power and resources the _Gazette_ did from time to
time proclaim its faith in Northern victory[1219], but always in such
terms as to render possible a hedge on expressed opinion and always with
the assertion that victory would not result in reunion. Russell's most
definite prophecy was made on July 30, 1864:

"The Southern Confederacy, like Denmark, is left to fight by
itself, without even a conference or an armistice to aid it;
and it will be strange indeed if the heroism, endurance, and
resources of its soldiers and citizens be not eventually
dominated by the perseverance and superior means of the
Northern States. Let us repeat our profession of faith in the
matter. We hold that the Union perished long ago, and that
its component parts can never again be welded into a
Confederacy of self-governing States, with a common
executive, army, fleet, and central government. Not only
that. The principle of Union itself among the non-seceding
States is so shocked and shattered by the war which has
arisen, that the fissures in it are likely to widen and
spread, and to form eventually great gulfs separating the
Northern Union itself into smaller bodies. But ere the North
be convinced of the futility of its efforts to substitute the
action of force for that of free will, we think it will
reduce the Southern States to the direst misery[1220]...."

Such occasional "professions of faith," accompanied by sneers at the
"Confederate partisanship" of the _Times_[1221] served to differentiate
the _Gazette_ from other journals, but when it came to description and
estimate of specific campaigns there was little to choose between them
and consequently little variance in the effect upon the public. Thus a
fortnight before his "profession of faith," Russell could comment
editorially on Sherman's campaign toward Atlanta:

"The next great Federal army on which the hopes of the North
have so long been fixed promises to become a source of
fearful anxiety. Sherman, if not retreating, is certainly not
advancing; and, if the Confederates can interfere seriously
with his communications, he must fall back as soon as he has
eaten up all the supplies of the district.... All the
enormous advantages possessed by the Federals have been
nullified by want of skill, by the interference of Washington
civilians, and by the ab