Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-10-09
cRIDAY::::::::::::::::::::.:oCToBER 3, 1851.

FRIDAYs::::::::::::=:::=::::.=ocToB ,, 1851.
n Irsssas AAninistration.
There probably never was, during the entire
.xisteoce Of our country, an administration so
sDuindful ef its duties and responsibilities, and
- which seemed to have such an utter disre-
md FOR the honor and prosperity Of the country
- the lives Of its citizens.
while an expedition was fitting out for a hos
f1e descent upon the possessions OF a friendly
nower. in yioiation Of our treaties and laws, the
President and his cabinet-are of on pleasure
Tip to New York. =.
Nool. without even the form Of trial. or any
ros;t;ve knowledge Of their guilt the Presiden. IS
rstiesting in Virginia, and his cabinet--elec-
t;oeeesinx for the Wtig ticket all over the Union
While his abolition allies are committing trea-
e bv arming fugitive slaves to resist the laws of
~ laud, and instigating them to murder citizens
sndeavoring to obtain their own property, while
Mood 3 flowing almost within sight Of the Capt.
i,l the President and his cabinet--are of on a
sSeasure excursion to Boston.
n this the same government administered by
Wellington, jefferson, Madison, Jackson and
ppIk? Is this the way they performed their Of
fc,al duties, and complied with the requisitions
81 heir solemn official oaths.-Ga=ctte
Soae falsehoods are too gross even for the be-
III II the most ignorant and credulous II is
seldom Of any advantage to reply to such, unless
M come from source which may have some
a;rattitie to respect. The Gazette is the dem
sefstc organ in this county, and it is just possi-
ble that there may be a few persons within the
r,aes Of its influence who may be disposed to
t,hs N it says for truth. II this should be the
ea,e, Il will do no harm to send an antdote along
With the ssleperous distilment" of which the Ga
zstte seems anxious its readers may partake.
ignorance Is some extenuation of mere mis-
t,ke Of fact, but il will not excuse an open and
palpable perversion Of what is known to all the
nublic. In the above remarks of the Gazette
this win be no apology, however it may be in
much that mar be found in its weekly Issues
They are positive assertions Of what every man,
Of ordinary Intelligence, knows to be utterly
without any foundation in fact. They are ex-
pressly denied BY prominent Democrats, as well
Is BY the members of the Wing party; and the
inuendoes they would convey to the public. dis
grace the man that conceived them even below
the standard which we would suppose the defend
er Of the action of our county Judge would be So
licitoas TO sustain
II an easy matter 70 say that the Adm;iistra-
ton has been .'unmndful of its duties and res
possibilities" and has an '.utter disregard for the
honor and prosperity Of the country" Such Ian
g1age is withont meaning unless il be accompa-
MED BY at least some pretence Of evidence of its
truth. The facility with which some persons
throw out their scandalous conceptions is only to
be equalled BY their haste TO endorse anything
dsionorable that may by any means further the
aims Of democrats or democracy. They seem 10
feel their own ineraiicable vileness and are only
too anxious that others should be dragged down
10 their own level.
The charges of the Gazette in a great measure
refute themselves. twas wrong-it was neg
lect Of duty, for the President to be in New York
while san expedition was fitting out for hostile
descent upon the possessions of friendly power,
in violation of our treaties and laws.D Then. the
expedition ras sshostile,'' and was Gin yalo.on Of
our treaties and laws.' This is strange adm:s-
sion Of the Gazette's. Yet we fear it was not
made ingenuously-its sole object, we have no
doubt, was TO swell the number of its charges
So far we agree. It seems to us, too, that those
who were engaged in this s'hostile expedition"
and in ssviolatng our treaties and laws,' have no
very strong claims upon our respect or favor, or
that Of the President, OF of any man who respects
our sstreaties and laws,' and who would main
tain the public faith nviolate. Intact we strong
" incline to the opinion that the man who defends
the actions of such persons would not hesitate
long about trampng upon our ''treaties and laws''
himself, if. at any time, he should find il his in
terest to do 50. Sympathy for men who deliber-
ately undertake ''hostle expedition against
the possessions Of friendly power" !" is pretty
positive indication of the conduct Of its posscssor
in similar circumstances. It may be very natur-
Il for the Gazette to sympathize with such men,
Ths party whose organ it is, has acquired an un-
enviable notorety in this State, on account of the
deference il has ever extended to the laws of the
State and Union and it is not astonishing that
the organ echoes its sentiments. We agree with
the Gazette, however, as to the character of the
expedition Of which it speaks.
Ihe sext charge is that the President 'swas rus
teating in Virginia while American citizens are
batcherei in cold blood, &c.n Supposing the
facts to be truly stated, the Gazette must show
us that the President had been in Washington
he could have prevented the butchery Of which it
speaks, before any ground is laiG upon which to
osse charge Of neglect. The fact is, and it is
known to every body, that neither the President,
nor the whole power Of the nation could have
prevented it, unless he he'd foreseen what mad
ness and folly, . vindictive South American
would manifest, and that few American citi-
sens and as many foreigners, wonld enlist under
his banner. trampling upon the laws Of the Union,
and attempt 10 reyolutionize, in the words of the
Gustte, ssthe possessions of friendly power'
The two charges amount to this: the President
neglected his duty in not preventing the fit
hing out Of the Cuban expedition, and, secondly,
he should have interposed to avert the well
known and inevitable consequences of their infat-
aation. As 10 the first charge, he did all he could
legally do, until some overt act was committed,
when be issued his proclamation last April, warn
Ing all y beware Of such enterprises Aud as to
the second, it was absolutely impossibl., for him
10 do anything. The Gazette knows that the
news OF the landing of Lopez in Cuba, and of the
oatcnsry OF cri;tenden's men, reached this com
tFy almost simll aaecasly, so that action in their
hal