The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-01-21


trict, TO appoint once in each year skiIiful q
countant in each county ofhis District, who
duty it shall be to exaaiine carefully the 5ool
of each county ofRcer, and to state and reeol
an account between such okficer and his count
and when necessary, between officer and Office
Such examinations by disinteFesteSi pess 4
4 would, in nv opinion, have decidedly benefcs,
effect; the expense attending them would b
very small, and have no doubt the people wo'
Icheerfully bear that expense for the satisfaction
of knowing thas The large amounts of none
they pay as taxes, 10 applied 70 the proper "a
Iject. .s'is .ss.,s f-ss- 4
| apprchend it is scarcely necessary for me B
| recommend to you ~ close and rigid an econom
| in the matter Of appropriations NJ ii consisted
with proper administration Of the affairs Of tn
State. The scarcity Of money, consequent up
on the financial revulsion Of 1857, and the fail
ure Of our crops to great extent since that time
have caused the payment Of the taxesnecessarv .,
the support Of our government, to be felt as
sensible burden by our people, and they have til,
| right to demand and think to demand al ou
hands, that until the present pressure is some
what removed and our financial affairs have be
come somewhat more easy and prosperous, M
shall limit the expenses Of the State to the smal
lest sum compatible with due regard to thu
public interest stia ssts4s s#@ 7af<
An event has recently occurred in our sister
State Of Virginia, causing in that State an in.
tense excitement, which has to greater or less
degree extended throughout our country. al
lude, Of course to the late unlawful invasion OF
that State by John Brown, and his associates
The moving cause that led these misguided men
to that mad attempt, in my opinion, may be easi.
ly and certainly found On the 4th Of March,
1853, President Pierce was inaugurated a. the
chief magistrate Of happy and united people,
The administration Of mis- predecessor had been
marked by settlement Of the agitation Of Sla-
very, growing out Of the acquisition Of territory
from Mexico, ~ the administration Of Mr.. Mon
roe had been marked BY the settlement of sini.
lar agitation in connection with the territory pur-
chased from France during the Presidency.of Mr..
Jefferson, and as these two settlements covered
all the territory then belonging to our Govern
ment our people fondly hoped that for a long
period of time, this vexed and irritating question
would be kept out Of our national councils, and
that the angry and embittering feelings always
arising from its discussion, would then die out
for want Of food. As an additional basis upon
which to rest this hope, our people had the sol
emn pledge of honor Of the political party then
dominant in all branches Of our national gov
erument, deliberately given at the time Mr..
Pierce was nominated by them for the Presiden-
cv, that if placed in power they would resist to
the extent of their power, the agitation Of that
dangerous question. both in the Congress Of the
United States, and out Of it. Unfortunately for
the peace Of the country and for the preserva-
ton OF those kindly and fraternal feelings which
should always exist among our people, Mr. Pierce
and his political friends did not redeem that
pledge. On the contrary, the first important act
OF his administration was the passage of the Kan
sas-Nebraska bill, by which the settlement made
during Mr.. Monroe's administration of the cues
ton Of slavery in the territory acquired from
France, was set aside, and the fountains Of strife
so recently closed, again opened to pour forth
among our people their bitter waters, The ex-
cnse offered for this wanton, uncalled-for and
most unfortunate act was the alleged desire on
the part of those who did it, to settle the ques-
tion Of slavery, then in state ofperect quietude
and repose, and this was to be done by introdnc-
ing into our legislation new policy which de-
MES to Congress power claimed for it BY the
founders OF our government, and exercised by it
from the beginning which declares that to be
unconstitutional which the makers Of the consti-
tuition declared to be constitutional and which
rests upon the strange assumption that the gov
ernment of the United States cannot set up and
maintain in the territories Of the United States
form Of government demanded BY amaioiity Of cur
people, and identical in the disputed particular,
with the form of government OF majority ofthe
States of our confederacy. If the men who did
this thing, did not know that their action would
again produce among us agitation, hoart burning,
jealousy, and ill-will, they were 50 wholly gnor-
ant of the temper and feelings of our people, as
to make them unsafe public servants If they
did know they were unfaithfnl. In either view
they were fiithless to the pledges they had given
as the indueement for placing power in their
hands. The kansas-Nebraska bill was long pend.
