ibrnhnm Lincoln.
The Union party of Pennsylvania, in
State Convention assembled, and with a
unanimity seldom parallelled in the histo
ry of political parties, has declared Abra
ham Lincoln, our present Chief Magis
trate, to be its choice for the next Presi
dency. To this formal expression of the
people's wishes He take the earliest op
portunity to respond, and we do the more
promptly and cheerfully because we have
no mental reservation about the wisdom
of tho choice which the Convention has
just made.
A little more than three years ago. "an
imtticd and comparatively unknown man,
who had been reared in obscurity and edu
cated in the backwoods of the tireat West
became the President of this mighty na
tion. When, protected by Federal bayon
ets, he assumed the duties of Ills high po
sition, the country was distracted by in
ternal dissensions; seven .States of the
Union had formally seceded and organi
zed a new government, which had imme
diately declared war against the Cnited
States ; our Treasury was empty, and the
public credit was greatly depreciated—
the preceding Administration having been
compelled to pay twelve per cent, interest
on a small loan; we had an army of only
a few thousand soldiers, scattered ovcrour
Western frontiers, while many of its best
officers had either entered the service of
the rel»el States or were known to be sym
pathizers with the insurgents ; our navy
was weak and scattered in distant seas,
and many of its officers, like those of tho
army disaffected towards the government;
the bureaus of the several departments at
Wellington were infested with spies;
alarm and consternation everywhere pre
vailed ; tho Republic seemed to be falling
to pieces. It was under such circumstan
ces that Abraham Lincoln assumed tho
reins of government. Never did the ru
ler of a great people enter upon tho dis
charge of his duties surrounded by great
er difficulties or encouraged by slighter
prospects of success. Mr. Lincoln might
well distrust of his own fitness for the dis
charge of the responsibilities he had as
sumed. The wisest statesmanship, the
calmest- self-possession, tho eompletest
knowledge of men, the most unselfish pa
triotism, and the strongest faith in the
righteousness of our cause, wore some of
the essential elements of character which
the crisis demanded of a Chief Magistrate,
and without which there could nut be
hope of success. Did Abraham Lincoln
possess all these ? And, if lie did, were
the people ready to sustain hiin if he
should attempt to coerce the rebellious
States into submission to the laws? And
if the people shmihl sustain him, was
there not danger of foreign interference,
or. in default of that, a sectional struggle
that would not end in a lifetime? And
if the struggle thotM end in a reasonable
time, would it not leave the nation physi
cally and financially exhausted ?— inujht
it not leave it divided into twenty or thir
ty petty States, or, at least, two hostile and
independent governments ? These sire
some of the questions with which, at the
outset, Mr. Lincoln was confronted, and
which the whole Country was asking.—
The future was indeed dark. There were
few loyal men whose hearts did not quail
at the prospect.
Abraham Lincoln quailed not. In bis
Inaugural Address he declared bis inten
tion to enforce, the laics. The patriotism
of tho loyal North was appealed to, and it
answered with seventy-five thousand men
to suppress the insurrection ; Washington
was saved ; Baltimore was garrisoned by
I'uioii troops; Maryland Secessionists were
arrested ; Congress was called to assemble
in special session ; the fact was established
that wc hat! a government. Disasters
came, and discouragements; more troops
were called out. but the rebellion still kept
its traitorous flag full high advanced; and,
worse than all else, a party arose in the
North which Was opposed to the war, and
which encouraged the rebels to believe
that, in time, the Federal Government
would recognize their so-called Confeder
acy. But Abraham Lincoln trusted in
the loyal masses and in a God of Justice,
and went on with his great work. lie
called upon the loyal people to stand by
him with men and money, and they have
dojie it—nobly and gloriously. And the
result is, that, if the rebellion today is
not subdued after three years of bloody
war, it is, at least, no longer the formida
ble foe it once was, while its ultimate fate
is sealed as in a book. The rebellion must
tlie, if we arc trtie to ourselves.
I hiring all this time—during these three
years of bloody and devastating war—
Abraham Lincoln ha* displayed qualities
of statesmanship and leadership which
have been rare in the world's history, lie
has been slow sometimes when the people
clamored for liim togo faster, but we can
see now that, if he had gone faster, the
effect would have been prejudicial to the
best interests of the country. If he has
not hceu fust, we know that he has been
safe. A bolder or a more impulsive Pres
ident niicht long since have foundered the
ship. His proclamation of emancipation,
was issued at the right time; the arming of
negroes could not with safety have been
umlertukni sooner than it was. He has
been cool in judgment, firm in purpose,
persistent in execution. He has been con
sistent with himself. He has always relied
upon the pmpli, and, without any of the
airs of a demagogue, has been inueli in
the habit of personally appealing to their
common sense in supjmrt of the measures
ofhis Administration. ilehasbeen/r««£
with them, and. upon occasion, has not
hesitated to reason with them as a futher
would reason with his children. When
advised to adopt a more formal or polished
style in his public letters and speeches.he
has replied— The people trill itn<ier*tnn<l
me. He haebee* willing to£mrn. When
convinced of an error, ho has not obsti
nately persisted in adhering to it. His
oonfldeuce in men has sometimes been mis
placed, but with what man, occupying his
difficult and responsible position, would
this not have been the ease? Tf he was
decoived in MeOlellan. so was Gen. Soott,
who recommended him—so was the whole
country, which huzzaed for hiiu. Abra
ham Lincoln has made mistakes, he has
eren committed blunders, but so did Mr.
