Semi-Weekly Dispatch

In an article in the Spirit of last week, under the above caption, appears the following shameless falsehood, by way of showing, we presume, that its new editor may be relied on to be as "consistent" in uttering unblushing falsehoods, with reference to political opponents, in the future, as any of his predecessors have been in the past. The Spirit says--

"When the Republican party came into power the country was prosperous and at peace. Now, one half is in the full blaze of rebellion, while the other half is in a fair way of becoming bankrupted in putting it down."

Comment upon the above is, indeed, unnecessary, but we cannot refrain from making a few remarks. A specious of madness must certainly revel in the brain of the man who can recklessly assert, in the face of a reading, intelligent public, at this early day of the rebellion, that "when the Republican party came into power [the 4th of March, last,] the country was prosperous and at peace"! when it is so well known to all who are not wilfully ignorant, that at least seven or eight States had passed Secession ordinances--had seized national forts, arsenals, vessels, and mints--had planted batteries, and were in open rebellion against the government long before Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated.

Screen the faithless and guilty parties as much as you can--blink the question as you may, the country will hold those leaders of the Democratic party who adhered to the Buchanan Administration, and who afterwards followed the fortunes of the rebel, John C. Breckinridge, to the very verge of the pit into which he plunged, as responsible for the rebellion and its attendant horrors and impoverishing results, and not the Republican party, which was not in power when the house was fired by the incendiary's torch.

When James Buchanan transfered [sic] the Government over to Abraham Lincoln, there was scarcely a particle of soundness in it. From the crown of the head to the soles of the feet the whole body politic presented nothing but a mass of reeking corruption, treason and infidelity--the whole head was sick and the whole heart faint. Such being the almost hopeless condition of the patient when given up by the Democratic quack Doctors to the Republican party, the most active and powerful remedial prescriptions had to be resorted to immediately, to revive and restore the wasted and almost ruined health of the Government, brought about by the mal-practice of those who had the charge of it. It was a case of life or death, and a halting, equivocating cowardly policy, (such as had been practiced by the Buchanans, the Brights the Guins, and other Democrats like them,) was altogether inadmissable [sic].--"An ounce of preventive," we are told, "is worth a pound of cure," and as James Buchanan failed to administer the "ounce of preventative," thus permitting the disease to obtain such a fearful headway as to throw the patient into almost a collapsed condition, it became the duty of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican party to administer the "pound of cure," and if it is a terrible dose, the country has James Buchanan, and the Democratic leaders who surround him, to thank for it.

The Rebellion at once assumed the most threatening and gigantic proportions, to meet which

The People looked to Mr. Lincoln to preserve the Union and the Constitution, and no mincing or milk and water measures would do it. An army, in numbers altogether unlike anything known in our history, had to be thrown into the field, armed, equipped and fed; a navy had also to be provided and put afloat; arms of every description had to be manufactured and procured from abroad, in a word, the exigencies were such, that the most extraordinary expenditures had to be made in haste, and without that consideration and attention which the public interests would have demanded in ordinary times. But the Buchanan Administration having left the Government in such a terrible condition, that if the life of the patient was to be saved, movements had to be made quickly. There was no time left for a higgling [sic] policy. The expenditures for the public service amounted to hundreds of millions, and that frauds were perpetrated upon the Government by Army Contractors, in every shape and form, for the purpose of enriching themselves, and, to that extent, depleting the Treasury, there is not a doubt; but that any party that ever existed in this country has shown a more fixed determination to put an end to corruption by ferreting out and punishing offenders than the one now in power, we do not believe. If there ever was, it is very evident it is not the modern Democracy.

In view, then, of the foregoing facts, what must be the regard for truth of the man who can assert that.

"When the Republican party came into power, the country was prosperous and at peace."

Among the significant signs of the times in commercial circles is the rapid decline in the price of several kinds of cotton goods. The day is rapidly approaching, when, instead of cotton-ing to King Cotton, the sovereign people of the United States will find him one of their most humble and submissive subjects.

On the strength of what appeared to be reliable news, we announced, by an extra, on the 14th inst., that Fort Donelson had fallen into the hands of the Federal troops, with a large number of prisoners. It turned out afterwards that we were a day or two too fast, and upon this the Spirit "gives a ghastly grin." We were not the only party, however, that were premature in making such an announcement, as we see that at other points, and especially at Cincinnati, a similar announcement had been made on the same day. As it turns out, however, the capitulation of the enemy took place on the 16th, so that we were not so far out of the way.

The community would be hard up for news if it had to rely upon the columns of the Spirit for it. This is probably the reason for its bad humor. An examination of its columns will show that the reader, who depends upon the Spirit for information with regard to passing events, is from a week to ten days behind the times; but doubtless, if the Federal arms should meet with a Bull Run reverse at Columbus, or some other point on the Mississippi river, its readers would be informed speedily by an extra.

The Committee to make Arrangements for the proper Celebration of the 22d of February, by our citizens, have adopted the following Order of Procession:

The Procession will be under the Marshalship of Capt. John Jeffries.

The Procession will form at 11 1/2 o'clock, on South Main Street; the Right resting on the Diamond.

The Three Months' Volunteers--Capt. Doebler--with martial music.
Friendship Fire Co.
Brass Band.
Hope Fire Company.

The Procession will move up Market St. to Franklin; counter-march to Main; up Main, to Catherine; down Catherine, to Second; down Second to the North Point; then up Main to the Diamond, where arrangements will be made for the raising of the Flag, under the following Order:

1. Raising the Stars and Stripes, by Geo. W. Snider.
2. Firing by the Three Months' Men.
3. Star Spangled Banner. - - - - Band.
4. America. - - - - - - - - - - - Ladies.
5. Washington's Farewell Address, Reve. Harden.
6. Music. - - - - - - Brass Band.
7. Address. - - - - W. S. Everett.
8. Star Spangled Banner. - - Ladies.

The Procession will form in line again down Market St. to Second, and there dismiss.