NO nd m. vaS str foa II,
Congress. The debates in that body upon it
were acrimonious and exciting; the discussions in
the public press were bitter and infammatory ;
and when the passions oi the people in the DIFF
ferent sections Of our country had been thorough
" aroused, their prejudices infamed, and their
pride enlisted in the contest going on in the halls
Of Congress, that contest was by the passage oil
the bill, transferred from these halls to the plains
Of Kansas; from the represt tntativesi in Congress
to our entire people; and thus was cast into the
arena as prize to be struggled for by an arous
ed and excited people, territory, which, in size
in soil and in climate il equal to some Of the
most powerful monarchies OF the old world M
Did the men who passed that act expect and de-
sire that struggle to be peaceful one The
country would fain 50 believe, yet such belief
qures that we should attribute TO them want 81
knowledge and foresight but little less criminal
il. men in their position, than would have been
the expectation and desire by them that the
struggle should be as it was, hostile and Q
bloody one.
1t is my deliberate conviction, that on the day
on which the opponents Of this new and most un
fortunate measure, aided By few of its original
friends, defeating its legitimate consumation by
defeating the passage OF the 50 called Lecompton
bill, which sought to enforce upon the people o
Kansas constitutions they abhorred, and which
would have required for its enforcement the aid
Of federal bayonets,-on that day the union o.
these States met and escaped the greatest peri
to which it has been subjected. But happily 70,
all, Unexpectedly to the fears of many, adyersel,
perhaps to the wishes of some, the great peril wa
escaped, and Kansas, with n constitution, which
accords with the legislation which, in the las
generation, dedicated her to freedom, and with til,
wishes of her people stands ready to ask admission
into our Union rs free State. do not recul
to these past transactions for the purpose ofagaiT
stirring up i'll feelings now measurably appeased
but for the light, which, in my opinion, the,
throw upon present events. 1t is as true now d
it was in the olden time, that .'they who sow tn
wind shall reap the whirlwind" During til,
struggle in Kansas which makes her story bio
on the page Of our countrys history, the FIRE,
State men Of that territory were treated by thei
pro-slavery brethren in that territory, and in TIL
GlateS, anu Nv tLS uONtTIllueHt. Us ]
they had not the rights, legal or natural, whicl
either were not bound to respect l. ii strang
that some Of them should have ceased to respec
the rights of those whom they looked npol
as their oppressors?--shouldh have learned TO hat
the institution for whose advancement they wer
oppressedg During the same period that othe
new policy called fllibusterisn, and the doctrine
by which it is sought to be upheld, attained fnl
force and vigor. 1t was insisted in substance, b
our southern brethren, and either openly or tai
itly approved BY many in the north, that If on
| people should find upon our borders, or With
| reasonable reach Of US, weak and helpless na
| tion, who could be attacked with comparatiY
| safety, and whose form Of government did no
attain TO our standard Of perfection, Ii was no
only the privilege, but the mission of such of on
people as desired TO engage in the landable undei
taking, to invade her te,ritorywith FIRE ard SWORD
to bring upon l.er peaceful inhabitants, men, VIZ
men and childeen, all the horrors Of war m
having thus carried through and perfected prt
cess OF regeneration" TO establish on the ruin
Of her government, our own free institutions
prominent among which, advocates ofthis doetrin
stands human slavery 81
Ii il strange that the bare PRONUNCIATION (
/ tlesa doctrines, acting upon the minds at me
uai,tiened by the recollection of wrongs indicte
upon them in Kansas because Of their love
i ~. A.