Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-08-17
Hou Stands the Union Cause 2

gaping crowds by Copperhead spouters in
all parts OF the country, at least IN such
places as can afford sufficient numbers OF
willing listeners to their vlrIllent and traitor
Gus slang The soldierly accomplishments
of the Rebel generals are extoiled, and Cop
nerhead newspapers are continually ringing
the changes on the same exalted qualities
Now, with such distinguished capacity as
the Rebels have possessed and do now pos
sess, there ought 70 be some general or par
ticular results. some brilliant successes re
corded by which their superiority would be
plainly demonstrated These, 1t must be
confessed, are wanting, or If they have any
existence, we have not heard Of II EN-.
Now, what the people need to know is not
so much on which side the best generalshIp
has been used. as on which side most has
been accomplished To what extent has
JEFF Davis succeeded in establishing his in
dependent Confederacy OF Slave holders?
and, to what extent has President Lincoln
succeeded In suppressIng the Rebellion
We are Of those who, from the outset, earn
estly desired the complete overthrow Of the
rebel c0nspmators against the integrity of
Government, and it l. natural that we should
deplore any failure il the consumation 50
devoutly wished. We deplore 1t, but with
a deep sense Of gratitude for the long lire
Of successes which have marked the difficult
pathway towards the desired result. We
remember, as do most Of our readers, that
when the rebels declared war against the
United States Government, they Started
with a Treasury piled full Of gold which had
been plundered from the Nation with near
" two-thirds of the valiant offspring Of
West Point with which to officer their ar
my, with stolen arms ammunition, equip
mcntS, ships and forts. The regular army
scattered IN the most remote portions Of the
continent, and the navy in the distant seas Of
the world They also had In their poses
sion I9, 9,46l square miles more territory than
the North; also about four millions slaves
to perform the labor at home and TO pro-
vide the neceS Ssary support of the army IN
the battlefield, while the white population
had DO restraints 10 hinder them becoming
soldiers also, the sympathy of foreign des-
pots, and the cooperation Of sympathizers
under other Governments : also, the City OF
Washington crammed with Secessionists to
watch for information, and the country at
large permeated with spies, and also the
promised sympathy and active 90 operation
OF the conservative masses of fhe North.
They also possessed the Mississippi from It's
sourse to the Calf of Mexico. They pos
sessed every slave State, and they exercised
over every inhabitant there the iron rod
Of oppression, and the threat of desolation
in the event Of disloyalty to the rebel cause.
On the other hand the United States
Government started with Treasury, not on
ly depleted, but in debt; and we're subject
to all the disadvantages easily to be inferred
from the very superior advantages possessed
by the rebels, which we have referred TO
merely in outline. During the three years
Of the war, our Government has raised an
+h. l,.,o nd
ed the admiration Of the whole world they
have built up rEiyy, the construction and
the execution of which have thuHdered to
the ends Of the earth, shaking the thrones
Of Europe, and inaugurating revolution In
the navies Of the world Our navy fired a
few guns in the channel between France and
England and when the smoke had cleared
away governmental sympathy had vanished
with it. Ia Missouri, Kentucky, Tennes-
see, Louisiana, Maryland, West Virginia,
and the District Of Columbia, the people
have seen the glorious light Of freedom, and
have adopted the stars Of the national flag
as the embleins of Liberty. The Mississip-
pi is open and under our control from Cairo
to the sea. Our armies hold sway in Vir-
ginia, Georgia, the North and South Caro-
linas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mis-:
issippi Florida and Texas. Our navy is
posted at every point of importance along
the Atlantic sea board, and holds the rivers
in the interior under complete control. En-
emieS abroad have been transformed into
friends, and old friends have been made
more thoroughly established in our favor
4 thousand things have been done besides,
of which history will speak more particular
ly than we can in the brief limits Of an arti-
Gle. Now, these are things which every
loyal man believed at the beginning Of the
war ought TO have been done Thank GoD,
they have been done.
What have the rebels accomplished with
all the advantages they possessed at the be-
ginning of the rebellion? Have they gain
ed ground or lost it ? Has LEE ever driven
GRANT not driven LEE back ? Have the
rebel forces not been driven back into the
heart of their own country a distance of two
hundred miles by SHERMAN? ? Have the
rebels prevented Admiral FARRAGUT cap
turing Fort Gaines? What have the rebels
accomplished? What gained? Has not
their whole course been paved with losses ?
Is not the rebellion as miserable failure as
any failure could be? If it is not, we should
like to know what success is. We assert
that Mr.. LINCOLN, has, all things consider
ed, accomplished as much toward what he
set out to do as could be expected by rea-
sohaDie people. W hat has been done, all
criticisms Of plans and motives, and ways
and means aside, is reasonable guarantee
that all that is necessary to be added in or
belllon will be done, provided the means be
granted by the people. And the people know
what they have to do with it.-PttsJarg
CoDlDlerctdt
Escape and Reeapture of Union Officer.
Major Harry White, of Pennsylvania
uriSnner with the rohoIc oSnanod n forr H..