The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-02-07
from The Philadelphia Pres
The Situation. {

There will be in short time the hardest
fighting OF the war. Both parties are prepar-
ing for o struggle which Will decide the late
OF RicnmOpd, On our side the capture of
Charleston and the occupation of the sea coast
will be merely preliminary operations vast
intrinsic importance, it Is true, but TAR more
valuable in their results. On the rebel s.ile
there is unusual activity. Sherman's move
1ments on Charleston and Augusta, the broad
sweep OK his.columns, will compel the grad hal
retreat Of the rebel armies under Hardre,
,Beanregard, and Hill, and mass them in
North Carolina. In the FEAR FISHERMAN there
will scarcely be found "a rebel garrison, and
Georgia viii probably have no more parl in
the spring campaign than Pennsylvania. Lee
and Johnston will need every man they d re
draw from the Southwest This concentration
of forces will bring into Virginia enormous
armies. The lighting will be upon d colossal
eral Lee will bring into the struggle the
weight of sixty thousand veteran troops, care-
fully kept throughout this winter behind lor-
midable entrenchMelts, snd this army, which
has on so many fields given proof Of its 9uaii-
iy} nWiH not be crushed at once. 1t Is the
strong right arm of the rebellion, able to give
blows as well as to take them. Fits on this
army that we concentrate. Hoode panic
stricken forces have been driven out OF lhe
HHtQs bneir BOf0ul6Hbo are VI Lnlru-latb us
portanee. Hardee's troops have only the de-
pendent value of reinfo cements; but every
day shows that in Rfchmold ana under Lee
is the great enemy Of the Union. Tie rSbel
army OF Northern Virginia has from she frst
! been the bulwark of the rebellion. and 1t is
new al that we have left to conquer. To
over match it Sherman left Atlanta: for this
be moves on Charleston for this w Inning lon
Twas taken. We thinkit will be ovsrmatcbed,
aud if it is once driven from the network OF
entrenehmentS, Aye miles deep, which encir-
clss Richmond, that II Y eeEtalg OF decisive
defeat. taaa A 1910 y isssssrsT5 /,
in his hand JEFF Davis would submit to the
Union, and that Messrs. Blair and Singleton
could come back with his recantatiou in a
green kag0 Their efforts havs only proven
what did not need pFoofs that we can make
peace any day with JEFF. Davis by eonsent,ng
to division ofthe Union, and upon no other
terHes, Nothing more has been gained. OF
how far the Southern people endorse the de-
termination Of their leaders TO GgEt 10 the
last for ssbarati9h; ws have learned nothing.
The nation has, been saalR assYred that a
body of influential conspirators, backed by o
large army, are resolved to resist as long as
that army will fight. or this assurance it
must mako zYhat profit it can. 1t ought to
put an end to the talk Of ofarEistjce and nego-
tiation, which is the periodical folly Of ehsp
ot well ;meagihg men III the North. Even Mr..
Blair must nov be CONVINCED that conciliaiion
| Is useless, except when it is extended 70 lhe
people of the South. as in Savannah. and ttlat
t, The War is entrusted all the hopes OF the
Repq qbiie.9 sa % 5e oaI oA,aD Ia IA
Enough has beeA gsined by the war to JUS
! tify our faith in lt, IT has been long, bard,
| bloodys expensive, and Tor two years d0ubtiAl
Only in the last year did its successes salts.
! fy the nation. But all that we have sunk on
itTakes it more valuable. Into the gulf have
a gone the lives Of thousands OF our bravest men
! every army is attended by its tra;n Of ghosts
| Sumner, Wadsworfh BTney, We're not use
less sacrifices; tSedgRjck still leads the 9Th
| Corps. Immense treasure has been draied
into this uptathomabie gulf; we have thFo Sn
into it MeClellanism and other enormous ex-
periments, valuable now only as warnings -
Wseannot afford to waste all that we have ex-
4 peadeds sthe honor and the prosperity of the
nataon are In the inFestlpeat, aAd il must be
n made good In few months three Rlndred
Thousand men will BE- put int the held, And
sfs Immense reinforcement Is worth world
i y peace ,eeanPsssiss ea to Richmond. At this mo-
ment, with great Sictofies wos, sial great bat
4 ues AeloIe US, with the rebellion dependent on
4 Its last array, and eagerl ' baraainiig with Eu
rope, tne nauon q must put all It's energy into
the war; Its the climax q ID the straggI5. :
II Z. IL z .Goo-a.an ~ z aSsso.rf y y f-,yf