The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-04-13

- AZ u 000lSoy u1&O k0at l00Snol1oeo and letter
writer's Of all parties are beginning TO cry oul
against the silence and apparent insction Of q,
government These writers represent with NOR
or less faithfdlness the sentiments uppermoes II
thspublic mind, and there seems in .shis case 4
be very urgent desire to have our nations
troubles decidsd In some way. Zone thing Q,
the other, but quick : The psblie shouts TO ia.
Administration
Now, one Of the two Alternatives which Il /,
thus attempting 70 force upon the President i
TO make instant war upon the rebels. The othel
y - submit to them, Acknowledges the indepen
deace OF "Sostbsrn Confsderacy,- and MAKE
lasting peace with Il. These are the two poll
cies. i" one Of which Il is supposed he must adopt
and Journalists make haste to accuse him Of hav
ING no policy, because evidently he does No,
lean, no far ~ can be seen. to either Of these. I
There seems to VI in all this q serious misap
prehension Of the duties and powers Of the head
Of the federal government
In monarchy the sovereign not only repre-
sents but = the state. From him proceeds al
authority. He 10 the fountain of all honor. II
his name the laws are made and executed. Hi
are the armiea, the navies, the colonies, the do
minions. In his name law.breakers are prose
euted. To attack the state is personal offence
aGsinst the crown. Rebellion is SO take M
arms against our Sovereign Lord the King
High treason, even In constitutional monarchy
like Great Britain, 10 in legal phrase to sonspirc
against the crown; and loyal man is one who
doth faithful and true allegiance bear 70 our
Sovereign Lord the King"
The King, therefore, 10 the railying point; and
about him all true men are gathered. 10 attack
the state 10 to attack his person, and it is imme-
diately resented as personal offence.
But in republic all this is changed. Here the
people are supreme. In their name, and by
their delegates, the government was formed, and
the laws are made and executed. 1--WE, tho PEG.
pie of the United States" ordained and estab.
lished the constitution and ~ the government
was created by the general consent of the PEG.
pie, it is maintained by their general consent, and
can be changed Tor abrogated, for that is also a
change) only by them.
The President of the United States has no au-
thority to change the form Of the government
Neither has he authority to say it shall be pre-
served. He is not the state; he is not the will
Of the people, but only the doer of that will In
fact he is little more than the moderator Of the
assembled nation.
If, therefore, the nation-acting in constitu.
tional manner-should assemble by its delegates,
and by them declare this Union dissolved, it is
clear that the President would have no right OF
authority to put his will against such action.
But it must be remembered that he is the ex-
ecutive officer; and, holding that Office, tits his
art and his highest duty to see that whatever 10
done for any purpose-and especially for so i'm
portant purpose as the dissolution of the gov
ernment-is in accordance with the regulations
of the constitution, which is, until it is legally
abrogated, ''ths supreme Law of the land" any
thing IN the constitution or laws Of any state to
the contrary notwithstanding
There Is no doubt that when majority of the
people of this country are in favor of breaking
up this government, they have perfect right to
do it.
But they have no right to do this in any other
way than that prescribed by the constitution
However great the majority in favor of such q
measure, the act of dissolution must be perform
ed in such legal manner as the constitution pre-
scribes.4 This can only be done after fair and
temperate discussion, in fair and unobstrueted
election, by the people, of delegates to national
convention. The decision of such convention
is final. From it there is no appeal. But with
out it. any proceeding on the part of the people
of one or any number of states, intended to des-
troy the Union, are simply rebellion and criminal
usurpation of powcr-whethcr called secession
or insurrection, conspiracy or cooperation, does
not matter. ~
Such q movement, however formidable, it is
the bounden duty or the President to put down,
at all hazards and at any expense. He cannot
coerce the public will. But he is traitor to his
countrymcn if he permits the government which
the people of this country have established to be
destroyed, and the laws which they have declared
supreme to be changed, in any other than legal
manner. He has no right to maintain the gov
eminent against the will of the people; but as the
head of the nation it is his part to see that what
ever the nation does is done peaceably, regularly
and constitutionally, in such manner that the
will not only of the majority but of the minority
is heard and respected.
This is the ground upon which Mr. lincoln
placed himself most distinctly in his Inaugural
Message. Standing here, and with this clear con.
ception of the duty before him, he could not do
differently than he has. He has doubtless acted
on the fullest information in the present crisis.
A certain latitude must be permitted him; no
good is obtained by urging him to measures of
the wisdom or folly Of which he must be the best
and only Judge. Mr.. Lincoln is believed to be
an honest clear.headed man. 1t 10 certainly not
his part to preciptate the country into = need
less and embittering war. The stronger any Re-
publican government feels, the longer will it ad-
here to 4 policy of wise non-interrenAon betcee',
tie traitors and the people. But it will never con-
sent to the unconstitutional dismemberment of
the government; and if the rebels are imprudent
enough to force upon Mr.. Lincoln the alterna-
tive of war or submission to their reasonable
acts, they leave him, as an honest man and duti
full citizen, no choice but to defend the govern.
ment and the people against them by every
means and at all hazards
To take to arms before he is forced to would
be unwse When it becomes NECESSARY, we be.
lieye he will not fail to do 20: and in doing SO.
we are confident he will have with him the
PRAYERS. the arms and the means of the nation.
We believe that as he has shown hitherto pa
thence and reticence which can proceed only
from heart full of courage, end a head master
of the position; 80, if the traitors of the South,
scorninp all appeal to the people. choose blindly
to rush to battle, he will meet them and beat
them, and win for himself the gratitude not of q
section or generation, but of nation and of q
century.-IN. Y. Eve. Post. -A
TIE PEAcE PoLlcY.-A great many nave IN
sisted that this policy alone could effect an sd.