The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-06-29


the most substantial and prosperous citizens Y
leave. ASS specimen of the Feeling here, Mr.
| Mcpherson, proprietor Of the City Hotel, de
| nounccs the whole secession movement as th,
! greatest crime eomnitte d since the orucihxior
OF our Saviour. z Oh 70 .. E,.fy
B72Eu sIFrom the Cincinnati Gazette.
h BpIiigerent Rights What Shall be Done
with the slaves EN- mancipated by Wars
] TIL popular Instinct which goes right 10th.
| truth of the matter SAWS 'tSlaverya made 1tht
war; let 1t take the consequences OF war; We
! expect that nothing more just than that couiC
! be proclaimed from Sinai it,ef But politici
ans in offics have but little faith either in the
popular instinct or IN eternal justice. Why
should men, who are conscious OF their own
weakness, have faith in the popular instinct that
elevated them to Office 2 Therefore, the ques.
tioD with them is how to avoid the- great self
evident truths. To this want of faith is added
another demoralizipg clement, in the common
political idea tina. the more that truth aud jus
tice are violated, the better our constitutional
obligations are fulfilled; and that the sacrifice
of the great popular instinct OF truth is a pa
triotic sacrifice to the country.
Heaven help country where to crush nut the
instincts of right, and 10 sacrifice manhood, is
set up patriotism that is, nothing but Haa-
ven could save sucn a country, but it would not
be worth saving How much better would such
people he than thnse ho set up the most hid
eous reptiles and all lmanner OF heastliness as
objects OF wofsbipgt .lFelt as..1lf aag.a :
Is the Government Which we are supporting a
legitimate, constitutional and Just Government !?
Then TO rebel against it is the greatest crime
known 10 humanity.t 1t is guilt for al the hor.
rors of the war. Itis the sum of MI ipigaity,
for it includes all possible crimes. The rebels
have forfeited all right 70 life, liberty and pro.
ptrty, and only hold either at the mercy OF the
Government, after complete submission This Is
the natural and universal law of ai ages and
Governments. They who take up the sword must
perish by the sword 'lt faa sea li
Are we to carry on this war ns If it gas for q
Just Government against rebellion? Are we lus.
tilted in using the most efficient mems to crush
the rebellion? Have we even helligerent rights
Or is it only another and desperate effort TO fuI
fill what, in the slavishncss in which the people
of the North have wailowed until it has becerne
second nature, is called "our obligations to the
South?" We ask this because so far our AttitHe
in this war seems to indicate this motive. Our
citizens are robbed of their dues, property and
ships, themselves abused with more than savage
ferocity, and hundreds OF them niurdI rrd--hurd-
reds Of mill ms OF Northern investments swept
out of existence by Southern resra iitv, our in
dustry .destroyed, the very existence OF the
Government threatened by the rebellion vet
our brave volunteers, who have rendered their
lives to save their country, and to show that
they have a county worthy of the lives of its
citizens, are informed at the outset OF the casnS
pagn that their first duty is TO cat il fugitive
slaves for rebel masters, and suppress black in-
surrcctions for white insurgents. Three great
Generals, in command of three great &C Fps of the
grand army OF the Moth, have succes,vcly pro-
nod aln,in 70 h., ,,.t AZ t,,l
fugitivcs in the verv Capital, flyine from mas.
ters who had plotted its destruction to the sol
iiers of the Government for prote ciins, have
been stopped by their bayonets, AMI delivered
up TO masters who would gladly have aSsassnat-
ed every one Of our men with steel OF poison.
l. it only an enlarged Slave huift that the
North is called to carry on with such generous,
patriotic sacrifices? Dissusted with he degrhd
ing work which he had assumed, a Democratic
General took the responsibility of holding the
fugitive slaves Of ebcls contrabsn1 of war
His report of this course brought diplomatic
non.committul reply, instructing the General to
keep account OF. tbe-labor of the fuglivcs:
as if the Governments You'd have it understood
that it might be held accountable for the fdgi-
tive slaves that sough refuge in its camps And
who would il imply that It might be held respon-
sible to? To their thsirIebel masters, of course;
who else would have any claim upon the Gov.
ernmeut for them 70
Now we are told from day to day, that the
Cabinet is in consultation oyer this question, and
has failed so far TO calue'to any conclusion. In
the meantime Cnr troops Dre met at every point
by formidable Notifications thrown up bv these
very slaves who are he'd in service solely by the
impression which has been spread among them
by the fusitives which have been returned by
our army, that fight to il will result in return
to torture and to be sold South. From behind
these Notifications, mounted by the same labor
with abundance of great guns robbed from the
Government, the insurgents in safety slaughter
our soldiers, who are thus made to furnish the
enemy with the most effective and deadly means
of attacking them. .r
In eyerv way bv which the army can enter
Virginia, it is met bY these murderous fort 6ca
tions, provided by the labor over which our
troops virtually stand as ovetseers ard slave dri-
vers. Has onr great army entered Virginia for
nothing but to furnish aid and comfort to its
deadly foes :? Has tue Government any more
right t. commit treason by furnishing aid and
comfort to the enemy, than any OF ,s snhirttsg
How can IL take sny measures TO punish treason
when it sets an example of The most elective
aud dangerous treason Under the present stra.
togc campaign, every slave is more valuable
soldier to the insurgents than wbi1e soldier OF
endurance throw up the fortifcations which add
ten lcld to the power of their troops Their Ia
Dor performs all the heavy work of mounting
the great guns, and OF forage and transporta
ton, which is 50 severe on soldiers when added
to their other duties ts
What right has the Government thus to
strengthen rebellion? Are these blacks proper
tyg Then it is subject to the fate o: all proper
ty used Tor military purposes in time OF war -
Even If not used for military purposes, il is sub
lect to the fate of other property. Is it any
more sacred than the ships, steamboats, and
goods OF Northern citizens, which the rebels
| have seized and confscated wherever they could
la, hands on them? II property, the slaves must
be treated as the property Of rebels the most
valuable for military purposes II men, they are
| the most formidable allies and soldiers OF the
| rebels, and our Government would be justified
| in using all possible means to detscil them from
the rebel service. Whea they escape to our ar
| my, they are fugitives from the enemy aud ne
| nation can deliver up such without The guilt O
| treachery. .r asa
When they reach our camps they are men. Tn,
| Government C II know III m in no other eapa
| city, TIE Government cahnGt become Flave
holder. 1t can only know them as men. vi h al
the rights of men, aud with the additional claim
of having Joined the Government in wal
against rebellion, BY what right can it deliver
them up. if disposed to do so treachr rous an act
BY the Fugitive Slave Law? That the seceder
have alb Jlished. What seeded or neutral Stat,
can claim anything under Federal obligations
/ They pretend that their sell IS viol ted by tn,
| exercise of any Federal authority upon it. VIII
should the Government force the Fugitive Slav,
Law on an unwilling and hostile people? biH
The extent Of treason and rebellionis eIactl
1 defined by slavery. Where there are few or n
slaves in the South, majority Of the people ar
loyal, No slave Instructions are possible h
in such districts. So 1t is not for the loya pee
pie Of the South that our army has assumed tn
Office of patrol to suppress negro insurrectior
No negro insurrection is possible except il
the great slaveholdipg districts; and these ar
the very hotbeds of rebellion 1t is for thes
that the armies Of the North have assumed tn
Office of slave overseer, to keep the negroes !
the ranks Of the enemy, or drive them to thei
agricultural bor, to support their master, /
c,rrying IN the war. In the nature of the cas-
It can only be for the traitors that We have al
4. n