Washington, so did Napoleon, so did An
drew Jaekson; so will the best and great
est men until the 'millennium shall come.
We never approved his colonization scheme
nor his compensated emancipation scheme,
nor his retention of Gen. 81'hoficld in
command of the Missouri Department;
but we can understand very well wliy Mr.
Lincoln thowjht lie was doing right in all
these cases. After all. these were not vi
tal error, t. and today the unbending iu
egrity, the inflexible hanetfy v/^anyttt
of Abraham Lincoln, covers them with a
mantle as broad as that of charity itself.
Briefly, what we claim for Mr. Lincoln
is, that he has done his duty, at the most
eventful and alarming period iu our his
tory, conscientiously, courageously and
with signal ability, and that he has mani
fested in an eminent degree the possession
of those qualities of head and heart which
the crisis demanded. There is much in
his character that resembles that of Wash
ington. Oreat goodness of- heart, united
with much greatness of intellect, distin
guished the Father of his .Country; so
they do Mr. Lincoln. Washington's pa
triotism was of the purest type—unsel
fish. self-denying, self-sacrificing; so is
Mr. Lincoln's. Washington might have
become the despotic ruler of his country;
Abraham Lincoln has lrad equal tempta
tion. but has shunned the semblance of
yielding to it. Instead of eagerly using
the almost arbitrary powers with which
the Constitution and Congress vested him
in time of war. lie has boon slow to visit
judgment upon those who were proved to
be guilty, and has always tempered his
judgment with mercy. Washington look
ed to the ( iod of Battles for victory ; so
does Mr. Lincoln. Washington won the
forp of his countrymen ; A' ,411 am Lin
coln is unquestionably first i.i iiie affec
tions of those who are to-day sustaining
the ("nion which Washington gave us.
To refuse, at this period in our national
crisis, to elect Mr. Lincoln for another
Presidential term, would be to trust the
government in the hands of an untried
and possibly unfit man, who might, from
inexperience or inefficiency, be the cause
of untold evil to the country, Mr. Lin
coln's experience is invaluable to the peo
ple. whose servant he is; his policy is one
that is fast producing the happiest results.
Why exchange him for one without his
experience, without his policy, and possi
bly without his honesty and patriotism?
With our present light, we believe most
sincerely that; to do so. would bo unwise
and dangerous in the extreme.
We are glad, therefore, that our .State
Convention has decided, that, so far as the
voice of Pennsylvania can control the ac
tion of the Baltimore Nominating Con
vention, Mr. I inColn shall be rc-noniina
ted. If nominated, as we feel certain he
will be, we hope that no disloyalty, 110 fac
tious spirit, no selfishness here or there,
will avail to prevent the true men of the
country from re-elceting him by an over
whelming majority.— J'itts. Gazette.
The Figlit in ArksiiisiiH.
The Chicago Journal of Saturday even
ing contains a letter from a correspondent
giving particulars of the late Union victo
ry on Saline liivcr, in the southern part
of Arkansas. The letter is dated Little
Hock, April sth. From its statements it
appears that an expedition under Colonel
Clayton, consisting of about a thousand
infantry, three regiments of cavalry, and
six pieces of artillery, (12 pound howit
zers.) lias reached I'iric Bluff, after an
eventful raid down to Saline liver, where
they encountered a force of rebels. 3,000
strong.
The first encounter took place near
Branchville, where the rebels were defeat
ed alter a throe hours' light.. They re
treated, and our forces followed them up.
Reaching Mount Elba, on the Saline,next
day, we occupied that place without resist
ance, the retreating rebels not daring to
make a stand there. Our forces were here
divided—one detachment crossing the riv
er. and another reoonoitering this side.—
It turned out that the enemy had not cross
ed the river, but were discovered some dis
tance from Mount Klba, with reinforce
ments, and advancing upon us. We pre
pared to give them a warm reception by
extemporizing fortifications of logs, rails
'and cotton liales. The enemy came up
with torrific '-vigor," but were set back by
our steady fire. Three times tliey charg
ed on lis, and each time they were repuls
ed. Wc had the advantage in position,
but they had at least double the men we
had. Finally they gave way, after six
hours of vain effort to dislodge us. We
then rushed ont and charged upon them
with treinendour effect, scattering them
in all directiins. In this engagement and
that at Branchville, wc killed eighty-four
of them, wounded 350, and captured over
fifty.
