Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-05

VI issiseippl. North and South carolina, aud n
GINA. has been vastly increased by those that
nave been brought there by their masters from
Tennessee Kentucky Missouri. Arkansas. and
Louisiana The committee on slaves and slave
prot er,y in the rebel Senate estimate that three
hundre,. and eighty-hve thousand slaves from
the last-named SIX States and Maryland have
escaped and been enticed away into the Federal
lines: while seven hundred and ninety-ive thous
and slaves from the same States have been
brought by their masters into that part OF the
South a. vet untrodden by our armies. Owing
to the natural increase OF the slaves during the
last four wears. there must be now. therefore, in
the south proper. as many slaves there were
before the var, namely. three million two hun
dred thousand OF these. fully eight hundred !
thousand are able-bOded men and these negres,
with the one million or more white men referred /
to above. will give the South all the labor that
will be absolutely required in the agricultural oP |
erations Of 1854.
From these facts. il will be seen how the
South can raise. during this year, the amount OF
grain and the number Of cattle and hogs men
toned in NV last letter. Aud have thus given
what nav he called the economic view of the
southern situation for the year leb4 Ii isl
view of the question which has occupied great
share of the attention of JEFF. Davis and the
leading men of the South: and all its details
have been svstematsed and planned out with a
far greater minuteness than have been able to
describe. In doing this. they have exercised
degree of foresight and sagacity of which we see
no parallel among the men in power at the
North.
REBEL PLANS FOR THE CAMPAIGN OF 1864.
Nv information in regard to the military plans
of the Confederates for the campaigns OF 1864,
corresponds in the main with the facts recently
stated by your Washington correspondent and
this is worthy of remark, for our sources OF IN
formation must be widely different. All that
can learn. leads me to believe that the approach
ing campaign. on the part OF the rebels, will be
marked by great boldness and audacity
THE NORTH TO BE INVADED.
II may be set down as fixed fact that the de
fensve system Of warfare governing prnci-
pie, has been abandoned by the South; that an
invasion of the North two, and perhaps at
three points, will form PROMINENT feature in the
campaign: that determined effort will be made
to transfer the seat of war Northern soil, and
to fight decisive battles north of the Potomac and
Ohio rivers During the winter just passed sYs-
tematic exertions have been made To influence
public opinion in the South in favor of this
change; aud the task has not been difficult ore.
I The obstacle to the adoption of the change OF
/ policy has not been on the part OF the Southern
peopie. who are tired of the desoatious of war.
7 Out on the part OF sOulc "a Tic oouNh-
ern leaders, among whom may be named Jef.
Davis himself Gen. Johnston and Gen. Bragg.
The subject was fully discussed at the military
councils that have recently been held at Rich
mond, and the discussion was not abandoned
until entire unanimity in regard to the new poll
cy had been secured The following were among
the arguments used by the OriginatOrs and sup.
porters of the poIicv of invasion:
/ First That il would be the most effectual man
ner Of defending their own cities, for that with
one Confederate army operating In the interior
of PENNSYLVANIA, aud another in Ohio or lndi-
ana. it would be impossible for the Union forces
to advance against Richmond or Atlanta, or in
deed 10 invade the South at any point; but that,
on the other hand. it would make it necessary tor
US To keep the bulk of our forces at home for the
defense of our own cities. and particularly for
the defense of Washington.
Second That il would relieve the South OF
the enormous expense of the maintenance OF
their armies and impose that expense upon the
North while it would enable the South to draH
supplies of grain. flour. clothing, and above all
of horses, nd tibitum, from their enemies.
Third, That the three great objects TO which
the attention of the Union armies would be oil
rected this year would be Richmond, Atlanta anC
Charleston; that the Notifications of Richmond
and Charleston such TO render those pla
ces practically impregnabe even if only defen
ded bv only ten thousand troops AT each poihI
and that with such country as that between
Chattanooga and Atlanta twenty five thousan'
Confederate troops could battle the advance o
seventy thousand Unionsts for six months.
Fourth That, even allowing seventy-hv
thousand troops for the defence OF menace'
points in the South and for operating against ad
yancng columns of Union troops. the COnfeder
ates would still have two hundred THOUSAND
troops wherewith to invade the North.
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND TROOPS TO INVADE PENN
, sYLvANIA AND OHIO.
IL is probable that the invasion will take plac
: at an early period in the spring IA soon as IN
roads are in good order; but depending also o.
the state of the rivers and the dryness of tn
season Ii will undoubtedly take place in tw
columns: one under General Lee. nearly in IN
track of his former invasion of Pennsylvania
the other to strike for Cincinnati Ii is intende
that each shall have effective force of full
n seventy five thousand troops and that each sha
e have in addition. reserve force OF twenty-hv
; thousand men.
OF course the plans of the rebels will he mod
Y fed by the movements of General Grant If h
V should take the initiative in the work he ma
: anticipate the rebel plans but it is certain tina
e they are about make this giant effort to chang
e the war on their part from defensive TO a
e offensive character. knowing that whcheve
q party can assume the offensive will have the nd
/. vantage Of momentum i'm the attack We sha
= now see one of the most interesting PLAYS in tn
}: game OF strategy and by some of the ablest ma:
, / tiers on each side DRUID.