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[[Newspaper Clipping No. 1]] we have fallen upon degenerate times. Men once sober in the national councils, loved their country's growth and grandeur, and who would fain have spat upon him who would have dared to speak of dismembering our glorious commonwealth, now clamor for two, and three, and four distinct confederacies. Even in the good old conservative Keystone State this moral treason is making exhalations of its scorpion breath. May the God of liberty, of justice and mercy save the populace from such corrective teachings. One Country - one christian sentiment - one Government - one United States - one people with one heart - a heart of bearable and forbearance, is yet the latent prayer of those who live for their country's good, and the good of the world's humanity. Cursed be the traitor that would teach a sectional hate in any quarter. States may differ in their industries and tastes. Slavery may be definite in one, and indefinite in another. Oppression in legislative distinctions may stalk bare faced for a time in the North, and oppression may chain the heathen in the South under constitutional necessities, but in all this the true considerate man can see no cause for the promulgation of sectional animosities, nor geographical divisions of a people who have moved the admiration of the civilized world. Down with the clamor of the glib-tongued abolitionist, and down with the camp followers of the man stealers. Let the conservative, the nation loving, the humble artisan and agriculturist speak, and all will be well. Let the spoilsmen hush their pestilential clamoring for war and glory, rapine and robbery, pestilence and disorder, all first fruits of a dismembered Republic, and all matters will yet be reconciled that set the North against the South, and makes the Southern people so alarmed. Seekers for office, and purely partizan [[partisan]] leaders, scoff at the honest conservatism of those who plead for reconciliation and compromises, honorable to the nation and degrading to nobody; but they are not the men to face the music and bear the brunt of the conflict of civil war they would engender for a mere abstraction. They are the men who would feast upon the spoils of revolution, and who may be the first victims of a demoralized people that they themselves have contaminated by false doctrines and selfish prejudices. May God give us grace and strength to frown them down until the present commotion shall sweep them away among the debris of a renovated empire. LOYALTY. [[/Newspaper Clipping No. 1]] [[Newspaper Clipping No. 2]] OFF FOR THE WAR: Prof. Wise and his Son Charles Wise, left last night in the Express train, with their new war ballon, to join the army under Gen. McDowell, having received a dispatch yesterday from Capt. Whipple, of the Topographical Engineers, desiring to know how soon they could be in Washington with the balloon. The Messrs. Wise expect to report at head quarters to night, prepare the aerial ship for the field and be ready to invade "the sacred air" of Virginia early in the morning, if required. Prof. Wise has promised The Express a dispatch from the sacred atmosphere of the Old Dominion as soon as he had the apparatus in working order, and should an engagement take place below the elevated position he expects to assume, he will give us an account of it as seen from that point. We need not add such a narrative from his facile pen would be of absorbing interest. [[/Newspaper Clipping No. 2]] [[Newspaper Clipping No. 3]] PROF. WISE AND HIS WAR BALLOON: Prof. Wise reached Washington with his War Balloon on Friday, and was at once placed under charge of the Topographical Bureau. A wagon and men were detailed to remove the balloon to the place of inflation, and arrangements made to get it ready to proceed that night to the seat of war, so as to be ready for a reconnorisance [[reconnoissance]] on Saturday, and during the engagement then projected for Sunday. The train provided for Mr. Wise consisted of twenty men, with a wagon for the balloon, and an army wagon with three days rations. The intention was to march on Friday night for Centreville, so as to reach the seat of war and be ready to reconnoiter on Saturday morning. The instructions were to ascend within two miles of the enemy's line, and remain up during the engagement, taking up an army officer, who is to signal the events of the day to Gen. McDowell. The telegraph makes no mention of a balloon having been used in the battle yesterday, or even of its arrival in Washington-hence we have no means of knowing whether the programme laid down was carried out or not. The Government may have deemed it proper not to allow any mention of its arrival there to be telegraphed abroad in advance of the reconnoissance. Major Bache, chief of the Topographical Bureau, has approved of Prof. Wise's plan of a portable inflating apparatus, and we understand that he was to have leave