Year: 1863

ure moments this afternoon, after the
performance of various camp duties, l
can think of nothing more profitable
or pleasureable than the renewing Of
an acquaintance with the Gazette.-I
Belonging to detachment which has
no other representative than myself
from Fairfield in it, it is not often l
have the happiness of perusing the
Lancaster journals, but if 1 may be-
lieve the assertions of those who do
sometimes have that pleasure, there
is no journal in the State of Ohio which
bears more enviable reputation for
unwavering loyalty or the intrepidity
of its enunciation of the lofty ideas of
patriotism than the Gazette. 1t was
only yesterday that 1 learned of the
dastardly act committed against the
Gazette establishment-an act calcu-
lated to render still more popular and
widely celebrated a paper which has
had such usage at the hands of those
whose acts are concealed under the
mask Of darkness scarcely so black as
their own evil consciences. Had we
been told, years ago, that patriotism
would run at so low an ebb within the
American heart, we would have scoffed
at the idea or stood aghast with shame
and apprehension-shame that the
element which compose our nationality
should be so mixed with degrading SEN
timent and apprehension lest such ele-
ments Of discord and convulsion should
at some future day, render even more
difficult the preservation of a Govern
ment, against which the most that in
justice can be said, is, that it has ever
shown itself too lenient to the uiperS or
(CopperheadS) whose existence has
thus far been warmed, only that they
may strike with hotter ingratitude, the
guardian of their past happiness.


Could such persons see in the future,
the indelible stains Of present mis-
deeds, fear, if not shame-for it is not
to be supposed that shame is part Of
their composition-would retard their
inconsistent and serpentine course,
which will surely result in utter deg
relation and ruin to those pursuing it.


Can any person be so passive and
undemonstrative as to be Indifferent to
National existence? How then can
he consent to arouse his sluggish ma
ture to acts Of opposition against a
Government, the form Of which, altho'
perhaps open to improvement, has
been considered by the wisest and best
of not only our own, but of other
lands, to have reached a higher de-
gree of perfection than that of any
other now in existence? Shall there
be utter destruction because of a few
imperfections Shall there be an up
roofing of the whole vineyard where a
little pruning will produce a yield of
unsurpassed plentitude? Will men,
in such times as these, forget they have
a country and their duty towards it !?
Then farewell widespread dissemina-
ton of knowledge; farewell liberty
instilling institutions; farewell the
fattering idea of nation of men able
TO govern themselves; farewell past
history bright with the achievements
of heroes and ofbenevolent minds, and
farewell thou starry emblem of purity,
truth, and defiance of TYRANNY Come
ignorance, bigotry and obscurity; come
anarchy, despotism, confusion and
authority distasteful to the governed;
come new order of things; record,
dark with blotches ofinfamy and cow
ardice, with banner Of design drawn
from scenes connected with the first
fall of man-snake upon the tree whose
fruits have ever produced dissension
and convulsion-fit type of the dark
minds which curse the present age!


But let us hope that the cheering
news we have from the Eastern army
and from Vicksburg will be an earnest
of future great events in favor of the
Republic.


Our army of the Cumberland you
will see, has not been entirely idle.
Some very strong points which have
lately defed us have now fallen into
our hands and still the word is "for-
ward" At present the 14th Army
Corps is camped along Elk River,
Headquarters being near the river, and
about seven miles north Of Winches-
ter In consequence of the continued
rains, Elk river has swelled to a height
unfordable, which circumstance, in
connection with the bad state of the
roads, has rendered our supplies very
limited until the present time. We
have even mourned the absence Of