The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-05-04
HUMANITY.

HUMANITY
Of course il is horrid thing to lombard q
city the half Of whose inhabitants are probably
loyal and Union-loving. Short sighted people
are ready TO cry out against indiscriminate
bloodshcd. and horrible cruel.y-jast as they did
when the British blew away their mutinous Se-
poys from the cannon's mouth. The peacc-at-
anyprice people pronounced It an act Of I'M
christian butchery; but it is certain that only by
this pron,pt and decided method of dealing with
their rebels did the British save the vast empire
Of India from the year-long devastation and
cruel rapine of great bands of organized and
rapacious mutineers
War is horrid thing in itself. It is 50 de-
structive in its effects upon the prosperity and
culture Of nations that all civilized people avoid
it as long as they can, and when forced Into it,
as We are now, make it as short as possible; and
the way to shorten war is not to treat your en-
envy tenderly, and ask him to get out of the way
when you are going to fire shot for Buncombe,
but to teacl, him, the aggressor, such lesson of
its seventies as will not only quickly force him
to cry out for peace, but also make him very
reluctant to begin war again.
Whatever may be said of the people of Mary
land, the authorites-state and city-have
proved themselves the meanest and most dam
gerous of traitors. They talked fairly and pro-
fessed devotion to the Union till they got into
their trap q few of our brave soldiers vino were
rushing to the defence Of the Union, and they
fell upon them and did their best to murder ey
cry man. And having done this, Governor
Hicks dares to "advise" the President to send
no more troops through Maryland, and succeeds
SO far as to get a respectful and very non-com-
initial answer from Mr.. Seward.
There is no reason why our troops should not
pass through Baltimore-but every reason why
they should. Ten thousand soldiers have passed
through New York and Philadelphia within
week, and no harm has been done to either city.
No harm will be done to Baltimore if the city
is loyal-and if it has Joined the enemy, then it
is the very place for the fight to begin.
Baltimore is necessary to us, not only as lying
Oh the shortest line of thoroughfare for troops,
but because by way of Baltimore must come all
the provisions which are to supply the army
gathered in Washington. The Government has
no right to submit for a moment to distractions
at that point. The commander of Fort McHen-
ry should have positive orders to shell the
city the very moment he knows that it is
not az free to the passage Of loyal soldiers
and loyal property as New York or Philadelphia;
and he should be ordered to make thorough
work Of it. The reply of Mr. Seward should
have been thorough and official notification
that the State of MARYLAND aud its chief city
were placed under martial law, and that the
slightest attempt at resistance to the Govern.
ment would be dealt with summarily and effec~
lively.
What about the loyal citizens? They deserve
their share of the loss and destruction for per-
hitting themselves to be overpowered, withouta
struggle, by their rebellious fellows If they
are loyal men, let them demonstrate it by rally
ing to the preservation of the Union. Let them
be the first to meet the traitors in their own
streets But il they are only of that cold
blooded temper which cares not which wins and
ask only to be let alone, then let them get out Of
the way and give better men room to act.
General Scott, whose devotion to the Union
only traitors dare to doubt, must have free scope
for his military operations. His hands must not
be tied by hesitating halfmeasures. As Com
mander-in-Chief in Mexico he would not have
hesitated, and we cannot think that it is he who
hesitates now.
We must know at once that Baltimore is ours
without reserve. The men of Maryland should
be forced, without moments delay, to repair,
at their own expense, every piece Of railroad,
every bridge and every telegraph line, which, to
their bitter shame, they have permitted traitors
to destroy. To-day the traitors IN Washington
can get aews 10 Montgomery IN halt the tine a,at
the Administration can reach the headquarters of
tie army in Nep York. This is intolerable. 1t
is fatal to every plan of operations which the
Commander-in-Ch Chief may have devised.
And let it be remembered that if, by longer
hesitation, Baltimore falls into the possession of
Beauregard, he has gained most decided vic
tory over the Union army. A city which in
1914 sustained and repused all attack of twelve
thousand British soldiers and forty-fve British
ships is not likely to be risked to-day With
Beauregard in force at Baltimore, and with the
commander at Fort McHenry ordered to "act
only on the defensive" jefferson Davis may die
tate his own terms to the Administration.
Humanity" in the struggle which the Mont
gomery traitors have forced upon us, is only the
more frightfu and disastrous humanity. "Hu.
manity"n Mr.. Buchanan led him to give every
thing into the hands of traitors, for fear of shed
ding little of their blood. Humanity" tied
Major Anderson hands during the long months
in which the traitors were SO busily preparing
his destruction. Humanity" has just destroyed
the most valuable navy yard in the country,
with its millions of timber and stores and its in
valuable appliances for the construction of yes.
sells. To blockade efficiently the Southern ports
we need every ship our navy has, but 'Hu-
mainly" has cooly sunk and blown up ten first
class vessels, carrying in all no less than four
hundred and ninety-one guns, and now our mer-
chants are asked in the name of Humanity" to
send to England for Others. Humanity" pre-
ferred the destruction of the valuable Harper's
Ferry Arsenal, rather than spill little traitor
Gus Virginia blood. Humanity" permits our
own troops to be butchered in the streets of
Baltimore and contents itself with arguing the
point with treacherous Governor.
Humanity, in fact, in the sense in which the
term has been used by the unwise lovers fpeace,
is only fatal imbecility. Action, vigorous,
prompt and sufficient, is the truest Humanity in
such struggle as ours.
New York Evening Post