of absence, after the battle of Manassas, to superintend its construction. [[/Newspaper Clipping No. 3]] [[Newspaper Clipping No. 4]] OUR ARMY CORRESPONDENCE. PROF. WISE'S WAR BALLOON. An Account of the First Expedition Correspondence of The Express. On Saturday Prof. Wise got orders from the Topographical officer, Capt. Woodruff, of the War Department, to inflate the Balloon of Observation on the Armory grounds, ready to proceed to Centreville, Va., to report to Capt. Whipple, in Gen. McDowell's army. While he was getting ready for the inflation he was joined by a detachment of twenty picked men from Small's regiment, under the command of Sergeant Bird, fully armed and equipped, with forty rounds of cartridge, and accompanied by an army wagon with a team of four horses, to render such service as the expedition required. At two o'clock on Sunday morning they were joined by Major Myer, under whose charge the train proceeded and was commanded. They took up their line of march out Pennsylvania avenue, and the nocturnal expedition, under a bright moon, proceeded cleverly along, ever and anon retarded by the telegraph wires, over which they had to maneuver the "captive balloon." From this cause they were somewhat delayed. They passed through Georgetown in the grey of the morning, when they crossed on the aqueduct bridge to Arlington Heights. From there they had a rugged march along the line of canal, several times the soldiers having to wade and swim the canal to tow the balloon around the bush. When five miles from Washington, they cut across to the Fairfax road and joined the wagon train, which had crossed the ferry. The Fairfax road was lined with pickets, affording the expedition ready aid; and several times it was required, as violent struggles ensued between the balloon and the elements. Along this road the country is thickly wooded, and often the balloon had to be raised above the tree tops, requiring quick and energetic maneuvers to take her along; but the soldiers, having learned the nature of the thing somewhat by this time, did remarkably well, Charley Wise, the Professor's son, being in their midst to direct them. When seven miles out they were informed that a fierce battle was raging at Manassas, and soon after, my informant states, they descried the smoke of battle in the distance. Peal upon peal of artillery, and fire upon fire of line of battle, made the earth and woods vibrate with the shock. Some one in the train cried out, "Somebody is getting hurt today;" but little did they dream that our brave soldiers were being mowed down by the enemy's batteries. When they got half way to the place of destination, the firing became so rapid and incessant that the train became excited to a rapid onward march. Crossing a bridge, the road was overlapped by a beach tree, and soon it was felled by one of the pioneers. Major Meyer then ordered the ballon to be tied close to the wagon, a plan Prof. Wise did not approve of, but - being also moved like the soldiers with a desire to "double quick time," he yielded to the plan. The train then moved rapidly towards Fairfax, and had less than a mile to get through the wooded part of the road, all the while brushing the balloon through the tree contracted roadstead, until the Major and the men really began to think it was as strong as the wagon that was dragging it along, until it became suddenly hedged into a causeway of trees. From this, Prof. Wise tried to extricate it without damage; but neither upward nor backward would avail, and then a forward dash was made, and for a moment it was thought successful, but the smell of escaping gas soon after revealed a rent about its equator, and thus the grand design was frustrated for the time. Here Major Meyers put the train under Professor Wise's orders for a march back to Washington for repairs, while he proceeded to the battle ground. The train reached the armory ground at 4 p.m., having been actively on duty for twenty-four consecutive hours, and the men were worn down with fatigue and want of sleep. To day all the damage was repaired, and the Professor has been ordered to be in readiness for another expedition at a moment's warning. As I am writing the fragments of decimated Regiments are coming to town. Col. Carmeron fell at the first volley when he led his regiment to the charge. We have been badly cut up, but a desperate revenge is now comforting our brave volunteers. Some of these returning squads, dusty and begrimed with blood, show too plainly that a desperate struggle had taken place. Last night and this morning regiment upon regiment is moving over to reinforce Gen. McDowell. I am informed that the War Balloon proved strong and gas tight, and with a tender to inflate from near the ground of battle, would prove of inestimable value; and this the Topographers are now seeing, as Prof. Wise has been authorized to secure plans and specifications for a portable gas generator for the Government. OUTPOST. [[/Newspaper