rt#t atriot Union. MONDAY MORNING, JULY 6, 1863 0. ItABRZTT & CO., PROPRIETORS. Communications will not be publiehed in the Pairmor AIM Union =lees accompanied with the name of the uthor. S. M. PETTILROIidi is CO., A•. ST Park How, N. IL, aid a Maio tlon, Poston+ Are our Agouti for the PAZI1110? A7r MOWN in those Mlles, and are authorised to take Advertisements and itabeerfeticom for as at oar Lottusst Rates DEMOCRATIC STATE NOMINATIONS. POE GOVERNOR, HON. GEO. W. WOODWARD, OF PECILADELPHL!L. FOR JUDGE OF THE SUPREME COURT, WALTER H. LOWRIE, Or AULBVIIIMY COUNTY.. THE NATIONAL PLATFORM. PURPOSES OF THE WAR. Congress, by a vote nearly unanimous, passed the following resolution, which expresses the voice of the Nation and is the true standard of Loyalty: cc That the present deplorable civil war has been forced upon the country by the disnxdoxaste of the fl us th, T ., Butes, new against the Constitutions) Government, and in arms around The Capital; that in this National emergency, Corgress, banishing all feel ing of mere passion or resentment, will recollect only its duty to the whole country; that this war is not waged os their part in• any spirit of oppression,or f r any purpose of conquest or subjugntion, or purpose of overthrowing or int.rfering with the rights or estaldisked institutions of those States, but to defend and maintain the supremney of the Cr/matins:Um, and to preserve the ffniou, with oil the dignity, equality and rights of the several States waist:paired; and that as soon as these ob jects are accomplished the war saga to cease." TER WEEKLY PATRIOT AND UNION FOR THE CARFAIGN. The Weekly PATIUOT AND UNION will be furnished to clubs of teu or more, for the campaign, with an extra number giv ing full returns of the October election, at 50 cents TO THE PUBLIC. TRIO PATRIOT AND UNION and snits business operations will hereafter be conducted exclu sively by 0. BARBET? and T. 0, POMNROY, an der the firm of 0. nsitnarr & Co., the connec tion of H. F. M'Reynolds with said establish ment having ceased on the 20th November, inst. Boma)En 21, 1862. The Situation. Those who live far from the scenes of war, have no conception of war. To them it Is simply sound, while to us, who are under its - very breath, it is emphatically sense. For many days past the extensive and fertile valley of the Cumberland has been the scene of atm- guinary struggles between two immense con flicting armies of tried veterans in war, and every boom of the cannon, every sharp detona tion of musketry has sent a thrill to the hearts of those upon the immediate borders of tire strife which those who are out of reach of the sight and sound of the conflict cannot imagine. We begin to-day—Sunday afternoon—to ing, an is, appa in of an encouraging nature. Without being able to go into particulars, we may state generally that (len. Meade has ) well managed the campaign, and has at this time got Gen. Lee into a position from which escape, without terrible loss, seems to be im possible. 'lt seems to us that this conflict in the val ley, whether the result of strategy or necessity on the part of Gen. Lee, or those still higher in authority directing the movements of the Confederate armies, is "the beginning of the end" of the war. Looking at it in this light, bloody as bas been the struggle, we hail it with joy, and look forward with renewed hopes and- fervent desires for the dawning of that day which shall give ns a peace based upon a re stored Union and an unimpaired and overruling Constitution, securing liberty and equal rights to all. Excepting the mad fanatics who have plunged us into this terrible war to carry out an un sound and impracticable idea, and the men who, through court favor, are plundering the nation, the universal voice of the people is for peace, unity and the old fraternal rela tions. War longer pursued for African emancipa tion is sheer madness, because years of strife, of bloodshed and devastation" cannot accom plish the object, nor is it desirable if it could be accomplished. The condition of the Afri can is best as it was before this war between brethren of the same race and color commenced, The time may come—in God's own providence it. will probably come—when that condition may be favorably changed, but no device, no plot or plan of man can change the decrees of Heaven or hasten the period by one moment. While the corpses of our countrymen, slain in battle, are thickly strewn over fields almost within eight of our capital, for God and humanity's sake let us awake to serious reflections and sound ideas. Let us throw fanatics and fanaticism to the winds, and by judicious and Christian measures end this strife which is destroying the life of the nation_ Having at length gainod a military advan tage over the rebellion; having, as we believe, Gen. Lee cooped and the Confederate adminis tration paralysed, let us be both just and gen erous, and while we press the war as vigor onslyna ever, let us hold out to the Southern people the olive branch, asking from them no other oonditiens than a return. to the old order of things. .As we understand at this hour—five o'clock p. m. Sunday--Gen. Meade occupies a decided ly advantageous position on a line stretching from Havover beyond Gettysburg towards Chamberaburg. Ruiner has it that the enemy are endeavoring to retreat in. a north-westerly direction on the Cove Mountain road, perhaps intending to strike for Hancock or some other point in Maryland. But if the news we sub join is true, and we believe it to be so, it will be only by something nearly like * miracle that any considerable portion of the rebel army can escape. Let us thank God an take courage, humbly imploring our Creator to give us wisdom in these trying times to use what ever of victory may be vouchsafed to us to the beet advantage to the interests of the nafitn and the universal freedom of our distinctive race. Up to this wirting the following embraces all the news we have : ARMY OF THE POTOMAO4 July 3, 8.35 P. M.