scattered detachmen
st will absorb fully one half of the entil
is northern army DRUID.