The Portland daily press., 1865-03-29
The Great Hour at Hand.

LIE 6TeaG d0uf 81 naAo'
We copy the following admirable article
from the Boston Post, the only Democratic
paper in New England, that we are aware OF,
which reioices without drawback in the sue
cesses of the Government in subduing the re-
bslIiou. and is disposed to do justice to the ad-
vances of our noble commanders. How diff:
aren't from the constant grumbling and croak
inc of the Argus; how refreshing compared
with the malignant prophecies of evil of the
Advertiser:
The clock is ready to strike the hour which
s,laIl signalize the end of this bloody rebelion-
It has been giving way for whole wear past
both in the cabinet and the field, in council
and is action. Its legislative power is badly
broken, beyond the help OF surgery. lis execu-
tive power Is undermined, and practically come
sto naught. Its finances only point to the place
where IT was wrecked. Its resources at
nome and abroad have been thoroughly cut
up and completely cut off, 1t has neither
men, medicines, nor clothing; and II men
were to be had, it is now so tightly shut ID
within the comparatively small area OF north
era North Carolina and southern Virginia as
to render larger armies even poorer property
tor it than those that are yet left to its con-
troll. AW gu
Sherman's advance is unchecked. His march
all the way from the Mississippi to the heart of
North Carolina has been one OF triumph. La
describing his grand military circuit from
Chattanooga to the neighborhood of Raleigh
he has captured the capitals of three States,
three highly important railway functions, and
the three chief commercial cities of the rebe |
confederacy. In fact he has earned the title
Of "couqueror of cities" Having formed a
junction with the forces under Schofield and
Terry, he commands to-day an army which
Lee himself, should he succeed in reinforcing
Johnston, could hardly hope to confront with a
prospect OF success. And the cavalry force
Under Fitzpatrick has shown itself able TO cope
With all that rebels in South and North Caro-
lima have brought against him. san visit
As for Grant, he stands ready to jump in
between Lee aud Johnston at any moment.
Should Lee seek to go down in force to john
ston's help, for the purpose Of overwhelming
Sherman, then Grant will fall either upon his
dank or rear, and SO secure at single blow
The fall of Richmond. Sheridan, with his
splendid calvary command, has been resting
and refreshing himself, and is now ready to do
Grants bidding upon the lines of communi-
cation between Richmond and Danville.
% 1t looks as if the great battle of the war
would be Joined somewhere along the course OF
the Roanoke or the Dan River. In that fat
erritory the rebels will enjoy all the adyan-
b age which remains to them, such as uninter-
rupted communication from one point to
another over their interior lines, and the abil-
ity to join forces either for the purpose OF ag-
erosion or in case of disaster. Still. great
deal of Lees plan, however we'll it may be
laid, is at the mercy of circumstances; and Of
those circumstances, Gen. Grant is by no
means the least, or most insignificant.
At the very longest, it can be but a short
lime before Sherman's steady pressure will
bring all the forces on both sides into neigh
borhood too compact to insure its peaceful &C.
cupation. Sherman threatens Danville by one
movement. and Weldon by another. Grant
threatens the Southside Railroad with Sheri-
ian's cavalry. Johnston can i'll afford to suf-
fer g separation from Lee, neither can Lee
with full safety attempt powerful reinforce
ment of Johnston. The Union armies number,
all together, FULLY 100000 men, and the rebels
count perhaps more than half that number.
What particular circumstance shall precipi-
tate the final battle, of course no man can now
loresee; yet it is plain to every intelligent OBJ
server that the great hattie cannot be long de-
layed. Upon 1t hangs the life of the Confed-
eracy. Even ii Lee resolves to save his ar
mics by avoiding such battle, its fate is no
less sealed. He may march them to Lynch
burg and through the West, but he goes at
the head of disheartened body of men whose
subsistence would be of all things most diff
cult, and advertises to the whole country he
traverses that the Confederacy exists only as
it turns its back and runs away from the pow
er of the Government of the Union. Even
retreat, therefore, is as much an overthrow as
outright capitulation.