The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-12-13

1t is Elphinstone, we think, in his History
of British India, who tells the story of the de
struction of the sumptuous temple of Somnautl
by the adventurous army of Mshmoud of Ghuz
nee 1t had been supported by the revenue.
Of ten thousand villages, and so sacredly va.
it regarded by the superstition of the surround
ing population that, as the invading force, ap
preached, every eye was turned towards til,
magnificent edi6ce in wonder and awe; tn,
priests besought the commander, with tear
and immense offers Of ransom, not to touch
fame which had been consecrated for unknown
time: and the population expected to see fir,
fall from heaven to devour the daring offenders
or the earth open to swallow them up. Blu
the gates were smitten, and the gods evincel
no particular wrath; the great idol of silva va,
pierced and only bran fell from his stomach
while the vast hordes Of treasure accumulated
in the recesses Of the tempted revealed at once
the cause Of the devotion Of the priests, and Of
their efforts to preserve it unmolested. The
boldness Of Mshmoud dlssipated at q blow q
superstition which had been sdroitly managed
for ages. =, .
We do not know that We have told the story
properly, but the moral we wish to draw from
it is, that the great structures which often i'm.
pose upon Imagination are more the work OF
our fears than . reality. As soon as We MUS
ter courage to ssssil them they fall to pieces,
and the world then laughs IT the credulty
which could stand in awe of mere ghost of q
power, without vitality and without existence
save in the brains of its worshippers. In the
spirit Of this truth one Of our best philosophical
writer's has said: Never strike sail to fear.
seas; and it would be we'll for our statesmen and
ynlifirioro n pov onmo hood n tho
Let us illustrate: - -EEfsz c5i hE53
!. When the pro slavery lords first raised their
arms against the government, We all remember
the caution with which the Federal Government
both under Mr.. Buchanan and during the first
months of MIR Lincoln, advanced to encounter
with SO formidable power. 1t will never do
to use coercion, said the more timid as well az
the more interested counselors the people will
never submit to such an infraction Of State
rights; We must be conciliatory, COMPROMISING
and wary. AT length, when seventy five thous
sand volunteers were called for not to crush
the rebellion, but {" to retake and repossess !"
the stolen fortresses Of the Union, the people
answered with four times seventy five thousand
men, oil eager not only to reconquer the pur-
Joined property, but to su5due the men by
whom it had been purloined. That dread Of
coercion which SO many had expressed was the
dread of mere ghost, which as soon as it was
touched was laid
Again we may recall how long the efficiency
OF the Administration was hampered by
vague fear of what was called the border State
influence. 1t would not do, it was said, to as :.
sault slavery, though it had been the cause of
the war, because it would ALLEVIATE the affec-
tions of the border State loyalists from the
Union, and produce terrible diversion of sen.
timent in those powerful communities lying
all along the medium line. Fremont raised his
battle axe against that terror in Missouri, and
the dicnitaries at Washington were so frighten>
ed that they instantly displaced Fremont
Hunter did the same thing in South Carolina,
and Hunter was disavowed. But it would now
appear from the results of the recent elections,
that the terrible border States are more strong
" devoted to the Administration than many Of