Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-02-15
From the Chicago Tmesl
The Spring military PrOspeet,

From present a~ppenranGes, Including sucl
facts az we are able TO gather from the South
ern papers, it seems probable that, in spite Of
all our successes OF the past year, We are
likely to open the spring campaign under
great Disadvantages. Tho rebels haye beer
improving the winter by forcing conscripts
into tho army with n vigor that will soon give
them a larger aud better organized force than
they have ever yet presented. They have al
so secured strong points Of occnpation-suoh
az possess the rare qualities of being conven
lent to their own depots Of supplies, and 81
the same time threatening us at our weakest
positions, or opposing US where an advance
on cur part will be most difficult. In add
ton TO this, lbey have strengthened them.
selves by happy concentration of their
forces at the points the most available 10 give
or resist a blow. We, on the contrary, have
divided our forces into as many expeditions
as are points ip tho compass. We seem to
labor under the impression that the ConGed.
eracy consists simply of territory TO DO qccu-
pied and coniscated, inathRG of armies to be
fought and annihilated before we can claim a
substantial victory over tho rebellion.
We congratulate ourselves upon having oc.
cupied East Tennessee, and overlook the far
more important fact that Longstreet still ex-
lists; we overrun the Texas coast, and, Ia our
jubilation forget to think Of Taylor and Ma.
gruder. We erect n State in Western Vir-
ginia, and, In our rejoicing over the event, we
do not see Lee and his veterans of 6Cly bat
ties, who present an impossible wall OF vita
lized iron over the mountains.
What boots 1t that our flag waves over the
soil of every rebelliops State SO long As there
remain the armies Of Lee, johnson, Long.
street and BeRuregard ? 1t is not the soil
which is rebellious, but the armed thousands
that are gathered under the bauners of these
leaders, The moment they are beaten, a
complete victory rests with us-the whole re-
bellionl soil Rhd people, are snbjugated.
II is only on the Hypothesis that the admins,
tration seeks votes, instOsd Of substantial
results obtain against armed rebellion, that
one can explain this irittering awsy Of suV
armies IN the attempt TO occupy territory In
stead Of concentrating our forces and striking
at th eTebellion itself. To be sure, the one
tenth systeDl nsnessitates the possession Of
some territory and il is admirably adapted, Ia
skilliul hands, TO spbservp the purposes of
Presidential aspirants; but in no sense does
u %interiera with the integrity aud strength Of
the rebellion.
Thus IT will happen that when The spring
opens we VIII be confronted by three or fouF
rebel armies, all moving upon interior lines,
and 80 connected that they can almost or
quite act as one. On the contrary, we will
have one force up Red River, another scat.
tered along hundreds Of miles Of the Texan
coast, another OF New Orleans, and others at
every point interior and exterior from Fort.
ross Monroe to MatagordA, of whom some,
from the necessities OF their position, will be-
fighting, but the great majority engaged in
acting as escorts to coniscaiion eompissian,
ers, or engaged in building up new States,
WIN whose aid some candidate may elected
to the Presidency.
AS things now appear il is more than pro-
bable that the next campaign will be lnangu-
rated with serions reVerass 20 the Federal
arms, and this through tho sslfshness aud
inoompeteney Of the administration. How
long will those things be permitted to 20 on 7
How long shall wa continue to furnish life
and treasure to accomplish only the enls OF a
criminal partisanship2