, 1865-04-14

A TOTAL RoUr.-The late battles before Rich
mond and Petersburg resulted in the defeat and
total rout of the Confederate forces. The cap
ture of Lees army appears to be the next thing
in order, and surrounded as it is with immense
Federal armies, there can be little doubt that
it will be bagged Sherman, Grant and Sheri-
dan are pressing Lee on all sides, and the Union
troops flushed with series of brilliant victories
will follow up the pursuit sanguine of success.
DemOralized from constant defeats, it will be
surprising if Lee's-army makes any show of bat
tle With the rebel armies captured and bro
ken up in Virginia and along the Atlantic sea
coast the war will be transferred to the interior
and to the West and South; but unless the Con-
federates gain some advantage not now antici-
pated, their career will be Of short DURATION
They are almost certain to be overcome, no mat
ter how vigorously and obstinately they prose-
cute the war. Their armies have dwindied
down to mere fragments, compared to what they
once were, while the federal armies are still
large, with an abundance of fighting material
still at the North which will be put in the field
whenever required. The fighting material of
the South is exhausted, whatever may be said to
the contrary, at least so far as the white popula-
ton is concerned. Conscription after conscrip-
ton was resorted to to fill up the Confederate
ranks, until finally the available population, old
people and young, were either in the armies,
held as prisoners of war, or numbered among
the slain The Confederates must now either
continue the war with what troops they already
have in the field, together with what they may
raise from the slave population, or else abandon
the contest. With armies, scattered through
out the South, numbering less than two hun
dred thousand strong, and with opposing for
ces treble that number, the part of prudence
and humanity would seem to dictate to them
that they abandon the contest as hopeless
Sooner or later they must yield to superior
numbers or take the alternative of certain ex-
termination. Now that Richmond has fallen and
victory perches upon the federal banners at ev-
cry prominent point, the war will be prosecuted
on our part with more than usual vigor and
with a determination that must soon bring the
war to a close. The Confederates, we think, al
brave and determined people as ever were led
to the field of battle, will give up their arms
and submit to whatever terms the Federal Gov
ernment demands, rather than throw themselves
into the jaws of death. They will submit from
necessity and not from choice. The sullen ha-
tired toward the North will still exist in the
minds of the Southern people, but its bitterness
may be modified, if not eradicated, by proper
spirit of magnanimity being manifested toward
those people and their helpless condi-
ton, by the Federal Government and the inhab-
itants of the North. No oppressive policy should
be adopted toward the South in closing up the
war and making final settlement, and the
spirit of enmity should cease to exist, lest the
words of the poet should strike home in after
years =
'For time at last sets oil things even
And if we do but watch the hour,
There never yet was human power
Which could evade if unforgiven,
The patient search and vigil long
OF him who treasures up wrong"