Clipping No. 4]] [[Newspaper Clipping No. 5]] Balloon Fired Into. WISE'S balloon went up this morning early, and when between Fort Corcoran and Ball's Cross, it was seen to collapse suddenly and fall with great rapidity. The general impression is that it was fired into. Your reporter was at Fort Corcoran at the time, and witnessed the swift descent of the balloon. It was too far off to ascertain how many were in the car, but it is feared that their escape from a sudden and terrible death was impossible. The balloon was up yesterday, and could be seen from the city sailing over Virginia. It rested during the night, and went up again this morning, and was but a short time in the air before it collapsed, leaving only a small section of the top filled with gas. The danger of accident from shot will ever operate as a serious objection to the use of balloons over the enemy's grounds; for on going near enough to obtain a view of their works, the balloon is within reach of three and four mile rifle cannon, which, without any trouble, can be so suspended at to the point upward or in any direction required. The rifled cannon of the Second Rhode Island throw shot four miles, and to be of any service a balloon cannot be one half of that distance from the spot to be examined. Even at an elevation of a mile no balloonist could have discovered the batteries at Bull Run; but no discovering them, he might report that no such defences [[defenses]] existed there. The balloon may, however, be used with great advantage, in noting the advance of troops on the main road, and in watching the general movements of an army during an engagement. [[/Newspaper Clipping No. 5]] [[Newspaper Clipping No. 6]] WISE'S ARMY BALLOON-The Rebels Didn't Get it: The report in Forney's Press that Wise's War Balloon was fired into, is correct, but "nobody was hurt." On Thursday last the Balloon was ordered on duty for observation, to see how the Rebel camp was deporting itself on the south side of the Potomac, and on Friday morning about sunrise it was in the act of being moved to Arlington Heights by way of the Georgetown Aqueduct bridge. In order to make the men more efficient, Prof. Wise ordered them to put their knapsacks, haversacks, and a portion of them their muskets, into the car of the Balloon. While the unaccoutred men were towing the aerial man-of-war ship along the tow path of the Aqueduct, the wind bore it down the Potomac, bringing the guy ropes heavily on the telegraph wires. One of the wires being a twisted rough cord, cut the ropes so much that the draught of the Balloon broke them, and off she went into the upper deep, loaded with army stores and bristling with her glistening bayonets in the morning sunbeams, presenting a most unique but grand sight as she soared defiantly from her command below. In this dilemma, Prof. Wise ordered the four mandane muskets to fetch her down, and as quickly the order was obeyed; but the majestic United States aerial man of war made one shrug of her shoulders, tottered between heaven and earth for a few moments, apparently recovering from her four minie bullet woulds, up and off she sailed. As she passed over Arlington, she received several more volleys, and in ten minutes after, her desertion, she bursted from the expansion of gas-being tied closely shut at the safety valve-and fell in the rear of the Rebel General Lee's country seat. There a party of New York Volunteers took her in hands, and after making an opportune breakfast upon her "three days' rations," put her in good order for transportation back to the Columbia Armory. Geo. Porter, Assistant Quarter Master, sent out an army wagon to bring her back to Washington for repairs. Prof. Wise is now in town procuring materials for repairs, and intends to have her ready for service again on Thursday morning next. The reporter of Forney's Press having witnessed the affair at a distance, and seeing the formidable armanent [[armament]] of knapsacks and guns displayed in the car, took it for granted that there were men near at hand to use them, and thus the inference that somebody was in the car. Persons in the vicinity declared that it was the grandest balloon spectacle they ever witnessed. Her cargo aboard was five hundred pounds. We are convinced that balloons of observation properly supplied and equipped, are useful contrivances in warfare, but we are also convinced of the truth of Prof. Wise's remark that "a balloon without its attendant inflating apparatus, is like an artillery gun with its amunition [ammunition]] wagon." [[/Newspaper Clipping No. 6]] [[Newspaper Clipping No. 7]] THE BALLOON SHOT on the Virginia side of the Potomac did not contain any one. It seems that it escaped from its moorings at Georgetown Aqueduct and steered for the enemy's lines. Several shots were fired at it before it came down. We are not informed whether it was Wise's balloon or not, but he, at all events is safe. [[/Newspaper Clipping No. 7]]