Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-05-20


sire Lees Success.
We believe there are men in the North,
who, during the past week, have most
devoutly prayed that Grants army of
heroes might be turned back with disas-
ter, and Lee might sustain his previous
reputation as Il military chieftain by
success. We know there are hundreds
of just such men, who have no more
sympathy for our arms that Gen. Forrest
or Quantrel. Never during the progress
of this rebellion has there been so much
to cheer the patriots heart as the news
from Virginia. At every step Lee meets
with a display of superior generalship
from Grant. The close of each succeed
ing day finds the rebel army pushed
nearer to the wall, and our army ad-
vanced from its morning position. True,
the brave fall and are carried to the rear,
but their deaths and wounds are not
without fruit.
For the first time in the history of the
Potomac army it engages in deadly con-
flict and holds its vantage ground, and
presses forward to newer fields of victo-
ry. While Grant moves upon the ene-
my's front, crowding him to the wall of
ultimate defeat, Butler with strong
force moves up the James river, accom-
panied by a fleet of iron-clads with which
to threaten the gates of Richmond. ST.
trn nd ~
moving down the Shenandoah Valley
upon Lees flank. Gen. Crook, with a
force of $4,000 loyal West Virginians,
moved two weeks since from Charles
ton, probably for Lynchburg. In the
mean time Buffers cavalry furnish food
for reflection and surprise to the rebels
south of Beauregard, and the army of
the West occupies the attention of the
Richmond government with its move
ments in Georgia
Amid all these hopeful scenes and
signs, the Washington correspondent of
the Dubuque Herald prophecies that
Grants army cannot cross the Rapidan,
or should Lee permit him so to do, he
would meet with overwhelming defeat
at Chancellorville. The Des Moines
Ssotesmaa: AYERS that the telegraphic
news is anything but cheerful-that our
cause in Virginia looks gloomy. Men
who disdain to be called Copperheads in
this city, go upon the streets and ask,
"what do you think of the news?" and
after receiving responsive "good, ex-
cellent," reply, yes, if it's only true"
Said prominent Democrat, 1.-THE news
may be true, that don't conquer the
South--S,0 900 of people never can be
conquered" "When Grant gets to
Richmond he'll be older than he now
is" 1.-The news is too good to be true"
There is not man, be he rich or poor,
great or small, old or young, who can
receive the news from our armies in
Virginia with such expressions, that
does not in his heart pray that treason
may prevail in the rebellion against law
and its proper administration. No man
can utter such sentiments or doubts,
whose soul does not go out in sympathy
for the traitors who are causing so much
precious blood to be shed for the MAIN
tenance of our government. The men
who make them are placed in the peo-
ple's book of remembrance, and when
the balance sheets of this war are struck
that book will be opened, that our fight
ing heroes may look upon the names of
those who questioned their capacity to
succeed in so great cause. Those names
will be dark with infamy, and no MAN
will honor them.