The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1862-04-03
From Our Philadelphia Correspondent
PHILADELPHIA, March "a, 1862.

Messrs. Editors-Thinking that perhaps
from this distant part OF osr
country might be acceptable, l
have ventured to address a few lines to
you: The tie that binds your section and
ours is no less strong now than when the
appeals of the freemen of Kansas rang in
our ears for assistance from the iron heel
of the oppressor. Now the noble sons Of
your State are combating side BY side with
those of her sister States for the common
heritage of a united and happy country,
to us BY men who knew how
to appreciate its blessings.
After so long period of gloom, in which,
it must be confessed, many Of US saw but
few symptoms Of a brighter dawn-wben
the death of the gallant Lyon, the fall Of
Lexington, the terrible disaster Of Balls
Bluff, had carried heartfelt grief to so many
homes, and misgivings to SO many hearts
how thrilling to all the true lovers of our
Union are the messages that now, almost
every day, are carried by the electric cur
rent to every city, town, village, hamlet,
to every man, woman, and
child, from the banks of the Penobscot to
the extreme borders of the West Com
with the exploits Of Dupont and
which the State that was the
hot-bed of the political heresy that has
borne such bitter fruit, was the first to feel
the stroke of retributive justice, which We
hope is to be meted out to all engaged in
this unrighteous and unwarranted rebellion
by the defeat aud death of
Zollikoffer at Mill Springs, the successful
of Burnside on the North Caro-
lima coast, and capture of Roanoke Island,
the victory at Fort Henry, achieved BY the
gallant Foote, the still more glorious one
Of Fort Donelson, the capture of Nashville,
of Brunswick, and Fernandina, in which
The intention of the President to "rccovcr
hold and possess" the forts seized in the
of the strife finds the first indi-
cation of ful6lment, the discontinue and
dispersion, of the hordes under Van Dorm,
Price, Mcintosh, and Mccullough, by the
forces under Curtiss, Sigel, and Davis,
and last, but not least, the capture Of
Newbern by Burnside, which strikes one
Of the most serious blows at the iusurrec-
ton by cutting off the supplies of, and
with, the army that has but
lately fallen back from Manassas. These
which in measure isolate the
rebellion from that part Of its own territory
On which it must be dependent for subsis-
Lence, and thus almost strike its death blow,
IRE the results of that apparent inaction
which so few could patiently witness, and
which has performed with comparative loss
IF life what many desperate battles, carry
Dg mourning to thousands and thousands,
md desolation to many hearthstones, might
rave failed to accomplish. May these sue
'csses be but the harbingers of other and
greater ones, and make assurance speedily
md dou6ly sure of reconstruction Of that
,oble and powerful Gordon of States, for
he formation of which our forefathers
,erilled "their lives, their fortunes, and
heir sacred honor" and which has been
or almost century the haven of rest for
he prosecuted and outcast of every country
md every cline.
Matters in the East, politically and
ocially, move on almost as though no part
# our country we're being desolated by the
horrors Of war. The prophecies of the
caders of the rebellion that "grass would
row in the streets of New York and Phil
delphia," have SO far been false ones
hat there has been less real misery the
'ast winter than in any preceding one since
1857. Our seamstresses aud tailors have
ound employment for their bands and
on the army uniforms; our iron
ounderies and ship-yards been busiiy en-.
aged making ships and machinery for the
avy, and balls and shells for the guns
nd the wagon-makers in making amuni-
ion wagons and ambulances. The only
igns of war are seen in the excitement to
ear the news from the seat of war, the
lumber of flags flying in all our streets,
living them somewhat of holiday appear.
nee, and in the squads of soldiers rambling
bout; and these last are rapidly disap
caring.
Hoping that you may be encouraged in
he enterprise in which you are engaged
nd your hands upheld in the stand you
ave taken for the maintenance of the
'nion, the Constitution, and the enforce
tent of the laws, and that all traitors.
ctice and passive, both in your quarter
nd elsewhere, may have ample justice
'eted out to them, l remain yours,
PHIJnS