Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-12-04

The skies Brighten.
At last we are enabled to see success attent
the movements of our armies. The efforts
and prayers of the loyal masses are rewarded
For many months we have hoped and pray
ed, but the end came not. Our heroic friends
and neighbors were stricken down by death
on the field and in the hospital and the evei
recurring question was, "When shall the end
be?" Reverses came to sadden the hearts o
the people still more. Brave, heroic, capable
commanders were removed, and the people
murmured-the grand old army of veterans
on the Potomac moved forward and retreated,
with ranks fearfnlly decmated. In June last
the prospect of an early peace on the basis Of
Union restored was exceedingly gloomy
But when Grant moved upon the enemy at
Vicksburg and compelled surrender, and
Meade thrashed Lees rebel hordes at Gettys.
burg, then the rainbow Of promise was seen.
| It developed its grandeur when Banks occu-
pied the last rebel stronghold upon the Father
Of Waters, and grew more beautiful when
Gilmore placed his batteries within easy
reach of Charleston. The cloud Of fruitless
battle on the Chickamauga caused our hearts
to despond, but the redemption Of East Ten
nessee, through our persevering, fighting
Burnside, filled them with renewed hope
When our shattered columns were compelled
to rest at Chattanooga, and the enemy, en-
couraged by our inactivity, proceeded to in
vest Burns,de's hope Of East Tennessee, the
hearts of our people offered fervent, silent
prayer to the God of Battles to vouchsafe
mce more the overthrow of our enemies
md now comes the answer to those prayers
Grant moves once more upon the enemy's
works, aud what is better, occupies them.-
Braggs army, ,demoralized and panic stricken,
Hes in disorder, leaving artillery, supplies,
hospital stores, ammunition and small arms
to our soldiers, who are in hot pursuit.
Grants movement, executed by 'brave, old
fighting Joe Hooker" General Sherman and
that stubborn, unainching fighter, Thomas,
routed the enemy, and the seeming disaster
Of Chickamauga is retrieved-our army is
victorious and the bow of promise extends its
arch. Burnside is relieved from the pres
sure Of Longstreet by the rapid movement Of
Grants forces. Bragg retreats toward Dal-
ton, while Grant occupies the line of commu
nication with Longstreet. Should the latter
attempt a junction with Bragg be must fall
into Grants embrace. As reinforcements are
being rapidly pushed forward to Burnside,
Longstreets only safety is in moving into
Virginia. But even in this attempt he may
not be successful. Meade, with his SCARED
veterans, has crossed the Rapidan with little
opposition, and is pushing forward to find
the flower of the rebel army. Before this
shall be read battle may have been fought.
Of its result we have no fears. Meade has
once crossed swords with Lee, and, notwith-
standing his inferior Numbers, was victorious.
Outnumbering Lee in the number and spirit
of his men, Meade moves with rapidity
that means success. That Lees army will
be either defeated in battle or forced into the
Richmond Notifications within the coming 4S
hours seems inevitable. Whether Meade
moves upon Richmond direct, or the James
River Canal and the Lynchburg 6 Petersburg
Railroad, in the rear Of the rebel Capitol, is
difficult to determine. From the position Of
affairs in Tennessee and Georgia, we think
the latter movement the most probable. 1t
is, however, useless to speculate. The skies
are bright and the bow of promise extending
The peace that sneaks have go long desired
by bending the Nations knee in supplication,
is being rapidly restored by the strong
arms of the American Union. Friends, you
who have encouraged the prosecution of this
glorious work, send up your Thanksgiving
to the brave defenders of our Flag. We who
have stock in the war also have stock in the
peace it secures.
P PS.-The skies grow still brighter as the
cracking flames Of burning Charleston ascend.
Our dispatches say that the doomed city had
been burning sixty three hours, and that Gill
more, in no degree alarmed at the conaagra-
ton, continued his work of bombardment.-
The sea face wall of Sumter has made its most
obssquious bow to the iron-clads and buried
beneath its ruins the remnant Of its defend
ers, who had vainly hoped to find behind it
ample protection. And so from every quar-
ter comes renewed hope and all around the
horizon the sky is brighter. The end draw
eth nigh.
President Lincoln.
In the course of thrilling and eloquent
speech at Cooper Institute, New York city,
Hon. Schuyler Colfax made the following al
lusion to our noble President 1t will elicit a
cordial response from every truly patriotic
heart:
"He rejoiced we had such President as
we have loud cheers las Abraham Lincoln.
The Roman Empire voted thanks to Varro,
because in its darkest hour he had never de-
spaired of the Republic. And future genera
tions will record their thanks to Abraham