The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-08-17

3 This letter is dated at Washington, July 3D.
It is interesting as the first letter Of Mr. Russell
after leaving the South and meeting Northern
sentiment SO thoroughly aroused during his long
stay in "Dixie." We quote: aest6
CHANGE OF TONE. 3s'3
There never was . people which rushed so "a
pidly to the conclusion that the argument ot
force was the great solvent and settler Of dis
putes as our American brethren. See New York
now-just recollect what it was toward the close
of last March. Sumter cannot have made all
these banners, filed all these streets with sol.
diers, turned Laodiceans into phrenzied Union.
lists, and shut the mouths of the disaffected.-
People who argue philosophically about the
right of Secession and the impotency Of the
Federal Government to restrain States from ex.
ercising that right have all Of sudden begun to
find out 1--WE must maintain our glorious Union!
We must have country" and then they. 60 of
into sophistical arguments on the other side
about the Mississippi and unity Of peoples and
political necessities.
Had you always held this language, good gen.
tlemen, you might never have had this contest.
You strengthened the hands of the secessionists
just as you weakened the hands of the United
States Government by the indifference or actual
hostility to its measures which .you displayed
when 1t most required support. One half Of the
indignation, one half Of the strength you exhib.
tied after Sumter had fallen, might have pre-.
vented its ever being attacked. Why are the
Southerners 90 much more irritated against New
York than any other part of the Union but be.
cause, in their own words, "she deceived us 4.
the last moments Up to the taking of Sumter
she pretended to be friendly, and then, when that
happened which she seemed to approve, she
turns on us more savagely than even the Black
Republicans" In fact, though the Governnent
may not nov wish to recall the circumstances
the tone of the North in reference to yital POINTS
in policy must have perplexed it aluo6t q much
q the hostility of the secessionists
It is all very well to talk Of tho Outrage on the
Gag. but before Sumter was fred o., the sflas
had been exposed to insults sufficient Il had
been hauled down By force from United States
srsenals. The Star Of The West carried it d
zach Is Major Apdssson's command, and she
vas fred on; one shot as cds,s beiH or ca,.sd
beli is a. good as twenty. Why, when arrived
in the United States the Newspapers were treat
ing of the surrender of Sumter as an abstract
question, and the headings about it and Picken:
barely excited 1 languid curiosity in the mind,
Of many men, and Northern journals, not mere
Iy in New York. ~ III Pennsylvanis and OtheI
States, seriously warned she Government that L
they attempted to bold u one Of - enforce ths
other, they would be responsible f6e he a.
struction Of Onion which q the timo wss nan
ifestly destroyed. How the tone b cba&tei
noul lean socofni1e no reason for tie chang
IA eysnis, but I can understand that behtad q
IL surface show-this varnish eoaling which
pretended 70 reflect public opinion sHefe 'wal
/ : sslid, desp and powerful 1esa iDest however