The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-08-31

well - tuc WOuuoeu On tue uesu tanning inv
their care. More anon.
We Fight In 0elC.DeEense.
Newspapers Of The Journal of Commerce stamp |
use up their little stock Of patriotism in profess
sions of willingness ito defend the Capital
Even for this amount Of 10y altyt hey might 6nd
il hard to give reason for II their principle 10
sound, that fractional part of the nation may
Ay off and set up for itself whenever majority
can be got, by hook or by crook, fer revolution,
Why may not w ashington secede! Why is the
building called the Capitol to be defended more
than the buildin called Fort Sumpter? Why 10
the public property orrthe Potomac more sacred
than the public property on the Gulf! If we
are to surrender our dominion over the territory
which has been ceeded by South Carolina, why
not give up, also, without struggle, territory
ceded by States further North! t3
But let us take these jealous friends Of peace
on their own ground. Let US suppose that We
hays some peculir claim to the little strip of
land on the Potomac, because ii happens 10 be
the Seat of Government. Washington we are
graciously permitted to hold and defend Now
let the reader open his map and see where
Washington is. There 1t stands on one Of the
rivers which fow into the Chesapeak. Into that
magnificent Bay rushes the Potomac; there
pour, also, the James, the York, and the Rappa-
hannock-the great rivers Of Eestern Virginia
and not only these, but the Susquehanna flow
ing from the heart of Pennsylvania, empties its
waters into the northern extremity of the great
estuary. The dullest observer can see at q
glance that this network OF rivers, with the ter.
ritories adjacent, form one geographical system.
and that the military key to the whole is the
fort opposite Norfolk, which treason has not
yet had the strength to wrest from the United
States. The man who proposes to surrender,
under any circumstances Fortress Monroe land
the same might be said of the Southern bank of
the Petomac,) and yet pretends to cling to
Washington, il he be not knavish, is excessively
stupid. The conflict is tor the bay and its trib
utares, and we are defending the Capitol" when
we fight at Manassas, or Barper's Ferry, or
Richmond, or Norfolk, or Baltimore, as truly as
when We plant our batteries at the end of Long
Bridge.
The fallacy of the peace. makers to whom We
have alluded, is in the assumption that Mason
and Dixons line, or the variable line which may
ut any moment be the limit of rebellion il q
grand, natural boundary. Were this line an nm
fordable river, running frem ocean to ocean, or
chain of impossible mountains their PROPOSE.
tions would be less irrational. Then separa-
ton, however unrighteous, would be less damag
ing to the injured party. But if build dou-
BILE house with my neighbor, and he insist on
pulling down his part of the common dwelling
in ruins, may resist his design, and act in
| selfdetense, even though am obliged to con-
front him on ais side Of the line. We defend
Pennsylvania at vital point, when we keep on
u foreign power from the Chesapeake. A SINH
lar argument will readily suggest itself in refer
ence to the Mississippi, and the right of the
North West to the mouth Of that river. Why
should we suffer ourselves to be robbed of this
precious possession !? Why should we give it
away to a foreign nation? We are committing
! no assault-we are simply defending ourselves,
when we send an army down the Mississippi.
That the present contest is one OF selfdefense
on our part, is true for another reason. We
| have q right to protect ourselves from the mis-.
cries and dangers which are inseparabie from
ueighbOrhod- wars, such as would inevitably oc.
cur at short Intervals, in case We gave our con-
sent to the building up of hostile nation on our
| border. Thst nation has no right to exist, and
cannot exist unless we permit it to be carved
out of our territory, and suffer rebellion to have
| its own way. To hope for permanent peace
with nation having its origin In this Pro. Sla.
| vey rebellion, is preposterous, The war in
which we are now engaged, is to prevent desola
| ting wars hereafter, OF which our children and
our children's children will not see the end
| they who now cry for peace, in reality call for
| infinite bloodshed and interminable conflict
for that is the probable result if their pusllan-
nous policy be adopted If all grievances, past
and prospective could be removed, and all
grounds OF hostility between the two sections
obliterated ny the act of Disunion. there would
be some sense in this pleading for peace But
the provocations to armed conflict would be |
multiplied a thousand fold. We have right to
shield ourselves from these future evils, and
faithles to our obligations if we tail to do so.
1t is plain that no peace with the Southern re- |
volt is possible, unless we choose to yield the de-
mands of Slavery, res gn new territory to the |
Slave power, and consent to the virtual en-
thronemet Of that power in the National Govern.
ment. Such humlliating and Ubiquitous conces-
sions can never be made. Aside from the Jus. |
tice or injustice of Slavery, whenever rebellion |
shall thus succeed in extorting By force that
which it could not obtain by law, there Is an end
TO free government. If this degradation Of the
authority Of the Government could be avoided,
it would stil be an inexpicable crime to grant to
Slavery privileges additional to those which are
given TO it in the constitutional bond. To seize
on these new immnnities was the design of the
Southern rebellion. In resisting this design to
the end, we merely defend ourselves against en-.
crOachments. We repel the hateful endeavor to
foist upon the Constitution new securities for
Slavery We refuse to make ourselves respon-
'H'A for the extension of the area of human bon.
dage, and take our stanu a.. ~. ooA''''S'' ,'
rs it is. If in the prosecution Of this war for
repelling the aggressions Of Slavery. the system
itself receives death.blow, we haye no tears to
shed. The fomenters of the Pro- Slavery revolt
against the Constitution as our fathers made it.
will have themselves TO thank for the result
Meantime, be it observed that we wage this war
for ths defense of ourselves. Our own rights,
our safety and our well being are assailed and
impcriled. Let the citizen soldiers who shall
march into Virginia or down the Mississippi, re-
member this fact-rememer that they are pro.
teeting the sacred rights and most important in
terests OF our own people who dwell on the Sus-
quehanna and the Ohio; that they are saving
themselves and their posterity from the burden
of desolating wars, and are defending the coun.
try from the destructive usurpations Of the Slave
Power-N. Y. Tribune. IS @
Senator Douglass Last Letter.
CHICAGO, May 10, 1861.
Ny DEAR SIR:-Being deprived Of the use of
my arms tor the present by severe attack of
rheumatism, am compelled to avail myself OF
the services Of an amanuensis in reply to your
two letters.
1t seems that some of nv friends are unable