The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-04-27

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'sThe National Intelligence has leading hr.
ticlc, chsracteristcally strong and exhaustive in
support Of the policy of the Administration TO-
ward the rebellion:
II aught were needed to aggravate the sense
of shame and disnay with which the patriotic
are compelled to regard our political situation,
we might fnd It in the causelessness Of the wide.
spread ruin brought upon our civil, social, and
financial interests BY the rash and reckless act
Of single State. Arrogasing to herself pecu.
liar sensibility in the matter of Southern wrongs
while having perhaps less reason to complain of
such wrongs than any other State Of the Union,
and assuming the preeminent championship of
Southern rights without anything in her past
history or present condition to justify the preten
sion TO such . selfimputed superiority over her
sister Slaveholding States, South Carolina, With
a strange perversity which has been the sedl,-
ously cultured growth of years, and with an OBJ
liouity of vision which has blinked at nothing
that could foster disaffection and feud, dexter
ously seized on the Constitutional election OF an
unacceptable President to preeipitate the dead
issue for which her leaders had been g adually
educating the public mind throughout the long
period Of at least thirty years. Such was the
open confession made by distinguished members
Of the Sovereign Convention which, on the goth
of December last, proceeded to pass the 6rst in
those series of 'ordinances' by which the integ
rity of the Federal Union has been destroyed. -
Hinc pri,ea mali lobes. The work of disintegFa-
ton 30 long meditated and cherished has at last
been consumsted, and tue result is before us in
the marshaling of forces for an ignoble war; il.
noble, because inspired in its origin by no geEer-
Gus ideas, and impelled by no civil necessity save
that which il the outgrowtn Of human passions.."
"Under these circumstances, it becomes the
whole country to pause and consider well whet tn
er, at the bidding of single State, the founda-
ton of the Government. laid by Washington,
Madison, and jefferson are to be upturned, and
the whole land, lately smiling with peace and
plenty, to be drenched with blood. We shall be
told, doubtless, that the party now clothed with
the responsibilities of Federal Office is sectional
III its principles and dangerous to the institn
tions of the South To this it is sufficient re
ply to say that, connecting the truth of all that
has been alleged to this effect, the power Of the
Republican party to carry into force any Of its
principles or measures ,cds the direct result of S.
cesxio,t, as without such Secession it was mirror
ity in every department. OF the Government, save
one, and in taat its incumbent represented mi
nority of the American people, being simply the
President elect by virtue of the appointments Of
the Constitution, and not by the numerical pre-
ponderance OF his supporters. Was it ever be-
tore heard that, in "A country of equally free and
brave men, the majority were in danger of being
'coerced' or 'subjugated' BY the minority p And
even after Secession had placed in the hands Of
the Republican party in Congress that political
power which was denied it by the popular suf
frage, what has been done to justify the appre-
tensions of the SouthY Even in the passage Of
Territorial bills, involving the sole question at
issue between the North and the South in rcla-
ton to the extension of Slavery We have seen
this party refrain from pressing the obnoxious
dogma under the simple apprehensions of whose
application to the common domain seven States
il indeed they have acted at all with reference to
current complications, have voluntarily aban-
doned all their political rights in that domain,
preferrins to subject those rights, if claimed at
all, to the uncertain arbtratement Of the sword,
drawn in civil revolution"
That in Government of the people they them
selves should rise against the work of their own
hands and proceed to its destruction, under the
impulse OF IA groundless apprehension, presents
an anomaly before which the student of politics
and of human nature may well stand aghast.-
"But it becomes u.s." 6tly concludes the Intelli-
gencer, ito be not less patriotic than the RO-
mans with whom it was crime to despair of the
Republic; and instead of drawing from the perils
which environ US the maxims of dependency
let US rather grid up the loins of our mind to
more vigorous exertions for the salvation of our
beloved but distracted land.p
The Question for the Union Men OF the
- South.
Before the men of the Border States, who
have hithlrte been loyal to the Government, and
have denounced the Confederate usurpation,
prccpitate themselves into the Confederate cause
at the first sound of war, perhaps they had bet
ter pause to consider how their relations to the
question have been changed by that event.
The Government has resolved to defend itself
against the Esr which the Contederates have
made upon it. II the people of the Border
States were at any time loyal to the Govern
ment, they expected that it would defend itself
and assert its authority. If they at any time
sincerely condemned Secession, they would con-
denim it only the more earnestly when it made
| war on the Government and precipitated the
| horrors of civil war upon the country.
The Union men of the South could not have
expected that the Government to which they
prolessed allegiance, would surrender to rebel
| lion, or sbandon its duty and refuse to maintain
its authority. To expect thgt of a Government
would be quite the reverse OF loyalty; and &
Government which should thus virtually abdi
cate its authority would no longer be entitled Il
the allegiance Of its citizens.
| What, then, could the sincere Union men o
the South have expected of the GOgernpent
than that which it proposes now to do? VIDA
! less could they have demanded of itS Did the,
expect that the Government which the, pro
lesSed to support, you'd submit to be driven GU
by the Contcderates and abandon the unioI
men Of the South to usurpntion WHICH seis it
self above the popular voice, and which wou!,
rule them with despotic power, and probabl
subject .hem to all so,ts Of violence and wrong
Unless their piuttssed support OF the Unioi
WIS dc .usion and snare, not only treachcrou
TO the Government but exposing themselves t.
Conf. derate revenge, they expected inst III
Government would maintain lis authority, de
fend itself against all attacks, resis. force b,
force, and stand by its faithful supporters in TIT
South That is what it nov proposes to do
| War is made on the Government. Its forts unt
property have been captured. The Capital il
threatened by powerful army The Govern
ment calls for msa 70 deendit. No invasion Q
the South is proposed Its Rkole energies arr
directed to protecting itself against threatened
invasion Is this case which should change
Union men of the South into aiders and sympa
their Union professions paItrA treachery, and on
ly the open seeessionists of 6e South would 10
entitled To the respect dive 10 honest men.
We are aware that the real question is indus
triousiy sought to be covered up in the Bordt
States by the cry of an invasion OF the South
and under this false cry men hitherto loyal arr
expected to be precipitated into the Secession
cause under the delusion that they are defending
their homes from invasion? WHO talks of in
vasionY Nobody but the Cont, del ates. TIL,
Government would need no troops, and woule
Call for none but for this threatened invasion
Even after all the acts of war which have beer
committed upon it, it would regard the colec
ton of its revenues sufficient tor the presen
circumstances, but for the determination Of til.
Confedsrates to plunge the country into war b,
inv ding the Capital and the North. 1t is driver
| to take up arms to resist invasion and civil war
Is it possible that any sincere Union men in tn,
South can he SO blind as to be deluded by the
cry of invasion against Government, which
after SO long forbearance, has boon forced to de
fend Itself against invasion?
| The excitement of the sound of war Is un
| oil hnt fha MI Low.