The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1865-02-24
The End at Hand---In English view

''NidWinter," says the. London Daily
News of January 3, (. bring no pause in the
shock and hurry Of war in the American
campaign 2 and the.same paper adds:
If the North still remains able to keep
up its armies to at present standard
while the South cannot renew its regular
forces, nor rouse the patriotism ofits mem
bers to further sacrifices, It is evident that
the end is at last coming within sight II
must not, indeed; be looked for suddenly,
A great and tried army like Lees cannot
| be suddenly disposed of by any opponent
less than a Napoleon. Even Hood may
rally portion of his force, and make a
stout fight still in the strong positions on
the Tennessee But, on the other hand,
it is impossible not TO see in the accounts
Of the fighting that now reach US, that a
knowledge-of their fate has greatly altered
the morale of the conteHding forces. There
is at once a dash and stubborn energy. IN
theattacksof the Federals which were not
traceable in their first tencOunte ters5 while the
Southerners, whose wilder manner of life,
whose reckless contempt Of death, and
whose skill as shots gave them in the open
ing of the war, distinct superiority, now
fight as brave men do who are. ashamed to
yield, but who yet know they fight in vain.
And those who are still with Hood or Lee
are, it must be remembered, the heartiest
who are left. They are those who doubt
not Of success, and who shrank not from
the dangers and suffering necessary to en-
sure it. When these begin to doubt, the
end must be approaching. D
But the facts,we have been reviewing not
only show US the end of the war, but they
open to us a happier prospect Of Whatwill
be after the war. The theory advanced by
some Of our contemporaries that the North
could never hold the South, even after the
Southern armies are beaten from the field,
is plainlyuntenable. The fiery spirits will
be gone, and those who were too Indifferent
to fight will certainly not have energy to re-
sist when the fight is over. It is to be
kept in view that there is after all, no diff
erence of race, or speech, or law, to main
tain feeling of hostility. There is moth
ing to prevent Northern settlers from ANAL
gamating with Southern residents. The
negro question being settled, there will be
nothing to maintain a distinction between
the two sections Engaged in the same
pursuits, resorting to the same courts, elect
ing members to the same legislature, there
will be nothing in this case resembling
those in which a nation is overrun and de
priYed of It's rights by an alien power
Southerners will recover their lights by SUBJ
mission, they will stand on fOotingof per-
feet equality with the victors. We all
know how rapidly, when the -Highlanders
Of Scotland had been disarmed, they be-
came among the most loyal Of their fellow
subjects. Yet their case was one in which
there were fundamental distinctions be-
tween them and their subjugators not to
be found between Federals and COnfeder-
ates. p No doubt there will be an interven-
ing period in which military law must pre-
vail till perfect order is restored. Those
who make the pretense of acting as guer-
rillas after the regular war is over an exl
euse for numbering and must be repressed
BIZ the firm rules which in every country;
and under every system Of law, punish in
dividual crime. This will be an inevitable
concomitant of the period Of transition
from war to legality. But when the foul
dreamof building up slaveempireis over,
there will be nothing to fight about, end
a people who have nothing to maintain
dissentiOn about and who! are in the enjoy
nient Of common rights. common liberties,
common privileges, will speedily unite to
put.down thosewhose disorders viii be on.
ly common bane. -r.