ess was afraid of the press, and were not willing to make laws
stringent enough for the army on this subject. The President was nervous
in this respect, and commanding Generals were afraid of criticisms; so
it was the only class that had the privilege of doing and saying what
it wished to, and, my friends, that is one of our troubles even now. Our
statesmen are afraid to speak out and give their opinions, without first
looking around to see if any one has a pencil and notebook in his hand.
This is getting to be almost unbearable, to find some person in nearly
every small assemblage of people, on the street, in the hotel, in the
store, even in your own private house, reporting what you have for
dinner, what this one said about some other one, what this one did or
said, or expects to do or say in the future. But I am wandering from my
story."

"Well, Uncle Daniel, your discussions on all subjects are interesting,"
replied the Doctor.

"I have been thinking of what you said about the press during the war,"
said Col. Bush; "and taking what you said upon the subject of our great
ambition here in the North to get money, and let all else take care of
itself, I can see that the same sordid spirit pervaded the press during
our war; fortunes were made by many newspapers in that way; everybody
bought papers then; we sold the news to our own people for money and
furnished it to the rebels gratis. Get money, get money; that is our
worst feature, and most dangerous one it is, for the country's welfare."

"I agree with you, Colonel," spoke up Maj. Clymer, "but I would rather
hear Uncle Daniel talk. On any other occasion I would be delighted to
hear you."

"I beg pardon, Uncle Daniel," replied the Colonel. "I will hereafter be
a patient and delighted auditor."

"Well, when the army was under way there was great excitement and alarm
throughout the North among the Union people. Our armies in the East had
not been successful, and the sympathizers with the rebellion all over
the country were again beginning to be rather saucy. They would
enjoy getting together and reading of our defeats and discuss, to our
disadvantage, the failures of our attempts to subdue the rebellion,
and in this way made it very uncomfortable for any person who loved
his country and desired its success. They would in every way try to
discourage our people by saying 'this movement now commencing will
only be a repetition of what we have already had so often latel