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Semi-Weekly Dispatch: January 28, 1862 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

The President and Fugitive Slaves of Rebels
(Column 5)

Summary: Reprints the proclamation of President Lincoln whereby he declared that the government cannot return fugitive slaves to owners in the states that have declared war on the United States, since those states have repudiated the protection of the U. S. government.

Weary Not in Well Doing
(Column 1)

Summary: Urges the women of Pennsylvania to form Ladies' Aid Societies in every village and town, as well as church and school societies, to make sure that all women contribute necessary supplies for the soldiers who are ill in hospitals throughout the Union.

The Spirit and Abolitionism!
(Column 1)

Summary: Encourages the editor of the Valley Spirit to quit his job at the newspaper and instead travel through the county preaching against abolitionism. Expresses bewilderment at the Spirit's most recent proclamation whereby he declares that "the Abolition party is an enemy to the present Administration" when in the past he has repeatedly denounced that administration.

Full Text of Article:

When will the Spirit cease blowing and scribbling upon this favorite theme? It has really become as great a passion with it as that of the renowned Don Quixote, whose fertile imagination on one occasion conjured up an army of warriors, against whom the chivalrous knight believed it to be his holy mission to engage in deadly combat. He could not be persuaded that they were a flock of sheep any more than our Democratic Quixote believes that the poor Abolitionists are other than monsters and fiends! A weekly paper is a poor medium through which to issue his fierce philippics against the dangerous Abolition combination in the North, and the new editor might as well vacate for a season his chair editorial, pocket the Richmond papers from which to cull his favorite texts, mount some fleet Rosinante, and fulminate without limit against Abolitionism in his journeyings through his native county. What a sight of good he might accomplish to himself pecuniarily and to his party politically! What a notoriety he might acquire, and what ovations would meet him in the welcoming shouts of the throng when he would pull up the "old hoss" at every favorite stopping place! Then he would be in the broad way of establishing his mission as was the famous hero of Servantes. When accomplished, he could then write the story of his thrilling adventures, and become an "immortal" by their publication in the quarto sheet of the Valley Spirit. Jupiter Custos! why don't you undertake the great work, man, at once? Begin your movement when Gen. M'Clellan shall have closed around the traitorous scamps of Secessia, and begun to strike his crushing blows upon the head of the Rebellion. If your field of operations in Franklin County is but a "pent-up Utica," you will become as notorious at home as the gallant leader of our armies will become famous throughout the country.

We had written thus far when our eyes rested on the following strangely fashioned lines in the last Spirit:

"It must be patent to every mind that the Abolition party is an enemy to the present Administration."

What does the editor mean here? Did he not publish to the people of Franklin Co., in a previous number of his paper, that by the advent of a certain "fiendish party to power," the Southern people had become alarmed? The Abolition party, in the last number of his paper "is an enemy to the present Administration," and they are consequently not in power, while the "fiends" have ceased to alarm the rebel slave-holder! Maybe the new editor is endeavoring to mollify his outraged Republican friends, and means hereafter to speak in more respectful terms of the Republican party, who really did make their advent to power! Or, perhaps, as there are certain lucid intervals with every political Quixote, he has forgotten his previous ravings, and his momentary sanity prompts him to be courteous and dignified even to his political opponents. The new editor may deserve a better fate, but we fear his political madness will prompt him at times to the utterance of such extravagant denunciations of even those in his own party, who are tainted in the least with the anti-slavery feeling, that he will not only make himself very ridiculous, but very unpopular. We close with the proffer of our counsel, and beg the editor's permission to use a little Latin for his own private car: Monito in tempore!

Battle of Blue's Gap
(Column 2)

Summary: A letter from Mr. H. R. Treher, who formerly resided in Chambersburg, to his parents in Loudon. Mr. Treher participated several weeks ago in the battle of Blue's Gap in western Virginia and describes his part in it.

Death of Charles Linderman
(Column 1)

Summary: Notes the death several weeks prior of Mr. Charles Linderman, a citizen of Chambersburg who had moved to Bendersville, Anderson County, where he was teaching music. Mr. Linderman was about 24 years old. His remains were brought to Chambersburg for burial.
(Names in announcement: Mr. Charles Lindeman)

Trial of Jacob McFerren for the Murder of John Welsh
(Column 2)

Summary: Relates "the facts of the case" as they were presented at trial and reports that the jury handed down a verdict of not guilty. Messrs. G. W. Brewer, C. S. Eyster, and District Attorney George Eyster represented the Commonwealth, and Messrs. F. M. Kimmell, W. Reilly, J. M'D. Sharpe, Wm. McClellan, and W. S. Everett represented the defendant. The jury consisted of R. M'Cormick, D. Myers, W. Allison, M. Phalon, W. Koons, J. Laughlin, B. Huber, P. Plough, D. M. B. Shannon, J. McKinnie, A. Sheiry, and J. Bowermaster.
(Names in announcement: Jacob McFerren, John Welsh, Mr. G. W. Brewer, Mr. C. S. Eyster, Mr. Geo. Eyster, Mr. F. M. Kimmell, Mr. W. Reilly, Mr. J. M'D. Sharpe, Mr. Wm. McClellan, Mr. W. S. Everett, R. M'Cormick, D. Myers, W. Allison, M. Phalon, W. Koons, J. Laughlin, B. Huber, P. Plough, D. M. B. Shannon, J. McKinnie, A. Sheiry, J. Bowermaster)

Court Proceedings
(Column 3)

Summary: Reports proceedings of the recent session of court held in Chambersburg on the previous Monday.

Marriages
(Column 4)

Summary: Mr. Geo. Hetrich and Miss Saloma Lincks, both of Chambersburg, were married on January 26.
(Names in announcement: Mr. Geo. Hetrich, Miss Saloma Lincks)