The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-10-15

right on their side, if they were in reality
the Democracy Of the country--their cause
would be invulnerable. It's because we
know they are in the wrong, and their
| Pretenslons to Democracy are but mere
pretensions, that we do all this.
! Our opponents have known all along
that we have been actnated BY higher
motive than mere policy-we have acted
from a sense Of duty and Of principle in
opposing their measures. They know,
too, that we have professed to be govern
ed by religions principle in all our acts,
and had we been less consistent than our
| course has shown us to have been, we
should have resented their personal insults
! i'll a manner that would in all probability
have long ago silenccd them. They knew
all lhis;--and they have taken advantage
oft. Think you they would have dured
use the language they have often employ
ed against us, if they had been sure they
were coping with one who was in the la
bit of taking vengeance into his own
hands? e,.. il ... .a .~,.. -.'.
In the heat of party excitement, Ian
guage may be used which may be attrib-
uted more to the ebulliiions of partizan
zeal than to the sober and calm judgmcn,
of reason or argument; in such 4 case we
are always willing to make all charitable
allowances. But when men seem to make
it their trade to find occasion to abuse 9TH
ers without any motive, the conviction
will fasten itself in the mind that deep
seated enmity is at the bottom. We are
willing that the course pursued by US to-
wards our opponents should be tried by
any fair rule, and we shall not fear the re-
suit. With this remark we shall leave
all that is past in the hands Of the public,
with the exception Of the transactions of
last Saturday night. This is what has in
duced us TO make up the present article,
and by stating all the facts in the case,
they can see the propriely Of laying this
subject before them.
The mail did not come in until late on
Saturday evening. While waiting for it,
being engaged in conversation with some
of our fellow citizens, Gen. Dodge, with
several of his brother office holders, step
ped up, and he being Immediately in our
front, we very respectfully accosled him
by saying Good evening, General
Dodge.'' The election was over, we had
no improper feelings towards him, and not
being conscious of using any unfair means
to defeat him, supposed from the preter-
sions his friends had always claimed for
his courteous and gentlemanly bearing,
he would at least have reciprocated our
salutaton. But instead of this he said,
"Ieannot exchange the compliments which
are due from one gentleman TO another
with you, sir" We made the simple and
lacouic reply Of Every well, SIR He
then approached US again, and without
the least provoca!ion made use Of the fol-
lowing insulting and ungentlemanly Ian .
guage:-"Y GU are God damned eternal
calumniator, scoundrel, coward, and a
God damned rascal, and if you speak to me !
again, shall be under the necessity Of put
ting you Under nv feet, Sir" Our blood
boiled-thought after thought ins,antane-
ously rushed to our brain-we saw before
Us man, just electet! to one of the highest
stations in the gift of the peopfe--a dele
gate to Congress--lowering himself in the
estimation of his fellow men by acting the
bully--taking advantage Of our compara-
lively diminu,ive propor,lons--attempting
in this way to curtaif tire gift which ma
1ure and the rights of man secures to the
lumblcst individual endeavoring to draw
us into street brawl, which he knew our
sense of propriety and the principles of
our action forbade-afl this we saw and
felt. We saw too our friends around,
who stood ready to defend us 10 the last
extremity and who were able and willing
to overcome the office holders. and keep
us from much harm we felt that even if
duty had not called upon us 10 offer no re-
sistance, still we had another and perhaps
a more congenial resource as conductor
of the press, and we chose the latter mode
Of vindicating our character. In having
pursued this course, we are confident we
have done some negative good thus far at
least, because had we obeyed the natural
impulse of our feelings and treated him
as almost any other man would have done,