The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-10-25
, DR.. Q. A. Brownson ON she war.

had been nominated 40 the Union candidate for
Congress in the Third District of New Jersey
He made speech at Elizabeth last Wednesday
evening, in which, with unusual clearness and
ability, he states his views upon the necessities
Of the current hour. We make the following
extract:
But the Government of the United States
has two powers Its peace powers, and its war
powers The war powers of the Government
ore just o. constitutional as the peace powers
Under the peace powers of the Constitution, it
would be unconstitutional to attempt to abolish
Slavery; it would be unconstitutional also to
shoot down the inhabitants Of any Southern
State. In state Of peace we could not meddle
with that question in any one of the States
where it legally exists. But the war powers of
the Government are conferred by the Constitu-
ton. 1t confers on the Federal Government
the war power, and clothes it With all the rights
of war. It does not enumerate these rights, as
it does the peace powers, because the rights of
war are determined by the law of nations-by
the law of nations as it is recognized by the ju-
risprudence of all civilized, that is to say, all
Christian nations. Under the rights of war, if
the authority either of Congress or the Presi-
dent Judge it necessary to the success of the
Federal arms to abolish Slavery, todeclare the
slaves free, it has right to do so, and l. as hav
ing respect for authority, acquiesce. 1t has a
right to Judge, not l. Personally, believe it
necessary. / have written SO in public. The
President seems to have adopted the same opin-
ion, and cannot find fault with him for having
done it. But the National question has always
taken precedence with me. I regard myself as
an American citizen I believe am of the
seventh or eighth generation Of my family in
this country. Few persons can boast longer
American pedigree than can. But have al
ways looked upon myself as citizen of the
United States. have never felt that I was
merely citizen of Vermont, in which l was
born, or of the State in which CHANGED for the
time time being to reside This whole country,
however bounded, under the flag Of the United
States, was my country, [applause] my own ma
tive soil. have stood 10 Charleston, 5. q !,
before the elite Of that society, and have told
them that considered that was standing in my
own country, on my own native sol-as much
30 as when was standing in Vermont, the State
in which was born. What I have placed be-
fore all other questions was the maintenance OF
the integrity of this national territory and next
after that, the maintenance OF those free instl~
tutiops. those grand and comprehensive princi-
ples of Liberty which were proclaimed by our
fathers and defended by the patriots of our own
Revolution, and which we have inherited from
them. / have considered that the paramount
duty of every American citizen was to maintain
the integrity of the national territory, and Sc
condly, the purity Of the Republican institu-
tions which the country has adopted. To those
two things l have felt my life as citizen
pledged, and whenever have seen either in dan.
ger, have been ready to rush to the defense of
either in any way in my power. I would de:end
the integrity Of the national territory against
any foreign enemy-against the Briton or the
Gsul Why should::I not defend it against the
domestic traitor, against the Rebel. [Cheers ]
Il have deemed it just as much my duty to de
fend the integrity of the national territory against
the so called Confederates of the South, as
should against any foreign enemy. They have
no right to secede, and no men have any right
to rebel, and no number of men have any right
to take up arms against their Government, un-
less it be In the last resort in the last extremity,
to resist tyranny. hold to the right Of resist
ing the tyrant, even by force of arms if necessa-
~. l will battle against the tyrant, let him
come in what shape he will; if I must bear arms
against him I will do it. But it must be clear,
first, that be is tyrant, and it must be clear, in
the second place, that there is 10 other wav
practicable of suppressing the tyranny except
by force of arms Such case no man can pre-
te0O eXietcO OetWeeQ Tue UulON UOVeruNeQC anu
the United States It had never played the ty-
rant. Its only fault was that it was too mild,
too lenient, too tolerant of all their crochets -
1t never wronged them. They have never been
able to present one single act of the Federal
Government which was oppressive to them
Our Government had not lost its legitimacy; it
was Constitutional and legitimate Government,
and there was no ground for opposing it, no rea.
son to justify opposition to it. Nc grievances
existed which could not be, by the ordinary ope.
ration of elections, consttutionally held, con-
stitutionally decided. 1t is only in reference to
the national question ofmaintaining the nation
al territory that have touched or thought Of
touching the Slavery question. People may cal
me an Abolitionist. do not consider that the
worst name man can be called, although it is 9
accept all the nicknames that are given me-
have more respect for an Aboitionist, than for
pro-slsvery man. look upon negro as man
l do not look upon him as politically and social
~ my equal, nor do want him for my compan
ion; but he has the same notural rights that
have, and although would not make him my
equal in other respects. yet would give him al
the rights we have by virtue of the, fact that w
are men. I am willing that he should be free
though if conld have my choice l would have
the two races separated; the negro in q country
of bis own, where he need not be an inferior
caste, ard wonld like to have this whole coun-
try for the white race, where the white race may
prove what it can do, where it has free, fail
and open field, in behalf of liberty and free IN
situations. [Applause. But that is question
that does not concern US now. Personally an
favorable to the Presidents plan of colonization
but consider colonization is peace measure
and it can be carried on successfully only il
time of peace, and then We can dispose of tina
question as We think proper.
The abolition of the slaves have advocated
as new measure, because believed it was i'm
portant to detach from the Southern Rebels the
assistance which they derive from the labor o.
three or four millions of slaves. have consid
cred it always lawful to weaken an enemy, and
to strike him in his most vulnerable point. Give
them their four millions of slaves, and their mil
itary strength is nearly equal to ours; take away
their four millions of slaves and they cannot
stand three months against us, and it would be
an act of humanity toward them and US. This
is all wish to say on this subject. l have dwel1
longer on it because have wished you to under