The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-11-01
Fight or Die-National Bankruptcy
Freedom or De9p0tiamS

Fight or Dle-Natlonal Bankruptcy
Freedom or Desp0tisms
nation bankrupt is nation ruined. Itmay
till have q name and place on the maps, but it
s nevertheless practically extinct, dead. It may
,ave large population and that inherent
strength which numbers give, but, like the
strength of Gagged lion, q manacled giant, or an
imprisoned warrior, it is useless 1t may have
fruitful valleys and fertile hills, thriving manu-
factories, and temporary individual prosperity, |
numerous railroads and far-reaching canals,
mines of mineral wealth, and all the richas OF
Institutional greatness and msgnifcenee, an inn
mense army and q powerful navy, good Gov
honest, God fearing, man-loving rulers
but if it be tied, fettered, and anchored in !
bankruptcy, what is it good for? It were better
that it shond perish, and its name be blotted out
for ever. A bankrupt nation, like an individual
in that dilemma, should 60 into liquidation. 1t
should wind mp its political affairs, dispose Of it's
assets of name, place, and power, and honestly
before God and the people, yield up its execu-
tive life, and ask funeral rites and ceremonies
decent burial from the sight of man. 1--we, 40
q nation, have Bible wisdom, we shall see foresee
the great evils of bankruptcy, now threatening
US, and hide from them. We shall use, without
q moments delay, our strength and power to
crush the monster now gnawing at our vitals.-
We SHALL with the martial tramp of irresistible
forces, overwhelm our enemies, and end forever
the great conflict between freedom and slavery.
! We are endangering more than liberty, by
longer hating between two opinions We are
imperiling our very existence-our national lie.
We shall soon be bound with chains which new
er can be broken. We are blindly and rapidly
floating into the depths of bankruptcy. we
must now fight, or we must die. The nauon
may uiR rightly, our armies may cover every
hilltop, and our rulers be honest, patrietlc, AND
pure; but nevertheless we must now ngnt' Of g
q nation, we must die-this is inevitaoie: Il
The voice from our national Treasury is, tight
or We die. .Srea sssa1h
The voice from the tribune Of our political
power 10, fight or We die. t1. >
The voice from every workshop and every
manufacturing village in the Unionis, fight or We
The voice Of burdened nation of taxpayers
is, fight, or We die. .a..sa-x Il
The voice Of every ships crew, sailing in peril
of pirates, is fight, orwe die. 4
The voice of all the great moneyed institu-
lions of the nation is, fight or We die. i
The voice of merchant, banker, and of all bu-
siness men is, fight, or We die.
The voice, trumpet.tongued, from our CURED
cy troubles Is, fight, or we die.
3 The voice from every half-frightened, gold
boarding miser, lie, fight, or We die.
The voice of widows and the fatherless, and Of
thousands who are now mourning the loss Of In.
come, is, fight, or We die.
The voice of soldiers, sick, wounded, and dy-
ing BY thousands in hospitals and Southern pri
sons, il, fight, or We die.
The voice Of every true general, either from
West Point, or West-anysOhere, is, fight, or we
die.
The voice from New York, and every other
commercial city Of the Union, is, fight, or we die.
The voice of every despairing, homeless, ty-
Initiating exile, the world over, is, fight or we
die.
The voice of the millions of slaves, bleeding
and manacled, is, fight, or we die. M
| The voice of LIBERTY, from the Poles to the
Equator; the voice of the round World, groan-
ing in sin and hoping in God; the voice Of High
Heaven, as plainly as ever Numbered from Mount
Sinai, is urging US now to duty.
! Will you hear that voice, President Lincoln,
for whom thousands are now praying on every
shore. in every land of every Christian nation?
Will you hear it, Secretary Seward-war-
horse of liberty-whose ear has never yet failed
to hear the cry of the poor and the oppressed?
Will you hear it. Seer etary Chase, overwhelm.
ed and almost bowed down with unparalleled
burdens and cares nobly, heroically, and sue
cessfully battling with nations financial trou-
bles!
Will you hear it, Secretary Stanton, while a
million loyal men stand ready to pour out their
hearts blood to save US?
Will you hear it, Secretary Welles, and spread
every canvas, man every gun, and use every eff.
fort, to gain for yourself and our matchless navy
fresh glory and honor!
Will you hear, it, Secretary Bates, and boldly
and speedily act in behalf of thousands of Union
men in peril of life and property all: through
the South, and especially in your own liberty
seeking, rebel-hating state?
Will you hear it, Secretary Blair, from whom
we have right to expect en- open ear when SO
much is threatened and may be lost for ever?
Will you hear it, Secretary Smith, from whose
home on the prairies thrice ten thousand mourn.
ing hearts are now crying for a nations saliva
tions -.
Will you, Generalsin. Chief, hear it, and stop
fault. fnding? Will You admit-as an expert
ment-that there are several other places in the
country beside West Point?s Will you 20 any
where as directed! Will you fight in front, and
not ten miles in the rear Of your armyi Don't,
for once, be afraid of hurting the rebels, who
have already cost us quarter Of . million of
precious lives. Leave your dignity and your
importance for some more appropriate place
than the battle field, and be quite willing, We
pray you, that one or two other generals should
do alittle something for our country as we'll as
yourselves.
Will the Army hear it? Yes, we kaow they
will, for they are already ahead of the Govern
ment, ahead of their generals, and would be
ahead of the rebels if they were permitted the
opportunity. ?, asa
The great heart of the Nation cries out, Pur
DOWN THE REBELLION. CRUSH THE ENExY-
SroP THE WASTING OF Our LIVES. SAVE Us FROM
BANKRUPTCY.
Who asks for the army to 60 into winter quar-.
tiers. Nobody but peace-loving secessionists.-
Who asks, or desires, anything else than the
complete and immediate overthrow of JEFF Davis
and the subjugation of the whole band of Con-
federate traitors? Nobody but the same motley
crowd of sympathizers with treason.
To act now, to act Immediately, means pros
perity and life. To neglect or refuse to act now,
means bankruptcy and death. To act now, means
all that can be desired under free and happy
Government. To refuse to act now, means a
speedy, shameful, and infamous plunge into des.
potism more base, more tyrannical, more OPP
pressive, than can be found on the civilized
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