The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-04-20
AT LAST.

The Confederate traitors have chosen war
After four months Of elaborate preparation they
have at last made haste to attack Major Ander
son and his small force, before his succors could
arrive.
The long siege and the hasty attack are alike
sxemplarso Of southern chivalry. For four mouths
the rebels have brought their best means and
skill to the one object Of dislodging eighty pale,
patient, loyal soldiers from federal fortress.-
They have surrounded Sumter with almost rs
many batteries a. Major Anderson has men,
They have spent thousands in the construction
Of bomb-pr0of c0ntrivances. providing safety
for themselves while spilling the blood of loyal
men. They have arranged with minute precision
every mortar, columbiad and great gun. They
have gathered an army of five thousand traitors
70 give battle 70 less than hundred faithful
soldiers. They have boosted and bullied as only
the southern chivalry can boast and bully.
They have done their best to gain their prize
without rsking their lives; and when, at last, it
vas evident even to them that the government
was no longer to be bullied, they have fastened
10 open their batteries upon the starving hand
full in Sumter, in the hope to weary them out be-
fore help could reach them.
The Motley OF the next century will dwell
with generous ardor upon the picture of the
long vigil in Sumter. He will describe the mid
night transfer from Fort Aoultrie. He will glib.
bet in one scornful sentence the traitor Floyd,
who could give the last moments of his official
life to penning studied insult to the brave An.
derson. He will recount the weary watch Of the
little garrison for reinforcements which Nh i'm
beetle and vacillating President ordered TO- day
and recalled TO morrow. He will admire the
manly silence with which brave soldier bore
the calumnies OF enemies He will picture the
eighty men, looking out daily upon the vast pre-.
parstions made for their destruction; obedient
to their orders to act only on the defensive; daily
giving Of their daily strength to add what little
they might to the defence Of their post; watch
ing with anxious eyes the decreasing store Of
provisions; their faces paliDg with the long con-
fnement, their brave hearts never faltering from
their duty.
He will picture the calm Sabbath morning on
which the woman and children took their sad
farewell from the garrison. He will recite the
impudent demands of traitors upon loyal gov
ernnent He will relate, with wondering scorn,
that even in this great crisis of the nations his
tory there was not wanting handful Of pitiiul
traitors at the North 10 glory in the progress Of
treason.
Lastly lie will describe the attack-made has
tily, in tear Of the arrival OF reinforcements.-
The first guns ateaily day from Fort MoultIie; the
reply from Sumter; the growing circle of fire
around the devoted garrison; the crowds gather
I'd in the city's front to witness the unequal
strife, and glory in the attempt of five thousand
men to slay eighty of their countrymen. He
will relate that in this solemn moment late
United States Senator fired gun by way of
and that five thousand South Caro-
lima women, denying the gentle instincts OF wo-
manhood, gathered to view the bloody specta-
Gle. and "stand ready to-day to respond to any
sacrifice that may be required of them"
He will speak Of the prayers arising to God
from the throbbiDg hearts of millions Of loyal
men and woman-and it will be his to describe
how those prayers were answered.
This is a day which will be ever memorable
in our annals. To-day treason has arisen from
clustering words to cowardly deeds. Men made
reckless by long life Of political gambling
for years cherishIug treason next their hearts
while swearing fealty to the government-have
at last goaded themselves on to murder small
band OF faithful soldiers. They have deliberate
ly chosen the issue of battle. To-day, who hes.
itates in his allegiance is a traitor with them.
But there is no hesitation. The country re-
spends as one man to the call upon its resources.
We have been patient till patience was almost .
vice. The Administration has done all, and
more than all that the most scrupulous regard
for life demanded of it. Even the last words of
and in accordance with his strictest duty. Ii
there atom left Of that chivalry of which
South Carolina boasts so loudly, even traitors
would have respected the bravery of Sumter's
garrison, and turned the battle, if battle they
must have, to another point But they glory,
in cowardly glee, in their thousands hunting to
death the loyal eighty. They have well learned
the ignoble lesson in their blood hounds hunts
Of deienceless slaves.
To-day the nation looks to the government to
put down treason forever. 1t will not grudge
the men or the money which are needed. We
have enjoyed for eighty years the blessings of
liberty and constitutional government. 1t is
small sacrifice we are now TO lay upon the altar,
In the name of constitutional liberty. in the
name of law and order, in the name Of all that's
dear to freemen, we shall put down treason and
restore the supremacy of the constitution. Let
but the government prove itself equal to the
great occasion, and the people will not fail it.
New York Eve. Post.