Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-02-20

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ne o1pOzfrson -to bo IlDeouI. sersa By (
General ShOFman--.Loeia BtERteSy'
It Is 8 popularity Of the present cam
psign Of Gen. Sherman through the heart |
Of South Carolina, thstths fierce projections |
of thsrebslpress as 70 she ruin that awaited
him in Georgia, have almost entirely
ceased. Davis ventured, in his Richmond
war-speech, 70 ssythstt this would probsel:yf
be the last of Sherman's campaigns bit for
the most part, they content themselves
with comparatively little blzSter. There
can be no doubt that al the possible con-
tingenciAs that may ave if General Sher-
man Is successful are being considered,
snd that souae effort will be made to stay
his progress if ths,. be possible. The Wash
ingtOn correspondent of the New York
World processes to give the plans of the
rebel leaderg. He declares that it was their
int0ntion q short time since to abandon
Richmond and fly to the interior Of North
Carolina there to await the result. Of that
final collision that must come. Now, how
ever, writes the correspondent Of the World,
the rebel leaders have concluded IT best not
toabsndon Richmond until absolutely COM
pslled. The moral effect of its loss they
fssr. To meet Sherman they propose, con-
Iequently, TO abandon the whole of Ten
nessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and
Georgia, beside the Trans Mississippi De
pArtment, and concentrate every available
man against Sherman somewhere in the
Csrolines. In the meantime the Gulf
States are allowed to buy and sell IS neutral
territory, thus enriching themselves from
the enemy until at length they shall BE-
emancipated BY the defeat Of both Grant
and Sherman. According to this pro
granme, the whole rebel force Of probably
16o, 600 men win be concentrated il North
Carolina and Virginia to Withstand the
bulk Of the Union force. This pretty little
scheme has several obstacles in the way
In the first place II is very difficult to see
how these troops can be massed in North
Carolina. In the present position of Sher-
man everything west of the Combahee is
cut of from North Carolina and Virginia
In the next place, while Lee is begging the
people Of Richmond and the South for pro
visions for his army, it is quite difficult to
see how North Carolina can feed many
more men than are now upon her soil
The fact is that Sherman has hanked
whatever Of rebel force was in Augusta
and Charleston and left them in the rear.
The only strategy left for Lee is to return
TO his old policy Of evacusting Richmond
or be gobbled up bodily by the concsntrst-
ing armies of the Union. The evacuation
Of Richmond with all its moral disaster is
the only choice left. But whittier shall he
goi He cannot go south over the Weldon
road, as Grant has control Of that. If he
retreat into The interior of North Carolina
he ispursued by a conquering army into s
region where supplies are not very sbun-
dant Starvation and death are his enc
mics in Western North Carolina. His only
course then is to attempt the invasion Of
the North or to retreat by the Virginia and
Tennessee Railroad into Eastern Tennessee,
and attempt to occupy Tennessee and
Kentucky or the Gulf States and there
await another concentration. To invade
the North is certain ruin. To attempt an
escspe through East Tennessee seems more
probable. The seizure Of Knoxville and
OhSstanoogs would protract the war for
some time, but Of this there il no chance if
tha r,nznInHnaa-E IN ThHy uePsFJment are
vigilant and brave. What Lees strategy
viii be 30 meet Sherman and Grant is 3
question Of great interest and doubt. BE
may try Shermsn's ENJOYABLE column"
operations by invading the North. He
may retreat to North Carolina, but what
thenf he may retrest to Southwestern
Virginia and Eastern Tennessee But
what chance is there then? We have yet
to see or hear a satisfactory answer to the
question what will Lee and Davis do to
escape from or defeat Grant and Sherman