The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-06-11
How to Edit n Sound COnserva-
tive Union Paper.

How to Edit n Sound Conserva-
tive Union Paper.F
It's mystery to many readers how GER
tain democratic journals, which profess
the warmest devotion to the Union, never
theless manage to play into the hands OF
the secessionists. But the thing is easy
enough--quite as easy aslying- you will
only considerit fora moment The editors
of such journals are of course compelled to
parade their Unionism, because of the over
whelming sentiment of the North; at the
same time, hswever, by observing any or
all of the following rules, they are able to
do very effective work for the other side
The rules we give,by the way, are without
charge to the parties concerned. 80
LIST. All the military successes of the reb-
e armies should be magnifed in their effect
while those Of the North should be deprecia
ted. five lose ten thousand men, set it
down at twenty-three thousand; while, if
they lose eighteen thousand, set it down at
eight In this manner the superior gallan-
try and pluck of the. southerners may be
gradually insinuated into the popular mind
until in the end it comes to be believed as a
fact.
I'd. The war reports of the southern pa
pers should be paraded at great length, es-
pecially those which swell the numbe of
their army, or which extol the exploits Of
their generals. But care mnst be taken to
exclude their inflated dispatches and lead
ing articles, which are evidently, on the face
OF them, monstrous NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. for
your readers must not be allowed to sup
pose that the rebel writer's are ever guilty of
inaecuracy or falsehood as that would spoil
their credit with the unsuspicious northern
public. ~.
Sd. The efficient and energetic Generals
in the loyal service should be illuminated in
every plausible way insist upon it that
they are plunderers and thieves and above
all denounce them for utter incompetency.
On the other hand, laud such Generals as
have distinguished themselves for do-noth-
ingism aud halffaced sympathy in the re-
volt ;call them the master Generals of the
age, whose prudence SURPRISES that OF
Fabus while their impetuosity rivals Ma
poleon's and above all, remark upon that
pre-eminance of intellectual and moral DUAL
ity which renders them the staunchest OF
conservatives.
! 4th. Whenever the Union army achieves
signal victory say very little about it !;
complain, perhaps, incidentally, at the slow
ness of the war; but whenever it suffers
reverse Gas all armies do at times), ask bold
ly and Indignantly whether it be not time
that this fratricidal and hopeless war should
be brought to an end. Assert roundly that
the people are weary of it; weary of paying
their money and sacrificing the lives of their
brothers and that we can neYe, hope to &C
complish any result 1t is scarcely neces-
tsary to suggest on this head that the fact,
that during the two years in which we have
prosecuted the war we have made greater
progress than during almost any two years
of war recorded in history, must be care
fully concealed.
9Th. The finances of the government NAV
be made a fruitful topic of suggestion. Do
not let your readers know, on any account.
that our securities command better prices
than they didin years of peace; do not
show them what the excheduers of other
nations have borne in times of war; do not
appeal to the universal confidence our
bonds inspire in the commercial circles bu
talk sneeringly Of "greenbacks''; ask with
a wink of the eye what has become of the
gold say that our debt must be two or
three thousand millions by this time, is ra-
pidly increasing, and can never'be paid :
and mutter of frightful times, bankruptcy.
stockholders, contractors and shoddy men.
1t would be well, if you could, to contrast
the successful management of the rebel
finances with our; buta gold among them
is about four hundred per cent. premium !;
as one ofour notes will buy three of their !;
as their debt already equals ours; and as
their taxation greatly surpasses ours, very
little, we fear, could be made of the argu-
ment. Pass it over, therefore, in profound
silence.
9th. In the abuse of Mr.. Lincoln and his
Cabinet no regard need to be paid to the
consistency of your charges. Pronounce
them all weak, timid, vacillating, and utter.
ly incapable, in one column and in another
accuse them of tyranny, despotism, exces-
sive rigor, and determination to trample
:, the rights of the masses into the dust
Some of your readers will believe one story
and some the other, and so tine confidence
of all sorts will be shaken. You need give
yourself no concern about the truth of your
charges, provided they look plausible, or
can be made to stick. Be sure, however,
to insinuate that the men in power are not
attached to the Union, but that they prose
/ cute the war only to compel the separation
of the South. That part of the nation, it is
well known, is so earnestly devoted to the
national cause that nothing but the per-
verse obstinacy and hatred of Che Admins.
tration keeps it from rushing into our arms
in all the ecstacy Of fraternal endearment.
Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Seward do not wish the
South to come back, and are fighting as
hard as they can to keep it out. Claim for
yourselves at the same time, the title of the
only true Unionists.