— • The enemy opened at one o'clock p. m., with one hundred and fifty .guns concentrated on oar left and , centre, and fought three hours.— Fie then assaulted our entire lines, and was handsomely repulsed, with a very severe loss in dead and wounded, and leaving 8,000 priso ners in our hands. Brig. Geu. Armistead and many general offi cers were killed and captured. The enemy left many dead and wounded in our hands. Our losses are considerable. Maj. Gen. Hancock and Brig. Gen. Gibbons are wounded. Gen. Meade pursued the enemy and found them in force on his left. All is quiet now- Our cavalry is,doing great things and the army is in fine spirits. Hai:oven, July 4-5 p. m.—There has been no fighting up to this time to-day. Last eve i ning we drove the enemy back to Gettysburg. "! Our lines this morning extend eight miles around Gettysburg; our batteries being on the hills looking on the town from' the South. We occupy Round Top Ridge, wimmanding the Chambtrsburg turnpike, and have cut off all the lines of retreat. Our forces occupy the strongest possible position. A flank movement on our left is impossible. At about 8 o'clock la3t night the Florida Brigade of General Longetreet's division, with a Brigadier General in command, advanced to within our lines and gave themselves up with their colors. A 'rarer of dispatches from Jeff. Davis to Gen. Lee has been captured. The dispatches ordcr Gen. Lee particularly to retreat on Rich mond; he states the movement into l'ennsyl= vania was totally against his wishes. The following were among the officers killed and wounded in yesterday's engagement: Col. Taylor, of the Bucktail regiment, a bro ther to Bayard Taylor. Lieut. Col. Miles, of the same regiment. Lieut. Mazer, of Philadelphia, is Wounded, Major Kenedy, of the 11th New Jersey regi ment, was wounded in the knee. We have captured at least...eight thousand prisoners. 4r:~:~:a;~:►„i~_iln:~~t~Iu:~:i:{{iI~i.~.4~i' i{A~i~~ ;, f=lZJ:y~ I DESTOYED. i FREDERICK. Md., July 4th-9 p. m. fTo GEN. HALLECH, General-in- Chief: An expedition sent out by me has just re turned, baying entirely destroyed the enemy's pontoon bride over the Potomac at Williams port, capturing the guard, consisting of a lieu tenant and thirteen men. (Signed,) W. H. FRENCH, Maj. Gen. I ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 1 WASHINGTON, July 4.-10 a, m.—The Presi t. dent announces to the country that the news F from the Army of the Potomac up to 10 a. in., i of the 3d, is such as to cover the army with the , highest honor, to promise a great success to : the cause of the Union. and to claim the coo t dolence of all for the many gallant fallen ; and that for this he especially desires that, on this i day, He whose will, not ()ire, should ever be done, be everywhere remembered, and rever enced with the profoundest gratitude. I (Signed,) ABRAHAM LINCOLN. i i * STILL LATER—IMPORTANT IP TRUE. I t The rumor is current on the streets, said to i ; rest upon dispatches received by Gov. Curtin ~ and Gen. Couch, that the army of Gen. Meade to-day captured 25,000 prisoners and 118 pieces of artillery. . This, if true to the extent . 7 represented, would seem to settle the question ; as to the fate of the rebel army in the valley, and possibly as to the longer continuance of the war. We can only account for the capture of so many men and so much artillery on the t , , .trotitr e lirt r . ) rumo tHWart;t; well founded, and we Bee no reason why we ,should not credit it. The fortune of war seems ones more to be on our side, and, our rulers acting wisely, we may reasonably hope to see the conflict brought to a speedy conclu sion. nge ve coming HALF PAST 10 O'CLOCK, P. M. We have just heard officially that although there is no con firmation of the above rumor, yet it has been received in such form by the authorities as to render it nearly reliable. It has come in tele gram from Baltimore, and this telegiam is backed by intelligence from a respectable source in Cumberland county. We have rea son, therefore, to believe it correct. The invasion of the North by the rebel army, and the promptness with which the Democratic Governors of New York and New Jersey responded to the call of Pennsylvania— the patriotism displayed by Judge Woodward, Charles J. Biddle and other Democratic leaders in our own State—and the readiness with which the masses of all parties have rallied to the defense of our borders, should forever si lence and put to shame the Abolition press of the country, which bee for the past two years persistently denounced the Democratic party as " traitors," " copperheads" and " sympa thizers with the rebellion." That the Demo cratic party are the true friends of the Union, has