The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-07-26
faces, and they can shake you no more for

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Most of you have treated me with kindness
and consideration, and trust YOU, Will not now
think improperly touch what is exclusively
your own, when, for the sake Of the whole coun-
try, ask, "Can you, for your States, do better
than to take the course urge ?" Discarding
psemeti;o and maxime adapted to moro manage.
able times, and looking only TO the unprecedent.
edly stern facts of our case, can you do better
In any possible EVENT. You prefer that the con-
stitutional relations of the States to the nation
shall be practically restored without disturbance
of the institution; and, if this were done, my
whole duty, in this respect under the Constitu-
ton and my oath Of Office, would be performed.
But it is not done, and we are trying to accom-
plish it BY war. The incidents of the war can.
not be avoided. If the war continues long, IS
it must if the object be not sooner STAINED, the
institution in your States will be extinguished
by mere friction and abrasion-by the mere In
cidents of the war. It will be gone, and you
will have nothing valuable in lieu Of It. Much
of it's value is gone already. How much better
for you and for your people to take the step
which at once shortens the war, and secures SUD-
stantial compensation for that which Is sure 70
be wholly lost in any other event! HOW mucn
halter to thus save the money which else We
sink forever in the war! How much better to
do it while We can, lest the war ere long render
us pecuniarily unable to do is! How much bet
ter for YOU. ss seller, and the nation, as buyer,
to sell out and buy out that without which the
var could never have been, than to sink both
the thing to be sold and the price OF 1t, in cut
ting one another's throats.
I do not speak Of emancipation at once, but
of a decision at once to emancipate gradual.
". Room in South America for colonization
can be obtained chesply and in abundance, and
when numbers shall be large enough to be
company, and encouragement for one another,
the freedpeople will not be so reluctant to 60.
am pressed with difficulty not yet mem
tioned-one which threatens divisions among
those who, united, are none too strong. An
instance oft is known to you. Gen Hunter is
an honest man. He was, and hope still is,
my friend. l valued him none the less for
agreeing with me in the general wish that all
men everywhere could be freed. He proclaim
ed oil men free within certain States, and re-
pudiated the proclamation. He respected more
good and less harm from the measure than
could believe,would follow. Yet, in repudia-
ting it, gave dissatisfaction, if not offense,
to many whose support the country cannot
afford to lose. And this is not the end of it.
The pressure in this direction is still upon me
and increasing. By conceding what now
ask you can relieve me, and, much more, can
relieve the country in this important point
Upon these considerations have again beg
ged your attention to the Message of March
last. Before leaving the Capital, consider and
discuss it among yourselves. You are patri-
OTIS and statesmen, and as such pray you con-
slider this propositions; and at the least com
mend it to the consideration of your States and
people. As you would perpetual popular govern
fnr tho hoot in, tho I ho
seech you that you do in no wise omit this
Our common country is in great peril, demaud-
ding the Hottest views and boldest action to
bring speedy relief. Once relieved, its form
of government is saved to the world; its be-
loved history and cherished memories are vim.
Dictated, and its happy future fully assured
and rendered iLconceivably grand. To you
more than to any others, the privilege is given
to assure that happiness and swell that grand
eur, and to link your own names Herewith
forever.