In the meantime ourscouting party that
bad been detached and sent across thcriv
cr. consisting of only about 100 men.
mostly colored troops, were equally as bu
sy as we on this side of the river. They
returned to us ntdnTk.afterhnving march
ed fifty miles down the other side of the
river, where they came upon a rebel train
of fifty armv wagons tilled with supplies
for the force that we so tellingly repulsed.
The train was under an escort of three
hundred rebels. The entire train was cap
tured and destroyed by our ineu, and the
entire 300 taken prisoners. Over a thous
and horses and mules fell into our hamlet
Our loss was very slight. The total f-et>cl
loss is 84 killed, 400 wounded, and 350
prisoners, besides their train, horses and
mules.
The fight beyond Mount Elba, above
described, took place on the 30th of March.
ILLINOIS TRAITORS. —The St- Loots
Democrat says:"lt is that
in many portions of Illinois, particularly
tho southern portion, there hnvo existed
the most dangerous elements. The worst
kind of eopperdeads are to be fouud there.
Not only are resident Illinoisians to he
found among them, but a considerable
number of dangerous characters properly
belonging to this state have taken shelter
there, where they have found congenial
company, and would notbe likely to be so
closley watched by tho military authori
ties as here. We have not failed to give
timely warning, as far as we had the abil
ity, of the movements of these men, tell
ing our Union neighbors across the river
to be on their guard against thein. This
warning is never more appropriate than
at the present time. The President's
Amnesty Proclamation liasbrouglitrebels
in Wge numbers among us from the ene
my's lines, many of whoiu may find it
agreeable to extend their travels to points
where they are pot so well known as
here."
ST he Jtmcvican Cltim
f¥%i|
THOMAS ROBINSON, I
CYRUS E. ANDERSON,
M. W. Kl'lllt. Publisher.
BUTLER PA.
H l i>\ISDjV NAV 1. IMH.
Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One
and —D. Webster.
FOR PRESIDENT I.N 1804 «
ABRAHAM LIXCOLK.
Jteif • Ebenezer M'Junkin, Esq., ia the
iicpresoiitative elector forthc 2:Jd district,
all right, a better than lie, could not
have been selected.
8©""In our advertising columns will
be found a Circular, from ('apt. J. AV.
Kirkcr, concerning credits of Volunteers
and Veterans. Bead it, and act without
delay.
Staff" Several communication* are neces
sarily crowded out this week; some of
which may possibly appear iu our next
issue.
I'nion Nlato Convention.
This convention met iu Ilarrisburg on
Thursday, the 2Sth ult. V. Law
rence, was chosen permanent chairman.
The following gentlemen were elected
Senatorial Delegates, viz: Hon. Simon
Cameron, Ilarrisburg ; Hon. Alex. K.
M'Clure, Chainbersburg; lion. Morrow
B. Lowry, Erie; Hon. W. W. Ivetclium,
Wilkcsbarrc.
The following is the Elcctorial ticket.
Morton M'Mi- hael. Philadelphia.
Thomas 11. Cunningham, Heaver county.
ItrPaKfIFITATIVB?.
1 Robert P. King, 13 Klin* W. Hall,
2 Oe*. Morrison Coates, 14 Chorhw IF. Shrlncr,
S Henry Milium, la John Winter.
4 \Villinm 11. Kern, lrt T*vid MVomnigtiy,
ft Burton H. Jinks. David W. Wood,
<» Charles M. Uunk, 18 l»a«r Benson,
7 Robert Parker, jl'j John Patton,
s Aaron Mull, 20 Samael B. l>irk,
U John A. Hioatnml. 121 Evcrard Hlerer,
10 Richard 11. Corvdl, 122 John P Penney,
11 Edward Holli.lnv, '23 El.enezor M'Junldii,
12 Charles F. Recti, 24 John W. Rlancbard.
The proceedings Were conducted with
marked ability, and every thing passed
oft'with unanimity; the Convention fully
endorsed the Administration of Abraham
Lincoln, and was unanimous in favor of
his renomination and election. Wc will
give the full proceedings next week.
NaiiHitry Fair.
By the Pittsburgh j>:ij>crs of the 30th
ult., wc have the information that the
buildings in which the fair is to be held,
are fast approaching a state of comple
tion. Wc arc also, informed from the
same source, that X. Holmes, Treasurer
to the Sanitary Fair, acknowledges the
receipt of over 55,000. Contributions in
money arc being received from nearly all
sections of the State; and we notice by
our exchanges that the city of Chicago,
and other places of note, are making ar
rangements to contribute to the Pittsburgh
Sanitary Fair.
