Year: 1864

Ths military and Political Ceaditisn


OF the Conssdsrscy-Our Necessity.


Every fact Of the military situation is stin
sweephgly In our favor. Hood is harmless
and in danger under the eye Of Thomas. Lee
stands still in front OF Grant, and Sherman
crosses the enemy's country with giant stride,
realizing in the ease with which be is able to
do so the extent to which the war has exhausted
that enemy. He encounters no resistance, for
we consider the repulse at the Oconee Of
handful of cavalry skirmishers as hardly worth
mention. except as illustrating the condition
that the South is in when it is brought 80 low
as TO attempt to trumpet such an event as .
victory. The political condition of the rebellion
is also all in our favor. It's unity Is gone
shattered into thousands or little faotious frax-
ments. 1t is scanned aud rifted by dissensions
Of every possible complexion aud chsraotss.
Southern leaders are not in universal agree
ment upon any one point Of national policy.
They do not all insist even upon the absoluts
necessity of Southern Independence as they all
once did. Tie South is divided on the ques-
tions Of peace and reconstruction, and on the
question OF arming the negroes-and thence o.
slavery. This is the great division OF divisions,
and will rend that section az 1t did the original
whole. Besides these divisions Of the frst
magnitude one very serious one threatens the
country between the supporters and opponents
Of JEFF Davis. On the one hand it is desired
TO make this man an absolute despot by .
simple process. Every man is first to be de.
clared 10 the army, and mon not in the army
deserters or details. Jsf. is then to be declared
military dictator. and so, of course, absolutely
Supreme over all men within his reach, without
appeal And against this attempt at "csn-
tralized government every Southern journal
ls now in the full cry Of denuncation


Thus in tbe present condition, there are two
facts IN our tayor-and they are tho two inn
portant facts in the life OF the rebellion-ths
facts ofits military impotence and ofits political
division. 1t is the imperative duty Of our gov.
ernment 10 make the most Of the advantage that
this gives us; to enable the army to strike with
energy, and to foster the political dissensions
that weaken our foe. Much has been done
already with the army, and perhaps all is going
on as wel as possible in that quarter 1t 10
certain that our generals and our armies are
such as they have never been, and that our
blows are planted now with Titanic scope and
force. We have come splendidIy through the
first stage in the military history OF great war
that Is, we have sloughed away the ofrete mate
rial that loaded our army and kept 1t inefficient
We have gotten rid Of the poppy show SOL
diers bred in the toadying times of peace-thoss
splendid generals that were 80 magnificent on
parade and review, and in all routine, and 80
miseyably worthless everywhere else. Our
generals are new men-the vigorous, fresh
growth, grown in the carnage of this very war.
They are original, energetic, real. They take
hold of our armies as grand facts, not as mill
tary distractions; and, never losing sight Of
what is practical in science, they dght battles
puguaciously, with view TO human nature a.
we'll as to mathematics. Thanks to thess
change s-this stimulated a0d still natural
growth Of our military arm-we are now max
ing war, real, grand, aggressive war, and our
enemy trembles in every little nerve rsdiole sf
his system.


But there is something else. While We 6ghe
we must see to the politics also. And what
the country wants now is to see applied To
tue pOiltlCiaub tuio oaiHc kIauu byStcm u
change that has been SO fruitful OF good in oar
armies. Here also progress and growth ere
necessary, and we see none. There is an Inn
mense amount of very bad material at WASH
ington to be sloughed away. We still labor.
politically, under the same incubus Of petty
and contemplate men that so embarrassed Our
army at the commencement. Shall We hs4e
the same system Of change applied! Can the
country depend upon the President for thisS
He as elected on this ~ onero of tho many
great issues. The change in advisers called
for by the Baltimore platform leads to .
change in the whole political material. Shall
we have it! All here depends upon the Presi-
dent On his ability and on bis will to carry
out such system must depend the continued
success and ultimate triumph of our cause.
According as such change is made and made
advAnlageously, we will gain or lose all the
! benefit Of the political dissensions Of our enc


mics. On the politicians will depend the
soundness of any settlement made with the
South, and thence the future tranquility and
prosperity Of this country. Shall We have


new and good men, Il shall We 10 IL under
the old ones, proven incapable by so many
trials!


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