Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-02-04
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1854.
THE SPRING CAMPAIGN.

THE SPRING CAMPAIGN.
It's known to all that ON the 27th Of January, 1862,
the President, by his order commander-in-chief,
disseted that 8 the 22d day Of February, 1862, be
thA day for general movement Of the land and
naval forces Of the United States against the in
sdygent FORCES Ec. We have never been able to
usasrstsnd Why this day should have been selected
Il advance for the commencement Of military ope-
ra8ions - the fact that it was the anniversary Of
the birthday Of the Father Of his Country was
hardly an assurance that the state of the weather
and the condition Of the roads would be propitous
q that precise date to forward movement. 1t
must be assumed, however, we suppose, that this
military direction was promulgated by the Pres-
dent on the presumption, derived from meteor
o.ogicai Investigations and reports, that At that
date the rgors Of winter were in general sufficient
II spent to authorize the conviction that in al hu-
man probability active military operations would
then BE- practicable.
As the time is now close at hand when we shall
reach the same date in the calendar of the year. it
may be presumed that similar order will be given
70 stimulate the activity Of our commanders in their
respective fields Of operation unless it be conceiv
Cd that no stimulus is necessary in the case of the
present officers in command Of the military depart
ments In any event, we observe that our con-
tsmporaries are already discussing the nature and
bearing Of the impending operations in the spring
campaign. To this effect the New York Evening
Post remarks as follows in a recent number
49,
military operations which must, if armies
fu result tho speedy subjugation of the rebeion
hoh may, the enemy should be able to gain important
adysnages the to last through another year
The rebels have present three considerable armies in
the Aeld Lees in Virginia. Johnstons in Georgia. and
force reckoDed in all At not less than fifty thousand men
in Texas, Western Louisians and Southern Arkansas.
Tue itnamed rce they reported to be concentrat
ne with the hope perhaps of being able to catch Gen
Banks, dealing him stunning blow. and then sending the
greater part of this army to reinforce
Johpston and aid him In an attempt upon Grant
"The entire reboi force 10 numerically inferior to the
sts Union force and they must make up BY superior
aeviy snd address for this ineriority Discussions OF
possible plans Of campaign idle at this time but it
nay be Of TO consider Of the difficulties under
which the rebels will labor in making their combinations
os the s 1ss. ssmp.sa IL the nsa place 3 .Ss
sout Of moving considerable bodies OF men made
quate that tho task Of concentration will too much
for the rebel leaders unless they have the courage to aban
don outright large part OF the region which they still
aAnothcr element in the problem has regard to gene
rahiP II clear that In the next campaign more than
in any that has passed. decisive results will depend upon
the ability of the commanders IL would be Of infinite
service TO the rebels if they could have before them for
the next six months mid inactive generals esitang to
take the initiative at the auspicous moment easily i'm
prossed with 0pponent superiority and capable OF be-
ing frightened out Of advantage. 1t would be Of inf
mite advantage to them were military councils divd
ed, or our operations feebly conducted"
Entirely ooncurring with our intelligent con-
temporary in the opinion it expresses that discus
sions in regard to possible plans of campaigns in
the approaching season for a. resumption of hos
tiiies are quite premature at this early stage,
nevertheless take leave to utter simple warning
against An idea which, from the frequency it is
intimated would seem to be generally prevalent
at the present time with respect to the :" exhaus-
tion" Of the insurgents. From the stress laid on
the current representations to this effect, we
mot without the apprehension that false security
may be allowed to steal into military councils,
under the impression that the military power Of
the insurrecton has already passed into the stage
Of collapse and is destined to fall easy prey to
the approaching advance of our armies. II such
impressions should have for their effect in any de-
gree 10 relax the efforts Of the Government, or to
beguile its vigilance, we may well fear that all
suoh prognostications are destined to be disap-
pointed While representations as to the " ex-
haustion Of the South" sedulously disseminated
by the Northern press, and not contradi,ted by
che Southern press, we know that the insurgeLt
authcrities are nerving themselves for the ap-
prosohing campaign by resort to the most rgor-
ous and dcspotic measures for the purpose ofswell
ing their armies aud furnishing them with the
means Of subsistcnce And if, while industriously
collecting these sources Of strength, they can sue
ossd in imposing false representations on the Gre
dslity Of our military authorities, they will render
the latter valuable auxilaries to their cause.
If We may trust 10 the genuineness of the fol-
lowing report Of alleged conversations Of the pre-.
sent General-in-C Chief, as contained in a recent
number Of the New York Tribune, it would seem
that he is fully awake to the military contingen-
oies Of the proxnate future and this being SO, he
must be supposed to have taken his measures ac-
ccrdingly. We quote from the Tribune OF the
26th instant:
"0en. Haleck, n conversation with prominent public
en has Expressed his belief that the last grand and des
perato effort will be made in the ensuing spring by the
rebe 10 Ansfer the real fighting to Northern soil They
cannot subsst their armies In their desoated region
from al the most fruitful parts OF which slaves have been
Withdrawn into the interior Cotton States II s difficult