The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-02-24
THE BEGINNING OF THE END.


THE BEGINNING OF THE END.
The progress of events and the present
condition of affairs in the South indicate
very clearly that we have at last reached
the beginning of the end of the great
Shareholders rebellion against the Gov
erpment. 1t has been so long since the
rebels have achieved victory in the
field that we have almost forgotten when
and where it was, and they have ceased
to expect another. Last spring Grant
crossed the Rspidan, met and defeated
Lee in several pitched battles. and forced
him back with immense loss, within the
entrenchments OF Richmond. And from
that time to the present he has besieged
him there, while Sherman forced. j ohnson
back from pillar to post all the way to At.
lanta, destroying one-half of his army on
he.route. Hood then assumed command
of Johnson's rebel army, and marched to
encounter Thomas, who sent him back
defeated. broken and demoralized, to
some section beyond the reach of friend
or foe. In the meantime Sherman com.
1nced his splendid March to Savannah
which fell before him without a blow
After short rest Sherman started again,
and already Columbia the capitol of South
Carolina, and Charleston the cradle, nur-
sery and commercial metropolis of traitors,
have fallen into our hands, and like John
Browns soul he sis still marching on"
to greater triumphs.
1t seems clear that there is no sufficient
force in the field to stay his career of
conquest, and the final capture of Lees ar
my by the combined armies of Grant and
Sherman is only question of time-a few
brief months at the most.
But while the movements of these great
armies, reinforced by the new recruits
under the recent call for 500, 900 are pro.
crossing TO a-6nal elimination 10 the cap.
ture Of Richmond, other minor expeditions
are operating against Mobile, in North
Carolina, and 10 other localities of the
South, capturing rebel troops, and giving
protection to Union men.
Already the people Of the South have
lost faith and hope in the leaders and the
cause of treason. and begin to turn their
attention to restoration of the Union
The speech Of Mr.. Hawes, of North Caro-.
lima, an abstract of which We published in
our telegraphic columns yesterday. doubt.
less expresses the convictions of an i'm.
mense number of people in the South.
They feel that the cause Of the rebels is
hopeless, that the game of treason is
s'played OUT that the last chance of the
independence in the Confederacy sunk
out of sight when the Copperhead party
was beaten at the polls last fall. and quiet
ly yielded to destiny and the government
of Abraham Lincoln for another term of
four years.
And knowing all this, with no hope
frem Europe, no hope in northern sympa-
thisers, no strength at home to contend
with any show of success four years longer
against the victorious armies of the Union,
the PEOPLE of the South are rapidly com.
ing to the conclusion to hasten the dsy
Of inevitable submission, and to save the
further effusion of blood and utter des.
truction by speedy return to the Gov
ernment. And under the pressure of
rapidly oncoming events, with the coer-
Give force of the rebel armies removed
this disposition will grow and extend rap
idly. So that if We meet with 90 unfor-
seen reverses we may look for q very
thorough and decisive change in the en-
tire aspect and condition of matters in the
South before midsummer.
The Confederacy has commenced roll
ing down hill and going with the natural
accumulated velocity of such movement
it must soon reach the bottom--the last
ditch.
Boston, Feb. a3.