Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-02-21

q article from the Raleigh IN. o. Progrss
of January 21lt!
. Sherman is in motion, and, sccordini
to refugees from Savannah, has force
eighty thousand men. Nor is his army
lose mob, prowling on the country to op
press friend as well as foe. It is an army
Of dicipline, vigor, action. With Ssvsn
nah and Beaufort, s. c., as g bsse, h
moves north with the sun, and ALREADY
Charleston and Columbia begin TO feel tht
oppression. But will he come to Colum
bis with those eighty thousand men Yes
if he wsnts TO do 80 he will, and even fur
ther into the bowels of the land.
| Terry is on our own cosst-hss Fort
Fisher at the mouth of Cape Fear river,
and will soon, we think, have Wilmington.
He probably has from twenty TO forty
thousand men. Suppose they combine
their forces, Terry and sherman, we must
set them down st not less than about one
hundred and twenty thousand men. And
they will move on with the sun, and be-
fore the orb that lights the world shall
stand erect in the heavens 1t Is more than
probable that the federal flag i0iU fig over
| Charleston, Wilmington, Columbia and
RGIeighi Yes, Raleigh tool Grant will
stay where he is, and thus keep General
Lees army in the vice that has held it for
the last ten months, and Sherman and
Terry will move en-. We see nothing to
stop them or prevent their getting to Raj
| eigh, where they can open communication
with Newburn by rail, distance of about
one hun dred miles, and then demonstrate
or raid towards Greensborough or Danville
at pleasure. NeWburn would be the water
base, Raleigh the inland base, and with
| Grant on the James, and Sherman at Raj
eigh, both in command oflsrge armies-sll
transportation cut off and supplies exhaust
ed, General Lees army S0oKLd be. IN tight
place. Andunless Sherman can be met and
whipped he will probably come, if not
with the April showers, certainly with the
buds and blossoms of May. He travels
rapidly. We had an army that mighs
have checked Sherman; but sincethe Presi-
| dent took its commander from it and
put it under second rate brigadier, and
sent it on that wild goose chase to the blue
banks of the Ohio, it is well nigh done Tor.
Hood marched into Tennessee and march
ed out again; but his army isgone That
is the morale Of the great army of the
West, as it existed under Albert Sidney
johnson, under Besuregsrd and j. E.
johnson, is gone, and Hood is crouched
down in North Alabama with nothing but
8 small mass of demoraliZed fragments.
There is bat little more fight IN that army
what there was in it for good has beea
frittered away where no good could be &C.
eomplished, and the people of that section
have no disposition to fill lis ranks, they
think the l0aT has lasted long enough espe-
cislly if they are called upon to 60. These
are sad reflections, but we have to deal |
with things IS they are.
Sherman will press forward. No one
viii give us good reason for believing he
will be hurled back, and empty brsgga-
docio is no longer correct.
What then2 Sherman toiU IN all hu-
man probability be here l0ith the spring
and to stay. The Governor, now so placid |
and calm, so full of fun and coarse jests,
win have TO fly to some ebscure village IS |
8 refugee, while the Legislature, the peo-
pies chosen representatives., are sIot0 as
sers6Led here, no doubt for the last time dur
ing the continuance of the present trar. |
From his obscure headquarters" in some
wayside village inn, his Excellency may
call them to meet in Buncombe, on the |
top of Table Rock, or at some point in that |
neutral territory beyond the Ohowan, but |
zoe hare not the shadot0 of doubt but the |
present body has met in Raleigh for the last |
time, and if the members desire to do any |
thing to save the people of their State |
from the ruin that is to follow the events !
that we have foreshsdowed, they must act |
now. Has the Governor no farewell word |
for his 'dear peopleF F' the Legislature no |
parting blessings for suffering constituents? |
Are we TO look on these august |
dignitaries to-day, knowing thst tomorrow
they depart to be seen and known no more, |
by us, forever The people s0iH stay where |
they are, and if Sherman comes, here and |
throughout the State generally, hEey lOiH do |
as then haue done IN Savannah, make the |
best they can of a condition of things they
could not help. 81
Bat If zoe hare no armies to meet armies |
i0hy continue the unequal oonteSts Ifthere |
be those in our Legislature who believe
there is no salvation for the people of North |
Carolina but in an appeal for their rights |
under the old constitution, lot them speak |
out, for the time has come to discuss these |
questions. And if there be those who be- |
lieve that the only way to save us from |
abolition negro equality, servile insUrrec-
tions and 8 general upheaving of society, |
but restoration of the old government, |
under the constitution of our fathers, let |
them present their plAns-the people will |
listen, reflect and take such action ss they |
may think best for them and posterity. If |
zoe are su4jugated, or so near II that PRO- |
traction of the tt1le9zdt contest can end IN
nothing else, Vhy continue the loGr7 This |
is question for our Governor and Legisla-
ture to answer 10 the people of North Car
olina. The people of the country not only |
here In North Carolina, but throughout the |
whole South, begin to see the state and con
dition to which the war has brought them |
in its true light, and to speak out Bas-
tiles, star chambers and inquisitions have
lost their power to awe the people, and the |
grest public heart begins to throb aloud,
and tie popular voice is loud and constant
for peace. ..----..-- -----
We say candidly to our friends in the
Legislature that we believe this to be their
lsst chance. Do something now or you
may never have another opportunity. And
take the bull by the horns and do some
thing practical. What is 10 be done must
be done quickly, for it is not thought that
Sherman a0iU give yDl-naore than slrty or
ninety days to i0ork in. The people want
peace, regardless of JEFF. Davis and Abe
Lincoln. Give them peace and protection
for person and property, and they care
very little about boundary lines or who
may be President.