The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-03-08
February 10, 1852.


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to the policy best to be pursued in case the
enemy advance upon the city and country, and
seem likely to capture the city. The Federal
forces are yet Q great distance from us, and we
hope and believe they will never be able to
reach here. Certainly they will not if the whole
people arouse in their might and present solid
breast against the invaders The movement in
progress here aims to stir up the people to this
universal resistance, and it seems probable that
it will be successful.
The talk upon the corners is not always re-.
markably sensible. Men who spend their time
in dilating their lungs at such places are very
often not the most wise, calm aud brave sort of
characters. They are apt to talk large and act
small. They often cloak over craven heart
Under stout words. Often, too, their counsels
spring from panic strken hearts, though they
wear the color and take the s..ape of being the
Offspring Of courage and patriotism.
Certainly we prefer TO follow the advice or
commands OF our chosen and lawful leaders as to
the best modes of conducting the war. 1t is the
business, and duty, and right of the military
chiefs to plan and direct the proper measures in
tho s1igency. II they say fight, we say fight !;
if they say retreat, we acquiesce, however pain
fnl IL may be; if they say tear up the railroads.,
so say we; ii they say burn the bridges, burn
them If they order the country to be laid waste,
execute the order; if they command the city to
be laid in ashes, lay the city in ashes, and plow
up its foundations, and SOW salt over them It
10 the right of the military chiefs to give such
orders and cause them to be executed. The law
Of the land, the civil law read out of books and
administered by the courts, holds them blame
less for such orders and acts.
But street corner orators, and groggery. alley
haunters, and whisky y-infamed patriots, and
panic-struck cravens are not intrusted with any
such right or authority; nor are even the most
sensible and excellent of private citizens. If
they venture to usurp or perpetrate any of these
acts, the law has a name for them, and the
statute book provides for their treatment. Eel.
oas is the name, and the act is arson, a crime
which 10 punished by Imprisonment in the peni.
tentiary not less than five nor more than twenty.
one years. Arson is the wilful burning of any
house or clubhouse in the country, or the setting
FIRE to or burning any house or building in q
city or town. Private persons are not allowed
to do these acts, no matter how laudable they
may think their purpose. Nor can man ex
cuse himself from the consequences Of the
crime, even though he sets on fire his own build
ing il by 20 doing be jeopards the building Of
another. And, besides the criminal offence,
such person makes himself liable in q civil &C.
ton for the value of any building of another
which he caused to be burned by his setting on
Ere his own house.
Obviously, 1t may be very wise and altogether
right to burn . town upon which an enemy IL
advancing but quite as plainly 10 1t, that 1t will
never do TO allow any person who chooses to do
these things.- 1t 10 not power entrusted to
any and everybody. It 10 not certain that any
and everybody is wise, and prudent anc
patriotic. Any and everybody may claim to bs
so; but any and everybody's talk 10 not YER,
safe ground on which to trust power of thil
kind.
Acts Of this extreme character may become
military necessity. Such was the case of Mos
cow, famed in the history Of Napoleon. Mos
| COW 10 in the heart of the Russian Empire.
stands on North latitude in the both parallel
the same as the central region of Labrador il
North America. OF course this 10 an exsrem,
winter climate, though Moscow is not as cold a
the same latitude on the eastern slope of thi
continent. Besides, Moscow wss some seye,
hundred miles fron, the western frontier Of Ru:
sia, the nearest point to q country friendly +
Napoleon. In that day, the year 1872, ther
were no railroads or steamers, or in that rsgio
OF Russia any rivers, for the easy or speed
transportation OF any army. So that Napoleon
| to get from Moscow out Of Russia 10 friendl
country, had line of about 700 miles owe
which his army must march on foot, ut an aver
oke Vi 10 Or ~ miles pei uaf, III Case Nc wa
forced to retreat Over SO long line, and du,
ing mid winter, and through hostile corntr,
such retreat would inevitably be fatal. Til
i Russian soldiers we're Injured 10 the climate :
The French army we're of many nations, mos
Of them Of countries having mild climates, an
were unable to bear the rigor Of the Russia
climate. Hence, the policy OF the Russian
Was 10 force Napoleon to retreat during the wiz
ter. This could be done by depriving til
French army Of shelter and food
To burn Moscow and desolate the counts
around, accomplished both-left the Frsnc
without food and without shelter. Count Ra
topchin was the Governor Of Moscow, and K,
tuso6 was the GeneraLin- Chief of the Russia
army. The battle Of Borodino was fought an
lost by Kutusofi, seventy miles west of MOSCOW
AZ he retreated before the Rrsnch, he devast,
ted The country for several miles on each aide
the line Of his march and upon approachIu
the city moved several divisions Of his Arm
throsgh 1t and, at the point of the bayone
drove the citizens out Of the walls, and far q
into the country.
Napoleon entered the city on tho 10th Of Sc
tember. The day after his entrance, the eli
Was get on Gre In several places BY islons, tb
Rastopchiu had turned out Of prison ior &