In this connection, we take the privi
lege to urge upon the good people of liut
ler county, the necessity of united and
energetic action in this great, good, and
glorious work. We should feci it to be a
privilgc and our bounden duty to con
tribute liberally of the means with which
the (iiver of all that we possesttas favor
ed us. Wc should not give grudgingly.
God lovcth a cheerful giver; remember
ing that it is more blessed to give than to
receive. Open your heart, hand and
purse. Show by your contributions that
you are thankful to (iod for the blessings
of civil and riligious liberty, which you
arc permitted U> enjoy under the protec
tion of our Government; and that you
arc alive in this matter; that you deeply
svAipathize with suffering humanity; and
that, while Cod blesses you with health,
strength and the comforts of life, you
will do your whole duty to alleviate the
sufferings of those brave men, who have
left their homes, families, and the bless
ings and enjoyments of social life to de
fend our Government against Rebels and
Traitors. We say again, give liborerlly ;
dou't aet penurioutdyin this matter. We
have heard it said, that some who are in
good circumstances,have acted tn generous
ly as togi vc'fifty cento ; while others, have
made a sacrifice and squeezed out one ic/uile
<lol/nr ; but this is not all; a few, (and
svc speak of those that are able) refuse to
give anything; giving as a reason, that
things do not meet their approbation.—
Therefore, the poor soldier, cannot get as
sistance from them. Suck persons ought
'tobe ashamed of themselves. A man or
woman, who is able, and refuses to give
liberally in a cause of this kind, is cer
tainly destitute of the least spark of be
nevolence. A day of reckoning is com
ing when these stingy, parsimoniodS in
dividuals, will have to give an account of
their stewardship; in that day excuses
will not be taken, but judgment will be
pronouueed without any admixture of
mercy. Remember, this : " All things
whatsoever yo would that men should do
to you, do ye eveu an to them."
. Have you asked yourself the fjuestons.
um I under any obligations to contribute
to the Sanitary Fair for the purpose of al-
iating the hardships and sufferings
our brave soldiers? Do T enjoy any priv
ileges and blossings for which they are
toiling fighting aud suffering ?
We appeal to you to lay this matter to
heart; banish selfishness from your mind,
and act the part of a patriot and chris
tian. From present appearances, it will
not be long before thousands of our brave
defenders, will be suffering from wounds I
received in defease of the liberties which
we arc eujoyiug, while others will be suf
fering from disease contracted iu the ar
my. Can anything make a stronger ap
peal to the benevolence of our people
than the objects connected and associated
with the Sanitary Fair?
Do not let this opportunity pass by with
out doing your duty, and do it without
delay. Now is the time to act and extend
relief when it is needed, and thus save j
the lives of many of our brave soldiers,
to gladden and cheer their hearts, aud feel !
that you have nobly acted your part, in j
doing something to perpetrate aud hand j
dywu to posterity the civil and religious i
liberties which we enjoy.
Lt'llcr from Abraham I.liicoln. j
A Clear and Able t xposition of Policy. i
The eorresponu nee between President
Lincoln, Governor Brauilette and others,
growing out of the late enrollment eontro- :
versyin Kentucky, has been published.
The following letter, by the President, is
one of the ablest productions of his pen:
"EXECUTIVE MANSKI.V,
WASHINGTON, April 4.
"-1. G. Hodge*, Esq., I'rankfort, Ky.:
"MY DEAR SIR—You ask me to put
in writing the substance of what 1 ver
bally said, the other day, in your presence,
to Gov. Brauilette and Senator Dixon.
It was about as follows:
"1 am naturally anti-slavery. Ifslavery
is not wrong,'nothing is wrong. I can not
renjember when I did not so think and j
feel. And yet, 1 have never understood
that the Presidency conferred upon me an
unrestricted right to act officially upon
this judgment and feeling. It was in the
oath 1 took, that I would fo the best of
my ability, preserve, protect, and defend
the Constitution of the United States. 1
could uot take the office without taking
the oath. Nor was it my view, that I
might take an oath to get power, and break
the oath in using the power. I under.-tood,
too, that, iu ordinary civil administration,
this oath even forbade me, to practically
indulge iiiy primary abstract judgment on
the moral question of slavery. 1 had pub
licly declared this many times, and in
many ways. And 1 aver that, to thisday,
F have don? no official act in mere defer
ence to my abstract judgment and feeling
on slavery.
1 did understand however, that my
oath to preserve the Constitution to the
best of my ability, imposed upon me the
duty of preserving, by every indispensa
ble means, that Government—that Nation,
of which that Constution was the organic
law. Was it possible to lose the Nation,
and yet preserve theConstitutipn?
"liy general law, life and limb must he
protected; yet often a limb must be am
putated to save a lite; but a life is never
wisely given to save a limb. 1 feel that
measures, otherwise wise and constitution
al. might bccotno lawful, by becoming
indispensable to the preservation of the
Constitution, through the preservation ol
the nation. Right'or wrong. 1 assumed
this ground, and now avow it. I could
not feel that to the best of my ability I
had even tried to preserve the Constitu
tion, if to save slavery or any minor matter.
