Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-04-13
Mnat Wln Ioe Iohns.an Do.

4
The military mower Of the Confederaey,
with the exception of the Trans ~ Mississippi
srmx under Kirby Smith, which is already
IN oDsn rebellion against theJ Jef. Davis gov
eminent and the garrison Of Mobile, closely
bssieQed BY superior force, is concentrated
in the army of Joe Johnston, in North
Carolina, and the country is waiting with
confidence and eagerness 70 hear that he
Aas followed the example of his leader, and
surrendered his army. The people viii
not We think, have long to wait. The
hopalessness of further effort viii be As
once manifest TO the mind Of the rebel
commander. If Lee the sole reliance OF
1ha Ooufederacy, with the flower of its
army under his control, and protected
nv the strongest Qualifications CONSTRUCTED by
lsisher side during the war, was defeated,
driven from his works in disastrous rout. and
compelled to surrender, by a single one of
our many armies, what hope can Johnston
possibly have of successfully resisting the
combined efforts of Sherman, Grant, Thom-
as and Hancock Lees army was picked
one; Johnston's is composed of the Hrag,
Tag snd bobtsip of the Confederscy-Hsr-
dse's men from Charleston, Bragg's beaten
column from Wilmington and Kinston,
the broken remnants of Hoods army,
Ihe Hphantom horsemen" of Wade HamR-
ton, famous for their exploits in running
away, and the skeleton army Of Beaure-
gard, which has been Bedulously employed
in Hfalling back" across Georgia, South Car
;olins and the old North State Lees ar
my was flushed with career of success;
Johnston's has, as body, never known 8
victory, and, ever since it had an existence,
has done nothing save to retreat. Lee
fought behind Notifications on which four
years of fconstantlsbor had been expended /;
Johnston's only protection viii be earth
works thrown up in single night. Lee
had seventy-fve thousand men under him
Johnston has barely half that number.
Lees opponents numbered not one-third
the forces which can be concentrated
sgainst Johnston in 8 single week. These
facts demonstrate clearly enough thehope-
lessness Of further resistance.
Nor must the moral effect of the recent
defest and surrender of Lee be overlooked.
The rebel capital is in our hands; its
choicest, indeed we may say its only
srmy is annihilsted; the chosen leader of
the rebellion, to whom all with one accord
looked, as 10 its great hero and sole savior,
has declared its hopelessnesssnd given him
elf up TO the enemy. Who can estimate
She effect of these facts upon the minds Of
she soldiers and officers of Johhston's ar-
my2
Another reason for Johnston's speedy
abandonment of the JEFF Davis govern
nent may be found in his personal relations
with it. Between JEFF Davis and Johnston
there exists the most bitter hatred Davis
has twice removed Johnston from com
mand-the last time under circumstances
peculiarly humiliating. On the other
hand, Lee has been a warm friend of
Johnstons. His first act, after being made
Chief of the Confederate
armies, was to restore Johnston TO COM
mAnd. Is it likely, after Lee hiss laid
down the sword, that Johnston will con
tinue the struggle in behalf Of JEFF.
Davis
Under all these circumstances, there.
fore the expectation, so generally fell
throughout the North that day or two
more viii bring US tidings of another
bloodless conquest in the surrender Of
JOhnston's army seems to be we'll founded
Indeed, 90 near does that eonsummstior
appear that we strongly hope to be able e
announce It in to-morroW's LEADER, as s
proper preliminary and renewed Gauss
for the thanksgiving exercises of the day
The Next Union State Convention.
The State Union Central Committee is.