Year: 1865

A man is To be Judged by the COM
pany he keeps. The remark is equally
applicable to mems literary companions.
Perhaps the application is stronger in
the latter case, since men can always
choose their reading, but cannot always
avoid intercourse with parties OF wholly
10 their tastes. We believe there is no
better index to mans character, than
the newspaper he takes. Tell us what
newspaper man pays his money for,
reads himself, and gives to his children
to SOW the seeds of social and political
principles in their minds, and we will
readily inform you where he stands up
on nearly every important question of
the day. The test we regard in a great
majority of cases, as unfailing If the
journal that secures his patronage is a
mere news organ, neutral upon all agi-
tating questions, and aspiring to the
favor of all parties, you may be sure
you have come across one who bothers
his brains but little about matters Of
state and looks with sort of quiet con-
tempt upon everybody that exhibits any
thing above the average of public spirit.
He is no politician himself, and has no
confidence in any body that is. He wants
no office, and would never think of be-
coming soldier to fight for his country,
although he would have no objection to a
Government contract.


If the paper is Copperhead, you
may expect the man that takes it, and
pays his money to sustain it, to be found
kissing on all occasions at all true friends
of loyalty, and to be very anxious for
peace through compromise with the reb-
els, or by letting them go altogether
He has remarkable distaste for the war,
seeing that he is in no danger of taking
a part in it or incurring any OF its risks
or hardships. He is always lamenting
the bloodshed and miseries it is produc-
ing, but never gives penny to aid a
Sanitary Commission or Union Aid
Society in binding up the wounds of
suffering loyal soldiers, or furnishing
them with the comforts which will allevi-
ate their condition in the field.


If on the other hand. you find a sound
Union paper-one that is out spoken and
radical in its utterances upon all ques-
tions of the war--in the mans house,
where it seems to be treated as welcome
and honored guest, showing signs of hav-
ing been freely handled, and carefully
read and re read. as such papers nearly
always do, you may depend upon it you
have got into q household that is full of
love for our soldiers and devotion to the
country That man 5 son is probably in
the army, or in the grave which his coun-
try's service has provided for him, and
his wife is full of energy in working to
clothe and minister to the wants of our
brave boys under Grant and Sherman
If she hasn't got son in the ranks, she
loves all the soldiers that are there as if
they were her own sons, and works TO
provide them with whatever will make
them comfortable with all mothers de-
votion. There is no sickly talk about
closing the war, before the rebels are
handsomely whipped, to be heard in the
house. The old man will tell you with
a smile which fairly emits sunshine, that
he voted for "Old Abe" and intends to
stand by him with muscle and treasure,
until the thing is through, and everybody
about the establishment subscribes to the
doctrine 1t is in such households that
the spirit has lived, which has carried
this country through four years of
bloody, wasting war, and will carry it
through to a victorious end; bu: how
much of that spirit is due to the loyal
press of the country-those newspapers
which have taught loyalty as second
only to religion. and sent out their daily
messengers of encouragement and exhor-
tation to the hearts of men S-Mssouri
Democrat.