The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-02-01
The Military Progress.

The advance OF our armies, or late, In the
South and Southwest, seems 10 be about as
fast as could reasonably be expected. They
have been, in the main, everywhere sue
cessful; and this success has been attended
with less prOpOrtionate loss than has
been usual. Teese successes, followed up
by others equally great and rapid, will soon
bring the contest TO a close. Our readers
are well aware that we have never anticipa-
ted an immediate end Of the war from the
direct effects Of any one victory or any
number Of victories, however great The
rebels will fight until such exhaustion shall
come upon them that they can fight no
longer. Such state may come through
victories. or. In a sufficient length Of time,
it might come without any signal successes
from sheer inability to continue the militia
ry struggle. War is an unnatural state, and
the mere military organization and support
Of all the forces OF the Confederacy, when
continued for long period, makes power
ful drain upon the resources OF the commu-
nifty
We may reasonably look for immediate
peace just as soon as one event shall hap
pen, and not before. Whenever the mass
of the rebels shall be convinced that there
is no hope OF final success, they will cease
the contest; and they viii not cease until
this hope has departed There is not an in
stance in modern history where an insur-
gent people, or any people in war number
ing several millions. have ever prosecuted
that war to the point of self-destruction,
or have continued il for any length Of time
after all hope Of final success had departed.
Such course is contrary to human nature.
individuals, stimulated by fanaticism, or
temporarily excited by other violent mo-
tives, have, in particular instances, devoted
themselves, and sometimes their families.
10 destruction for the sake Of their coun-
try. But great masses OF men, acting as
nations, cannot be filed with spirit which
fights only from the courage OF despair
Within one hundred years, Poland, Hun
gary, France, Spain, Italy and Holland
have been subdued by foreign conquerors,
and, in every case, when resistance became
useless, the people submitted themselves at
once to a power they could not oppose with
any hope OF success. So it will be in this
contest. There will be time when the
most ignorant rebel soldier will feel and be-
lieve that oil further lighting is useless for
accomplishing the object in view; and
when that conviction SEXES him, he will not
fight very long after, In this point OF view,
single victory or many victories on our
side, may be considered as comparatively
Of little Importance only as they tend to
produce this conviction in the mind of the
enemy. IN q contest OF exhaustion. ike
that between two combatants in the arena.
the object OF each IS TO so use up the ener-
gies Of his antagonist that he can fight no
longer; and in this process. neither the
spectators, nor the combatants, can tell
which blow shall be the final one In some
instances, the twentieth or the fftieth may
be sufficient, while in others double the
number may be requisite. Nor does il fol-
low that the most violent blows shall come
last When one combatant is already reel
ing, a slight tap, which he would at first
not have regarded, may send him to the
earth, never again to rise as 4 fighter. So
In our fight with the rebels, the final blows
given by US, may have far more decisive
effect on the enemy. while they shall be less
exhausting to ourselves The tone Of the
rebel newspapers, and the discussions in
their Congress, bear evidence that gloomy