The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1841-05-06

anu THAI MHiCS3 = - iisO<sS
lby heapjng adi6nl Ga its editor, and MAXI
! ing him obaoxieas-te the -geed .peep}e=of
Iowa, all hope Of Loco Foco ascendancy
will be lost. Were we in any other oc-
|cupation we should escape their abuse
were we on their side, and did we uphold
| their opinions we would be caressed and
applaudedt by these very men. This is
the only correc. view that can be taken to
make them appear any way consistent
For The purpose Of retracing their steps,
and extricating Mr. Van Antwerp and
themselves out of their present difficulty,
they will do as they have done before,
circulate the report that we, are attempt
ing to act the part of prosecuted indi.:
vidual, hoping by such maneuyre to op-
crate on our sense of delicacy, and lead
tus to tesist from all farther discussion on
the subject. We have permitted ourseli
TO be inveigled before in this way, but it
was the last time. That bait won't catch
us again. Whenever it shall appear ne
cessary, no false delicacy shall cause ..us
TO refrain from making plain statement
Of facts, though we may be the subject Of
lsuch statement. Their epithels, though
new coined, and vastly more vulgar5than
they have ever been, will never frigllten
us-they have all lost their power and
their point, as far a; as any meaning is to be
ATTACHED to them.sii t'.as aasi3saH 1870
Why is this gross and ungentlemanly
course employed towards us! Why have
libellous ,epi.hets, such as liar, scoundrel,
hypocrite, and the like, steemed from the
opposition press in this place, and why
are they again brought in requisi.ion
against u.s. Manifestly, because all who
have ever used them knew, from John
York Sawyer, down 70 Yer Plank Van
Antwerp, that zoe did not take sutistac-
ton IN, the ordinary bully fashion
Had some men occupied the station we
fill-nlen whom we could name--had
they been ten times more obnoxious than
we are--not man of the Van Antwerp
clique, would have dared to use epithets
such as is their practice to hurl at U.S.
They may think we tolerate their inso
lence through fear of personal harm, and
attribute all absence of resentment on on,
part to cowardice. But they know no:
thing, and, as we said on. another occa
sion, they cannot appreciate or understand
the workings Of that principle which gov
ems our conduct. When the customs o
society are at variance with the command:
of our Maker, our duty is plain, though
obloquy and reproach follow its perform
ance. WE have like passions with o,he
men, and The common impulses of ou
nature would lead US to fall in with the
public sentiment of society, and take ven
geance into our own hands. Such ;
course would require but little effort, a:
we should be upheld by the force Of pub
lie opinion, which all know runs in tina
channel. We are conscien,iously bount
to suppress these passions, being assured
that vengeance does not belong to us
whoever therefore comes of victorious ir
such a conflict exhibits far greater
amount of moral courage than is requir
ed in challenging and meeting a foe in
the open field. And this is the reason--
it is infinitely easier to float on the current
of public opinion than to buffet the waves
of odium which must inevitably be me,
while stcmming that current. Blu. enough
of this. They have known all along thai
we would not fight, and they have, to all
appearance, taken advantage of such know.
ledge. They may be like the, man whc
called another coward. Said he, '..you
! are a coward ''Ah," said the other
"you knew that before, or you would
not have dared to call me 500 @1a
=, If there had been sufficient provoca
ton on our part, there might be some pal:
liatiah for the terms of obloquy and abuse
) that Mr. Van Antwerp and others have SC
lavishly heaped upon, US. But. when the
slightest attempts, couched in, the most iun
Objectionable language, have been omade
to point out the least inprcpriety Of Ger
tain of our opponents, they were gladly
embraced by them as occasions to opel
their sluice-gates Of defamation and abuse
against us. This was the case of Johr
York Sawyer, referred to by Mr.. Var
Antwerp. All who knew Sawyer while
he was, an editor in Illinois, are aware
that he was as capable of making charges
without any foundation, as is Mr. Var
Antwerp. All know the reason of oui