The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-09-28

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ELLINGTON, SATURD
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Issh RefaiWhas are we RlghslnGs Is
ehl ,'''s7 For the Hawk.Eye. e nettt'
II there was period in our history when tru
men should avoid exciting and angry discussio
J on minor points, and strive to see how near the
can come together, and agree to unite all thei
influence and energies on the main question I
sustaining our government at any cost and sa'
ei6ce, the present 10 that period. ezzoas
ahBut there is yet much light needed as to th
character and object Of this war, and for wan
Of it men are divided in opinion, sympathy, in
auence and effort who otherwise would be unite
h all these respects % one man. V9
One source of this discord is found in over
looking the necessary distactioa between a
object or end, and the nea~s necessary for its q
tainment; hence, the diversity Of answers to tn
enquiry, "What is the object OF end for which VI
are prosecuting this wari" Some answer 81
put down slavery" others to prevent its ex
tension" another class says ''to sustain III,
Union. and others lave still other answers. O.
these poiuts men equally loyal are contending I.
the injury Of their. own good feelings and the
cause for which they are alike interested. Many
seem to revolt at the idea that this war has AMI
thing to.do with slavery, or is in any way to in
terfere with the system. Others claim that
slavery is inseparably connected with its origin
and must be With its progress and end, and thai
the systemmus be wholly destroyed. Now, the
difficulty With these friends and neighoors is
more in appearance than in reality. Mark the
| distinction between the end and the means, and
half the difficulty will vanish at once. These
points should be presented to the public mind
with the clearness and distinctness Of the noon
day sun. What, then, is the end proposed, on
our part, by this war which has been SO cruelty
thrust upon uss answer, without qualification
or restriction, that it is tie reestablslment of tie
s'sthority and posoer of the Constit,aioa and Laos
Of the Unitd States, as transmitted to " BY our
Patriot Fathers. This has been declared from
the commencement Of the war, was distinctly
avOwed by the President in bis late message 10
Congress, was reiterated by Congress and that
portion Of thc press that is loyal to the Govern.
ment; and yet, the end, and the means which
may be necessary to success, have been and
still are confounded, or the one put for the other
by those who either have no just conc options of
the question themselves or who design to divide
and distract the public mind, that even former
friends are disputing with angry zeal about the
object or end for which we are contending in
tlis war. This confusion should be dispelled,
and the fact presented in the face of friends and
enemies, till the whole country-the whole civ
iized world sees with clearness which cannot
be misunderstood that the end-rHE SOLE END
for which We are maintaining this terrible war
is the RE-, E,EsTABLIsHMFNr Of the general govern.
ment-THI CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THIS RE.
PUBLIC. Slavery has no necessary connection
with this end. The authority of the government
was recognized and respected, and under it's
protection the nation reached degree of unex-
ampled prosperity Notwithstanding the institu-
tion of slavery, and but for the Southern rebel.
lion this prosperity might have continued for
time indefinite. repeat, it has no necessary
connection with the end but it may be, and
doubtless is, deeply involved in the means OF
success. Hence, another question of equal i'm
portance is, Glow is this end to be obtained ?"
This involves the whole subject of agencies and
means, and the rebellion has left US no choice
but snar, with all its contingencies as the princi
psi agent and means 1t has been forced upon
US in opposition to all our instincts and our in.
terests. To compromise would be to abandon
constitutional government, our rights, our hber.
ty, and honor, and our humanity, and become
voluntary slaves to heartless and diabolical
despotism There is therefore, no alternative
but the issues of war with most unscrupuleus
and malignant foe. Itis with the means of sue
cessfully resisting this enemy, and re-establish-
ing the supremacy of the government, that the
question of slaverylis involved. To the ques-
tion Of means and the end, slavery belongs, and
under this head alone it must be discussed if we
would avoid confusion and ruinous error. But
as the consequences and end of this war are all
in the future, and as human wisdom cannot
penetrate with certainty its undisclosed results,
tie most we can do is to conjecture, reason, in
fer and hope hence, it is extreme folly for men
to dogmatise, and quarrel with all who do not
submit to their dictation as to what will or will
not, must or must not take place in the future
as consequences of this terrible war. Men, with
consciousness of their own true dignity
and rights, and in the spirit of real pasriotisn,
must consent to come up from the reists and
fogs of political preferences and prejudices and
take high ground from which to survey the
whole subject, that they may fully appreciate its
magnitude, ard be prepared for all contingent
cies, however vast the changes measures, and
means that may be necessary to compass the
end for which we are contendlng. We are now
called upon before the civilized world to per-
form the last process in solving the great prob.
lem Of free Institutions, and human liberty by
the power Of self-government. To fail would
cast the pail Of political death over the nations
of the earth. To triumph will confirm the hope
and establish the epoch Of constitutional gov.
ernnent and the political liberty of the world.
| But the question still recurs, What has
slavery to do with, or as means of, conducting
this war to successful termination ?" The re
ply can only embrace probabilities and withou,
attempting an answer now, submit for the
consideration of all, and especially those who
are SO fearful that this war will in some way o.
/ other interfere with the institution of SLAYER,
another question or two: Suppose our caus,
alternates between victories and defeats, till i
reaches such crisis that we must either who'll
abandon the end for which we have taken Vi
arms, allow the rebels to dictate the terms
peace, and submit to the unrestraned tyrann
and reign Of the slave power, or as last re
sort-a military necessity, proclaim liberty to tn
slaves in every rebel state into which our arme
are marched. in such an event, which alterns
tive will you choose? Will you destroy SLAYER
in the rebellious states as the last resort an.
only means Of re-establishing the authority q
the Government? or will you spare slavery an
| riff fhn Hhorttn nc