The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-24
THE NEW DIR AFT-A FULL AND QUICE
kESP0NsE

From ''N 4FAfs.
The reelection Of President Lincoln was not
simply declaration of sentiment. 1t was
pledge The people affirmed not merely that the
Rebellion ought TO beput down, but that 1t should
be put down; and they bound themselves 70
supply President Lincoln with the money aud
the men necessary 10 that end. His new call for
three hun dred thousand moro men must be met
with prOmpuude and cheerfulness.
A reqHsition Of this magnitude, at just this
time was hardly anticipated The half million
draft in the summer, IL was hoped, would finish
the war. SO probably it would have done, had 1t
actually yielded that rumber Of soldiers. But the
credits given for several enlistments and for sur
pluses on previous calls caused hardly more than
half that number % be really raised; and even
this accession was almost neutralized by the con-
slant discharge OF regiments whose terms Of SER
vice had expired The public mind, flushed by
our signal successes the last few months, and
ma king the many signs Of desperation on the
mart of the Rebels, had become pretty well .-.-r-
suaded that the Gnu, Naturally
the eLd was looked Tor without much pause 70
consider the efforts and sacrifices still necessary
20 secu-e it.
We are, indeed, fully warranted in believing
that the Rebellion is in its last stage. The fact
that it has now but one army left Of any strength
at all formidable that cOnscriptiOn has been ex-
hausted, so that no new armies can be raised
rom Che whites, aud that the defensive capaci
ties of the Rebel forces actually in service have
been greatly diminished by the destruction Of
their means of intercOmmuncatiOn, entite us TO
conclude that the Rebellion must soon be in an
extremity. But IL is when in an extremity that
human powers Of,en make their mOst powerful
effort. Desperation hnds new strength and new
resources.
We are now seeing this in the final resolution
10 arm the slaves. Nothing but the last necessity
could have determined this. Yet while we hnd
this proof that the desperation which precedes
the last duietus is already upon the Rebellion
II should he remembered that this desperation
must be guarded against and kept in hand.
IL will not do to assume that this resort, be-
cause it is a desperate one, can avail nothing.
The Northern belief is, that the slaves will
NOT, 10 any large extent, do effective service,
ms soldiers 70 the Confederate cause. PrO-
badly they will not yet possibly they may.
Stranger things have happened in this war than
that the Contederacy should, within SIX months,
have one handred thousand thoroughly equipped,
well drilled, and thoroughly serViceabe black
troops under its control. If we are determined
10 make an end OF this Rebellion az the earliest
day possible we must provide against that posi-
bility. We must prepare TO foresIal Il as much
AS possible by doing our best, in the meantime, TO
get get possession OF Rebel territory and strip II
Of It's slaves, and then 70 keep our own armies so
strong that they would quickly oYerPower all
the reinforcements that were thus actually OBJ
tanned by the Rebels.
OF course no sane Northern man can suppose
thar black soldiers, impressed by the Rebels, can
secure Rebel independence. The worst they can
dc, even II they fight as well as any OF the Rebels
assert that they will, is to prOlong the war. But
that is precisely what the Northern people don't
want DONE We would endure the expenditure
of treasure and blood for many years yet, sooner
than let the nation be divided yet 1t ought not 10
he endured for one day longer than Is absolutely
necessary. Every interest and every duty require
the speediest termination OF the war, compatible
with the national security.