The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-03-16

| pressed, and holding the Administration respon-
sible for any departure from those sentiments, Is
expounded BY Douglas. Mark how kindly he
dissents from the views of Glngman, at the
same time shaking hands with Wigfaf; by way
Of hint Of what he is driving At. All his mo-
tions of enforcing the laws are discarded now
He thinks it will take 10, 600 men to reinforce
SUMTER and 2O0,O 900 men to enforce the laws
| His cndeavor 10 to assume the part Of . candid
observer, and commit the Administration to the
passive policy Of Buchanan, deluding it al the
while with the fiction of Democratic support,
while be himself goes on his knees to Cottondom,
and comes out At last rs the champion Of South
crn rights, and the preserver Of the Union, If
the pleasure be ~ great in being cheated az to
cheat, the Administration will suffer itself to be
led along by It's candid friend, Mr.. Douglas, un-
til he gets II on the brink Of that political preci
pice over which he can dash it into ruins. The
old Douglas legend, We believe, is Beware the
bear" l: is very good legend for Presidents
and Cabinets to learn by heart about these times,
when Mr. Douglas 10 around and begins to hug
them in delicate way.l-N.Y \. Tribune.
| The last Fruits Of Treason.
| Our Washington correspondent on Saturday
telegraphed the alarming intelligence that Fort
Sumter was nearly destitute Of provisions, and
| that the garrison there must be either imnle-
dately reininforced or withdrawn. His letter of
to-day gives fuller particulars of the report The
little body of gallant men under major Anderson
must starye to death within few weeks, or be
rescued from their perilous condition by the in
! reference of the Government. But to reinforce
the fort at this time is said to be nearly impos-
sible The defensive work erected by the South
Carolina rebels on Sullivan and Norris Islands
command every access to the harbor,. and ship
of war could not make its way to the fort with
| out an awful expenditure of life. Whether the
Administration will undertake the task with the
limited means which it yields at present, 10 a
question which the Cabinet is now considering
If it should conclude it worth while to sustain
Major Anderson, it will doubtless be supported
| by the sentiment of the whole nation. Every
man who respects his country and its govern
| ment feels that the evacuation of the fort, at
| this time, would be the deepest humiliation and
disgrace. Our Government is the wretchedest
apology for Government if it cannot protect
| its own property and enforce itslaws. But if it
should be found impracticable in the demoralized
condition of the military departments and
the finances to assert the federal supremacy, the
| blaEie of the dishonor must fall upon Mr.. Buch-
anan. He had it in his power, few months
since, when the treachery of the Southern poll
tcians was yet in its SHE'LL to crush the viper by
| single decisive step. He could have reinforced
every Southern fort within the space Of month
Hundreds of men stood ready in this city to ac-
compsh the work at weeks notice. But his
completely with the traitors and his imbecility
defeated all action.
In spite of the urgent recommendations of
| Generals Scott and Wool and Of the manly
energy of Dix and Holt, he refused to do any
thing until it was too late to act with efficiency.
He not only eviscerated the government Of all
| vigor, but he has perpetually deceived the peo-
pie by false reports as to the state of Fort Sum-
ter 1t has all along been given out, by the off,
cial organs, that Major Anderson needed no
enforcement, that his supplies Of provision and
ammunition were sufficient and that his men
were in the best of spirits We contradcted these
reports, on the authority of private letters, but
| the President has persisted in his folly. The
Government, indeed, was completely paralyzed
by his stubborn inactisn and cowardice.
We do not know that it is yet wholly impos
sible to save the honor of the nation; the mill
| tary advisers of the Cabinet, who are compe-
tent to form an opinion, will decide upon that
point; but we do know that if Major Anderson
| is ordered to beat an gnominious retreat, the
| act will produce a general howl of indignation.
| No real American, care not what his politics,
will consent to see his nation degraded and dis
| honored, without vehement protest. True, it
is said that the withdrawal OF the garrison from
Fort Sumter will have good effect in the border
States; that it will deprive the secessonists
| there of their principal means of inflaning the
| popular passions; but such pleas are both USE
| less and cowardly. The border States do not
mean to leave the Union their people have
given evidence enough of the fact and it is but
poor compliment to their patriotism or their
honor to say that their adherence can only be
/ purchased by sacri6ces which involve the lasting
I disgrace of the Union. Let it be understood
that the Union can only be saved by vacating the
General Government of all its functions, and the
question will arise whether it is worth saving at
all.-[N. Y. Eve. Post
FoRT SUMrER.-If as is predicted with some
confidence by our Washington correspondents,
Fort Sumter is to be evacuated, no doubt the
humiliation will be great and the order for such
a movement will be given by the Government
with regret quite equal to that with which the
people will receive the tidings. But let it be
must come, not from any negligence or feeble
ness Of the present Administration; that It is
not an evidence of a retreat from well defined
| and strong position; that it is concession nei
Their to the Rebel power of the South nor to the
timd expostulations of the few in the North
whose counsels are weakness; but that it is one
of the last bitter drops in the cup left in our
hands by the Government which has so long
weighed us down, and which has now hardly
| paSScu OUT Oh our SlRHI Inc eSll WHICH au'1lIl-
istrations as well as men, do, lives after them,
and we must expect to feel the curse. The du
plicity, the mean scheming, the inconceivable
baseness which have brought us TO the present
| complication of our national affairs cannot lose
their poison at once.
The people will be prepared, if this withdrawal
of troops takes place, for yell of exultation from
every traitor in the land, for taunts and swelling
self-congratulations from the men who have la.
bored more earnestly than any others for the
destruction of the Union by crying out for con
cessions and compromises; but let all remember
that the strength has not yet departed from our
flag, and that this movement may be only as the
crouch which is to precede the decisive leap -
| No matter if the treason which has woven around
US its tolls compels step which no one wishes
to take; no matter if Rebellion seems to have
advanced its banners, or treason turns more con
fdcntiy towards us its braZen front The policy
of the Government remains unchanged, and its
firm foot is just as immovable as ever on the
Constitution and the laws.
In case the predicted event happens, the PEG
pie will place on the proper heads the response
bility Of the act. They will follow the late Pres
ident to his retirement with sharper indigna
ton than they have before felt; they will, more
over, ask, with an earnestness which calls for
reply, why the repeated assurances went fortf
from the beleagured fort that the commanding
officer needed no aid, no supplies; they will de
mand from all who have borne part in tn
transactions of the past two months with rela
ton to this important place strict account o
their stewardship. They will none the less renew
their confidence in the power they have set owe
them at the National Capital, and will by tina
confidence strengthen the hands of the Admins
tration for vigorous action in the future.-N.
Tribune.
r, Correspondence Of N. Y. Tribune.
/ Charleston, 8. c., March 5, 1861.
s Mr.. Lncoln's Inaugural Address was tele
0 graphed to us, even to the end, with unusus
t faithfulnsss, as judge from hasty perusal.
f was issued last evening in extras, and eagerl
t caught up by the entire community. A shor
9 time after it was issued, mingled considerahl
: among those who had read the document, at tn
5 hotel reading rooms and other places Of resort
: Twas struck with the moderation with which
!. was commented upon. as whole. There az
peared to be o pretty general disappointment