I should permit the wreck ofGovernmcnt,
Country, and Constitution, all together.
When early in the war General Fremont
attempted military emancipation, I forbade
it because 1 did not think it an indispen
sable necessity. When a little later, Gen
eral Cameron, then Secretary of War, sug
gested the arming of the blacks, T objec
ted, because I did not yet think it an im
dispensable necessity. When, still later,
General Huutcrattcmpted military eman
cipation. I again forbade it, because 1 did
not yet think the indispensable necessity
had come.
"When, in March, and May, and July,
IWS2, I made earnest and successive ap
peals to the Border States, to favor com
pensated emancipation, I believe the in
de.spensable necessity for military emanci
pation. and arming the blacks would come,
unless averted by that measure. They
declined the proposition, and I was in my
best judgment, driven to the alternative,
of either surrendering the Union, and
with it, the Constitution, or of laying
strong hand upon the colored clement.—
1 chone the latter. In choosing it, I hop
ed for greater gain than loss; but of this
I was not entirely confident. More than
a year of trial now shows no loss by it in
our foreign relations, none in our home
popular sentiment; none in our white mil
itary force—no less by it, anyhow or any
where. On the contrary, it shows a gain
of quite a hundred and thirty thousand
soldiers, seamen and laborers. These are
palpable facts, about which, as facts, there
can be no caviling. We have the men,
and we could not have had them without
the measure.
"And now, let any Union man. who
complains of the measure, tost himself, by
writing down in one line, that he is for
subduing the rebellion by force of arms,
and in the next, that he isfor taking these
hundred and thirty thousand men from
the Union side, and placing them where
thev would be, but for the measure he
condemns. If he cannot face his cause
so stated, it is only because he cannot face
the truth.
" I add a word, which was not the ver
bal conversation. In telling this tale, I
attempt no compliment to my own sagaci
ty. I claim not to have controlled events
but I must confess plainly, that cvonts
have controlled me. Now, at the end of
three years' struggle, the nation's condi
tion is not what any party or any man de
vised or cxpeeted. God alone can claim
it. Whither it is tending seems plain.—
If God now wil's the removal of a great
wrong, and wills that we of the North, as
well as you of the South, shall pay fairly
for our complicity in that wrong, impar
tial history will find therein new cause to
attest and revere the justice andgooduct*
of God. Yours;, truly,
A LINCOLN.
COJIMIXKITIOXS.
For the American Citizen.
MAPI.E FURNACE. Marcli 1(3, 1804.
MESSES EDlTOßS:— G<nta —You will
j please publish the following extract :
Great excitement! War at home! !
! The villiage of North Washins»ton, was
all noi.se aud hustle to-day, in consequence
of the uprising of the members of the
M. E. Church, and other kind citizens of
the place; they came not as the conqueror
came; neither as the pilgrim fathers, but
as christians arc wont to come, at the
present Jay : ladened with the good things
of life, for the ministers of Christ. They
repaired immediately to the house of the
llev. E. Bennett, where the Rev. W. A.
Clark and lady were present, where a very
sumptous dinner was prepared by the citi
zens of North Washington. The Classes
of Martinsburg, Maple Furnace and North
Washington, were fully represented iu
this laudable enterprise. After about
eighty persons doing justice to a very fine
dinner, they left their burdens of cash
aud eatables, amounting to fifty eight
dollars, tin' the Rev. Bennett and Clark.
A SUBSCRIBER.
PROSPECT, PA., April 29, I*o4.
WM. CAMPBKU, ESQ., Chairman of
Executive Committee:
DEAR SIR:—I have the honor of in
forming you, that we have received con
tributions in Dimity, for the " Sanitary
Commission," to the amount of seventy
eight dollais. MissSteck and Missßree
don, whom 1 appointed assistant commit
tee. labored quite efficiently among the la
die?.
Will 3'ou be so kind as to let me know,
per the return mail, whether the names
of those who have contributed will be
published in the county papers or not.—
This question has frequently been asked
me, and I have been unable to answer it.
Hoping that Butler county may exibit
an unprecedented liberality in this hu
mane cause. I respectfully subscribe my
self,
Your humble servant,
A. W. M'OUIJ.OUOU.
The above speaks well for the patriotic
citizens of the borough of Prospect.—
They arc alive to the great work of ad
ministering assistance to the patriotic and
needy. Well done, good and faithful ser
vants. May your shadows never grow
less'.
F«»r the Citifon.
A Call to ill* 1 ClrncroiiH and Pa
triotic.
