The Portland daily press., 1865-02-22
Wednesday Morning, Feb. 22, 1865.
Voice from North Carolina.

Inc following remarkable editorial is from
the Raleigh IN. C.) Progress of January 21st
Events that have since transpired in Sher-
mans victorious march show with what clear
ness the writer surveyed the field then stretch
ing before him:
Sherman is in motion, and, according to re-
tugees from Savannah, has a force OF $4,000
men. Nor is his army loose mob, proving
on The country 10 oppress friend as well as foe
it is an army of discipline, Vigor, action
With Savannah and Beaufort, s. c., as base,
he moves north with the sun, and already Char
lesion and Columbia begin to feel the op-
preston. But will he come to Columbia, with
those $4,000 menP Yes, if he wants to do so
he will, and even further into the bowels of the
land.
Terry is on our own coast-has Fort Fisher,
at the mouth of Cape Fear, and will soon, we
think, have Wilmington. He probably has 20
600 to 10000 men. Suppose they combine
their forces, Terry and Sherman; we must set
them down at not less than about one hundred
and twenty thousand men. And they will
move on with the sun, and before the orb that
tights the werld shall stand erect in the hea-
vens, 1t is more than probable that the Federal
flag will fly over Charleston, Wilmington, Co.
lumbia and Raleighl Yes, Raleigh, tool
Grant will stay wherehe is, and thus keep Gen.
Lees army in the vice that has held it for the
last ten months, and Sherman and Terry will
move on. We see nothing to stop them or
prevent their getting to Raleigh, where they
can open communication with Newbern by
rail, distance about 108 miles, and then demon
strate or raid toward Greensborough or Dam
vile at pleasure. NeWbern would be the wa
ter base, Raleigh the inland base; and with
Grant on the James, and Sherman at Raleigh,
both in command of large armies, all transpor-
fafiOn M nd avho
al Lees army would be in tight place. And
unless 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 might have checked Sherman, but since
the President 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 for. Hood
marched into Tennessee and marched out
again, but his army is gonel That is the mo-
rGle of the great army of the West, as it ex-
listed under Albert Sidney Johnston, under
Beapregard, and j. E. Johnston is gone, and
Hood is crouched down in North Alabama
with nothing but small mass of demoralized
fragments. There is but little more fight in
that army-what there was in it for good has
been fritered away where no good could be
accomplished; and the people of that section
have no disposition to fill its ranks they think
the war has lasted about long enough, espe-
cially ii they are to be called on to go. These
are sad reflections, but we have to deal with
things as they are.
SHERMAN will press forward; none can give
us good reason for believing he will be hurled
back, and empty braggadocio is no longer
correct.
What then? Sherman will in all probabili-
ty be here with the spring, and to stay. The
Governor, now so placid and calm, so full of
fun and coarse jests, will have to fly to some
obscure village as a refugee, while the Lsgis-
lature, the peoples chosen Representatives,
are now assembled here, no doubt, for the last
time during the continuance of the present
war. From his obscure headquarters" in
some wayside village inn, his Excellency may
call them to meet at Buncombe, on the top of
Table Rock, or at some point in that neutral
territory beyond the Chowan, but we have
not the shadow of a doubt but the present
body has met in Raleigh for the last time, and
if its members desire to do anything to save
the people OF their State from the ruin that is
to follow the events that we have foreshadoW-
ed, they must act now. Has the Governor no
farewell word for his dear people ?"-the Leg
islature no parting blessing for suffering CON
stituents? Are we to look on these august
dignitaries to-day, knowing that they depart
tomorrow to be seen and known no more by
uslorever? The people will stay where they
are, and ii ShermanScome here and through
out the State generally, they will do as they
have done in Savannah, make the best they
can of condition of things they could not
help.
But if we have no armies to meet armies,
why continue the unequal contest? If there
be those in our Legislature who believe there
is no salvation for the people of North Carol-
ma but in an appeal for their rights under the
old Constitution, let them speak out, for the
time has come to discuss these questions
And if there be those that believe that the on
ly way to save us from abolition, negro equal
ity, servile instructions, and general up
heaving 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
as they may think best for them and posteri-
ty. Ii we are subjugated, or SO near it that
Protraction OF the unequal contest can end
in nothing else, why continue the warp This
is question for our Governor and Legisla-
ture to answer to the people of North Caroli-
ma The people Of the country, not only here
in North Carolina, but throughout the whole
South, begin to see the state and condition to
which the war has brought them, in its true
light, and to speak out. Bastiles, star-cham-
bers and inquisitions have lost their power to
awe the people, and the great public heart be-
gins to throb aloud, and the popular voice is
loud and constant Tor peace.
We say, candidy, to our friends in the Le-
gislature, that we believe this to be their last
chance Do something now, or you may new
er have another opportunity. And take the
bull by the horns and do something practical
What is to be done must be done quickly, for
1t is not thought that Sherman will give you
more than sixty or ninety DAYS to work in
The people want peace regardless of JEFF. Da-
Wis or Abe Lincoln. Give them peace. and
protection for person and property, and lhey
care very little about boundary lines, or who
may be President.