The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-06-01

The London Herald ON American Affairs.
The London Herald of the 9Th instant meder.
ates its tone in reference to American affairs
| 1t saws: 412ta a
"Insurrections. rebellions and revolutions
generally prosper at the beginning. The revolt
OF the Cotton States has been exceptionally
prosperous, but peculiar reasons exist which &C.
count for that success, and explain, at the same
time, the inactivity of the North. The plans of
the seceders have been seething and maturing
for eight years past, and every department of the
government which could minister to their aims
has been directed and controlled by the arch con.
epirators, without q chance of discovery. Under
President Pierces administration, as in that of
Mr. Buchanan, the Secretaryships Of the Treas.
ury, War and the Navy were held BY Southern.
ers, and indisputable evidence ia Forthcoming
that tense departments were administered for
eight years past with special reference to the
present crisis Eight years effect great changes
IN the personnel OF an army and navy, and when
1t is remembered that the system of patronage
rules those services in America, little surprise
need be felt that the North now possess regiments
and ships and but comparatively few officers, A
single fact will show the unscrupulousness with
which southern statesmen have worked their plot.
The tnal act of Mr.. Jefferson Davis in the United
States Senate was to move that the Federal Gov
ernment should heneeforward be debarred from
purchasing any patented weapons of war; and
however lnonstrous this proposition may appear,
it was ultimately carried by the Southern major
ity. We say monstrous, because every article
OF any description in the American Union which
Affects the slightest claim to originality or i'm
provement is Immediately patented and the pa
tent laws Of the republic admit foreign inventions
70 similar protection with native on a verylslig.t
increase of expense over the latter. The WASH
ington government has thus restricted 10 the use
OF antibuated and comparatively worthless weap-
ons, whilst the Southern Confederacy arm its
troops with cannon and rifles of the latest man.
ufacture. The North is not to be blamed for
failing to see through the manifold famifcations
of this astounding plot. The citizens of the fee
States and their representatives, in Congress look
ed upon the threats Of secession as mere intimi-
datons. and naught else; nor are they to be
blamed for failing to suspect their Southern
hrethern CT treachcry without parallel in his
tory. At length the entire North is awakened
to the truth by the attack on Fort Sumter, and
Democrats, native americans and Republicans
learn for the first time that Mr.. Lincolns success
is but the pretext tor secess,on while long pre-
pairing and cleverly matured plot to break up the
Union is the only true motive. The North is now
Fastening as one man to take vengeance on the
traitors. From the forests of Maine to the noun
tains Of Pennsylvania the air is resonant with
the clang of arms Through the land is echoed
:" the gall is at the gates, and the New England.
er quits the loom the western farmer turns from
the plough and the sterdy settler in far-distant
Minneeota casts aside his axe and rushes to de.
fend the Capital. 1t is no longer simple Pres
ident and successful political party who are in.
meal to the seceders. The whole North is up
one man, and those who but yesterday ridi-
culed Mr.. Lincoln as a fool or villifed him as a
bood-thirsty tyrant, now laud him as the second
6 Father of his Country" Young boys and old
men fly to his summons; millions are placed at
his disposal by the State Legislatures, corporate
companies, and even private individuals; bust.
ness is suspended, and the entire population
seems to be drilling itself for the conflict If
only half the accounts in the American press be
correct, we doubt whether the annals of any
country can furnish more astonishing proof OF
unanmimity of sentiment and self.denying pa
trotism than are now offered by the free States
of the Transatlantic Union"