The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-07-26
war Crisiclsza.

BURLINGTON w
war CFisiclsn.
"WhAt do you know about war;" said militi,
corporal, to his wife, who had kindly chide,
him for the awkwsrdness of his movements, Will
he was preparing himself by personal trainin,
at home for that trying ordeal, the general mus
ter. Probably the wife old not know mucl
about war, but she had natural pride in be-
husband, and wished him to make . respectabl,
taught her, that if going through the motion.
meant war, the corporal knew quite as little about
it as she.
The case of the corporal and bis wife resem
bles the "situation" in this country to day. The
nation is menaced with destruction. A despe
rate enemy has marshaled his hundreds of thou.
sands to the execution. The yell of the savage
with uplifted tomahswk, and the naughty speech
OF the chivalrous chiefs who have plotted the
conspiracy, breathe the same spirit of death to
the nation through carnage and blood. Against
TINS merciless toe, at our country's call, we
nave sent our sons and brothers; and our intel
lgent hosts armed with superior implements,
and backed by a superior civilization, and the
grandest military resources, have gone forth to
encounter the enemy of our free institutions.
through mistaken policy of our Govern
ment, and the halfheartedness and incompetent.
cy OF many of our military leaders, costly and
andenlable blunders have been committed
Inc people, intensely anxious for the fate of
tneir country, have murmured aloud, and the
answer to those murmurs from the source of
power has invariably been, "What do you know
about war ?"
II the loyal press presumes to crlticise mill
OIunGprQ kho -, %ho 80
leaders the voice of our people, it is threaten.
ed with the gloomy contemplation of the inner
walls of the Bastile If it protest in the name
OF our gallant soldiery, against ditch digging
by our gallant troops, which has lost us more
men than the battle field, it is hushed into
silence by the never failing cry Of strategy"
great military science which is going to con-
quer an active enemy by preparing for an at
TACK ana end the war by mastery inactivity,
without striking blow. If it denounce the
use OF our brave troops for the return of fugi.
tlves to rebel claimants, and the protection of
traitors property, authority cries, "hold, or
we lose the support Of the border States" If
II counsels the employment of negroes in any
manner their hardy muscles and loyal hearts
make them capable of serving our cause, :he
plea OF the offended sensibilities of the border
States, and the sympathizing Democratic off.
GERS of the army is set up; the cry of radical
ism and 'abolitionism' starts from Washing~
ton, and the voice of the people is drowned BY
the clamor Of traitor sympathizers for concil.
iation and compromise.
Our brothers may die in the bitches. But We
must keep our mouths shut. STRATEGY" may
lead to reverses; but what right have We to
mention it? "What do We know about war ?"
A twelve month may be frittered away by costly
inaction. But what is that to the people? It
is their business to furnish the men and means,
and the appropriation Of both must be left to the
Government, controlled by military genius and
strategy, without a word of comment or rebuke
for mismanagement-no criticism under pain of
prescription. Kentucky, too, may have her
neutrality jostled by the daring exploits of the
rebel chief, Morgan, and Missouri may be over.
run and desolated by guerrilla bsnds-Magofin
and Gamble may look quietly on with their State
militia, without affording the loyal people relief
It's not the business of these Governors to assist
in putting down rebellion. Their mission is to
conci|iate traitors, guard their property, and
nurse the institution that breeds murderous
raids. Yet neither the press nor the loyal PEG.
pie must say this aloud, or you assail the policy
of putting down the rebellion without hurting
anybody, and show too little regard for the 'sus.
capabilities" of the guardians Of human slavery.
Criticisms on the war must not be allowed, or
the plans Of the President makers will come to
nought. "Whst do you know about war Pr
Missouri Democrat.