Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-12-25
Roads to Ruin.

It is the easiest thing in the world "a
find one of these roads, for they run ia all
directions over the social plain. They
present, as the advertis ements have it, "a
wide field for choice" They comprise
highways and bye.ways, roundabout
roads and cuts across lots, smooth paths
and rough paths, asconts and descents
and as they iutersect eacd other at points
inRumerable, travellers TO the common
terminus can turn out of the road they
have started on into new one, at their
pleasure. The outfit for the journey, be
ii long or short, is not OF much conse-
quence, since destitution and despair
await all who persist in pursuing it, Some
set cut with pockets full Of gold others
with their pockets empty, hoping to fill
them bv the way. To some the Fiend
Speculation plays the Cicerone, MARSHALL
ing them to seeming Dorados in the dis
tance that melt into moonshine as they
travel on. rhe Will-o'-the,wisp, Gam
bling, with his rasteboacd signals, be-
guiles others to the Drinks of prcipices,
whence they tumble headlong into oilrem-
edlable shame. The Goblin Rum, heads q
caravan of self-destrue. .ionists whose
name is legion.
All easily tesetting sins" pull one ,oay,
and betray their victims into one or other
of the many roads to ruin. The only
trust worthy safeguard against their en-
Elements is resistance at TIE outset
When morbid appetite or inclination
pulls ruin-ward, brace the moral system
against it put manhood against tempta-
ton; ask help from Heaven. Christian
otstinacy is more than match for Satan
and all his agents. Misfortune is not ruin.
In that terrible word in its true interrre,
tation, is involved loss of character, of
self-respect, Of moral courage, OF all that
renders life valuable. Beware Of the first
step leading to such consumma,ion
A ToUGu ONE.-A correspondent OF one
OF our contemporaries, writing from Web
ster, Western Virginia, tells the following
rather tough yarn:
while out scouting" he says, "a cap.
tain and sixty,four men were surrounded
by three Thousand secessionists, so he
stretched his men out in long line, and
as soon as they fired they would jump be-
hnd tree at the same time the captain
was believing out at the tor of his voice
. ~ W. Sp anu ~ w OllhS uE VIA"
talon, tell Captain so and so to bring
those cannon here, and kept hclloing at
such fierce rate that the secessionists got
frightened, and general stampede took
place. In their flight they threa away
blankets, ,knapsacks, ,revovers and swords.
The captain hadn't man hart, but kill
ed seventy of them, found over one thous-
and blankets, about two hundred and A.
ty knapsacks, swords and revolvers.
An INVESTIGATION oNDEMANDED. 1t is said
that General Patterson has, at length de-
manded o court ofinquiry, and We are in
formed that the necessary papers were
sent TO Washington more than a month
since. 1t is said that no response has as
yet been received, Recently the matter
has again been agitated by the General.
hut, as before, without any definite results.
AS a reason for this delay. Washington
correspondent states that ar investigation
might affect the character Of Gen. Scott.
The friends of General Patterson, on the
other hard, allege that the demand for
court was preferred before Gen. Scott left
The country, and declared that an official
report Of the campaign musts be obtains
Philadelphia Press.