The Balaam Association was organized
for the express purpose of endeavoring to
alleviate the wants of our sick and wound
ed soldiers. Some who are not well wish
ers of the cause, may find fault and ob
ject to our association, others may imag
ine that it is a useless society, as there is
another organization of the same kind
and of more extensive magnitude, aud
that the interest of the Balaamitos will
necessarily conflict with the other. But
such is not the case, and there is not a Ba
laaiuite but would be willing to abandon
the association if he thought it would in
terfere with the operations of the other
society in the least.
It will be admitted that the Balaamitcs
will secure a number of articles which
will legitimately conic in their line, which
the other society would not take cogni
zance of. And this association expects to
collect such articles nnd realise something
handsome for the benefit of the commis
sion. Then again, this association expeots
to get a small subscription, say fifty cents,
from young men which the other society
could not reach, and further, our writings,
bills, posters, and cards, and our example,
will have a moral effect in favor of the
other society, by arousing the patriotism
of the people to do their whole duty in
this noble cause.
The agents for the Balaam association
are expected to be diligent, and not let
their townships go uncanvasscd. We
think there is not a young man at home,
enjoying the freedom of our country, and
the blessings of a civilians life, that would
be so pernicious as not to be thankful for
the privilege of assisting to alleviate the
sufferings of our sick and wounded sold
iers, by paying at least FIFTY CUNTS to
the 'unitary Commission. For the ben
efit of those who are friendly to the cause,
the officers of the association are obliged
to keep an accurate account of the dona
tions of each township, whether in money
or articles for exhibition. Also what ar
ticles arc purchased, how much is realized
from said purchase and how much paid
to Sanitary Commission. After the Fair,
the accounts of the Association will be
auilitcd and published, that all interested
may know that every cent of their sub
scription was properly expended. Then
let each township agent see if his district
will not bring in the largest subscription
and greatest collection of novelties. It
will be necessary for each one to work
and get others to assist him, and the
township that wins the laurels, shall wear
the feather.
Any information desired by our agents
will be cheerfully and promptly given by
addressing, WIN. 31. CLARKE.
Thistle of tho Association.
Governor Edwards, of the
Choctaw nation, has issued a procla
mation urging tho Indians of that
tribe to return to their allegiance to
the government.
The Apportionment Bill,. J
Wc are under mitny obligations to Al
fred Slack. Esq., Member of the
Legislature, fljr a correct ami early copy
of the A pporlionuient Hill as it passed
both Houses. We refer the reader to the
vote for Governor and Supreme Judge
last fall, to ascertain the probable politi
cal complexion of future Legislatures un
der the new Apportionment:— Pitt). Gat.
nousK.
c EWJ. No. otJklM.! County. So. of Bops.
Philadelphia, tSAHejiliflir, c
IltlAwarc, 1, Dauuhin, -
Ch.slw, 3 Yoik, J
Montgomery, -jCunifcafl md,
lUirks. * 2 Ferry and FrauMln, 2
Lehigh, iiJAdonM, 1
Northampton, 2! Somerset.Bedford Sc FiiUon.ii
Carbou nnd Monroe, 1 llrmlf.»rd and Sullivan, 2
Wayne and pike, 1 lllair,
Luzerne, 3|Cntribrla,
Siusquelfanna A Wyoming, 21 Clearfield, Elk A Forest, 1
J.m>mlng,Union Snyder,ls Clarion and Jefferson, 1
Columbia and Montour, 1 Armstrong, 1
Northumberland, 1 Indianaaud Wwtmoreland.U
Tioga and Potter, 2 Fayette, I
Clinton,Cameron k M'Koanl Greene. 1
C entre 1 Heater and Washington, 3
Huntingdon, Juniata and Venango and Warren, 2
Mifflin. 2 i Crawford, 2
Schuylkill, S Brie, * 2
links. 3, Utwrenee, M«i eer x Butler,4
Lancaster, 4
Übanon, 1 Total, 100
SENATE.
Districts. No. of Senators.
1,2, a, 4 Philadelphia Cltv, 4
6 Chester, Delaware and Montgomery, 2
0 Bucks, 1
7 l«ehigb and Northampton, 1
8 Ilerk*. 1
V BeliuvlkJU. 1
10 Carbon, Monroe, Tike and Wayne, 1
11 Bradford. Su*<jurlianua and Wyoming,
12 Luzerne,
i:s rotter. Tioga, M'Kenn and Clinton,
14 Lycdmtng, Union and Pnyder,
15 Northumberland, Mo tour, Columbia A Sullivan, I
10 Dauphin and Lebanon, 1
IT Lancaster, 2
18 York And Cumberland,
10 Adams and Frunkliu,
20 Somerset, Bedford and Fult-.n, 1
21 lllair,lluntinjwlon,Centre,Mifflin, Juniata A Perry,2
22 Cambria, Indiana and Jefferson, 1
2.1 Clearfield, Cameron, Clarion. Forest and Elk, 1
•21 Westmoreland, Fayette and li revue, 1
25 Allegheny, JL
20 Heaver and Washington,
27 l.iwrenee, Butler and Amtftroftg, 1
2S Mercer, Venango and Warren, 1
20 Crawford and lirie, 4
«)
Ilow Shall We Itcluliulc?
It appears to be agreed on all hands,
From the President down, that there ought
to be retaliation lor the masSacre at Kort
Pillow. The President has promised it.
and ho keeps his promises well. In all
the newspapers and speeches in which the
demand for retaliation has been so many
times repeated,we haveseen nothing.how
ever, that indicates that a single man has
yet settled in his own mind in what way
retaliation ought to be visited, ['resident
Lincoln evidently felt this embarrassment
when he spoke so emphatically at Haiti
more, and we doubt whether he has yet
approached any nearer to a solution of
the difficulty. 'A Chicago paper suggests
that it would be an easy thing to select
three or four hundred from the rebels con
fined at Fort Douglas, and ehoot them and
thus square the account, iiut it studi
ously abstains from recommending that it
be done. The President suggested pret
ty nearly the same thing, but instantly
pointed out the injustice of retaliating on
men who had no share in the outrage.—
'l'he Government, however, seems to have
made provision, some time ago, for doing
this very thing, when it issued an order in
which it is declared: '''l'he Government
of the United States will give the same
protection to all its soldiers, and if the en
emy shall sell or enslave any one because
of his color, the offense shall bo punished
by retaliation upon the enemy's prisoners
in our possession. It is therefore order
ed, that for every soldier of the United
States killed in violation of the laws of
war, a rebel soldier shall be executed."
This seems to cover the ease complete
ly, for there can be no pretense that our
soldiers in Fort Pillow were not ''killed in
violation of the laws of war." It would
appear, therefore, that the Government
has a clear course, unless it shall now con
clude that its own order and policy cannon
or ought not to be enforced. That the
number of those " killed in violation of
the laws of war," is unexpectedly great,
docs not alter the principle. It, on the
contrary, aggravates the offense.
Hut, does the country expect the Gov
ernment to live up tothisorder '! Do cool
men demand that it should ? If they do
not, what do they propose? Although
President Lincoln is presumed to he equal
to the emergency, we do not question that
lie would be glad to know what men think
on the subject. What says the pulpit—
what says the statesman ? Are we to re
serve the pains and penalties for Forrest's
barbarians, as we catch them, and if we
do not catch them at all, as most likely we
will not—arc we to permit the barbarity
togo unavenged ? It is said that Grierson
has "picked up" some of Forest's men.—
Has lie hung thorn? If he has not, he
ought.
I'he N. Y. Putt thinks that General
Washburne, who now commands in that
Department, should at once demand of the
rebels the surrender of the men engaged
in the massacre. To say nothing of the
difficulties in the way of making such a
demand —Forrest being far and getting
further away,—is it probable the men
would be given up, or that the demand
would prove anything but a pro
ceeding? The rebel commander might
Bay, perhaps, if you catch the men, as you
arc at liberty to do, you may deal with
them as you like. There is little force in
the suggestion, and nothing in it that
promises the slightest approach to a solu
tion. Hut the very thing the Pott deprc
catiugly suggests, as likely to ensue, after
all, seems to us the most complete, if not
the best, method for retaliation. It says:
"There is danger, in the meantime, that
our soldiers, incensed at the cruelty and
bloodthirstiness of the enemy, will take
vengeance into their own bands, and re
quite the murders of Fort Pillow, by spar
ing no lives hereafter in battle. '
Whatever the Government does or fails
to do in the premises, to this complexion
it will come, and at no very remote period.
It may shock the theology of some that it
should be so, but wherein is it worse than
would be the taking of, man forman, from
the rebel paLsonersin our hands and shoot
ing them in cold blood ? The process
might not be so exact as to numbers, tho'
as for that we can trust our soldiers to keep
the books.
The Boston Traveller, in discussing this
question, makes the distinction that ought
to he kept in view. Had the Ft. Pil
low garrison been massacrod after sur
rendering, thou wo might think of inarch
ing out an equal number from one of our
prisou camps, and shoot thcin before break
fast. Hut the circumstances were differ
£,i t Vm 0u l& not a character that palli
-1,11 lIUS - j -v» 1 * .* r pil « .
matter, the Traveller arnvesut this conclu
sion :
Let the first rebel fort th\t we shall
storm be troated as Fort Pillov was treat
ed : put the garrisou to tho sword, and do
so avowedly because of Huford's eouduct
at Fort Pillow, lettjug ij. be clearly under
htjod that the act shall be one of ven
geance. and that wedonot purpose adopt
ing the rule of shoeing 110 quarter. If
the enemy choose to perpetrate more
butcheries, then maintain the practice of
retaliatian. but let in each instance be for
cause, and not as a general principle of
action, or because we would establish in
discriminate slaughter of the vanquished
as a mode of warfare. Thus proceeding,
we shtukl have the laws of waronourside,
and the sympathies of mankind would be
with us.
As we have said, retaliation is likely to
take this form, in any event. Of the half
million men now about to advance on t) 1 c
foe. we may bo assured that a sufficient
number "have an oath in heaven" t<> put
to rest all doubts as to hu\y 4'uUg I'oiX l.'ij,
low will be avenged ! — l'ills/jury It Com
mercial.
IiKAIIQt All mis ARMY OS POTOMAC,
April 2a.—As the time is approaching
when some of the regiments belonging
this army arc to be di?ehari;u4"+foin the
service by reason"expiration of the
. U i intoT winch they were mustered into
said service, the command'"'!,' ;
partment has term of a
regiment is to be computed from tho day
of muster into service, withoOt reference
to date of enrollment or of any service
rendered a State. This decision it will
be tho duty of tho Commanding-General
to enforce, and he will, if necessary, re
sort to the most extreme measures for
this purpose, lie will, however, at all
times, be glad to receive and forward for
consideration to the properauthorities any
respectful communication touching the
term of service of regiments, when such
term appears to be involved in doubt.
'l'he Commanding-General indulges the
hope that regiments to be discharged will
cheerfully acquiesce in the decision of tho
Government with regard to the term of
service, and that no organized bodies or
individuals, after having borne 1111 unsul
lied reputation during all the eventful
scenes that have marked their connection
with the Army of the Potomac, will suf
fer the honorable fame they have won bv
their gallantry and good conduct to be tar
nished in the closing hours of their ser
vice by acts of insubordination which is,
or, if ventured upon by any, will be prompt
ly suppressed, and can only terminate in
the speedy and certain punishment of the
offending parties. ljy command of
Maj. Gen. MEAKE.
S. WILLIAMS. A. A. G.
'l'he Atlanta, Georgia. A/>jiea( of the
18th, contains the following :
FORREST'S OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE PA
XJL'L'AII AFFAIR.
DRESDEN, TENS., via OKOLONA. MISS.,
April, ti, 1864.
(Iryrrrnur ('tart, Maroii, Wis*.:
Left Jackson mi the "lid. Captured
Union City on the 24th, with four hund
red and fitly prisoners, among them tho
renegade Hawkins, and most of his regk
ttient, about two hundred horses, and five
hundred small arms. Also took possession
of Hickman, the enemy having vacated
I it. I moved myself, with Gen. Huford's
division, marching from Jackson direct to
Poducah in fifty hours, attacked >t on the
25th, drove the enemy to their gunboats
and forts, held the town for ten hours,
could have held it longer, but finding the
small pox was raging, vacated tbr
Captured many stores arid horse?, burne.'l
sixty bales of cotton, one steamer on the
dry doek, brought out fifty pris'fuTf'fli■ »
My loss at Union City and Pahucah, as
far as known, is twenty-five fulled and
wounded, among them Colonel Thompson,
commandingthe Kentucky brigade, killed,
Lieutenant Colonel Lauhan, Faulkner's
regiment, mortally wounded, and Colonel
Crossland. of the 7th Kentucky, and Lt.
Col. Morton, of the od Tennessee, slight
ly wounded. Enemy's loss In Pahucah,
fifty-five killed and wounded, prisoners in
all five hundred. Have dispatched Gen.
Gholson at Tupelo to meet prisoners at
Corinth and take them to you. Hold pos
session of all the country except posts on
the river. Think if I can remain here
unmolested for fifteen days will be able to
adil two thousand men to my command.
I would urge upon you the importance of
repairing the railroad to Corinth, as well
for the welfare of citizens as for the good
of the department.
N. H. FORREST, Maj. Gen.
CULPEPPER. April 27.—N0 information
has reached headquarters, indicative of
active movements on tho part of the ene
my. There is, however, evidence that
our own army is watched with increased
vigilance by a strong and more extended
line of rebel outposts. It is not believed
that Gen. Lee will take the offensive.
The report that Stuart's cavalry is con
centrating at Fredericksburg has not been
verified, nor has there been skirmishing
at any point of our lines. Hoth sides still
keep jmrfectly quiet.
The main body of Longstrcct's forces is
still near Charlotteville. It is supjiosofi
that it will remain there until the inten
tions of our commanders are developed,
and move to the defence of Richmond or
the support of Lee, as occasion may re
quire.
The following important order lias been
issued by Major General Meade:
Oaf Major-General Sherman has issueit
the following general order: "Provisions
will no longer be issued to citizens at mil
itary posts south of Nasnville. Where
citizens cannot procure provisions in the
country, there is no alternative but they
must remove to the rear."
SST Lien. Max Weber has joined Gen,
Sigcl's command and will be assigned to
Harper's Ferry.