The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-29

oath Of allegiance and return to their homes.
The Government knows nothing but per-
sons in rebellion, and 1t can extend its
clemency or its severity only to PERSONS
There is NO such thing In our Constitution
rs allegiance of the States, and the Govern
mept can neither receive nor refuse any
such allegiance.
There is nothing to prevent the immedi
ate submission OF every rebel, except his
own criminality, and the just penalties to
which he is liable for his crime SO far
these have hardly been enforced; but does
any honest man pretend that these penal
ties should be abolished9 Acts of Glenn
ency and of amnesty areScommon in cases
of conquered rebellions; but acts repeating
all legal penalties are unheard OF. The
power TO punish must stand; but submis-
sion is expected to bring degree Of remis-
sion. ~
There are laws oonfiscating the property
of the enemy, including their slave pro-
Perty. The object of these was to put down
the rebellion, subject the property of reb-
els to the expenses of the war, and by just
penalties to make such an example that
rebellion would not be likely to raise its
head again in this Government. The nd
ministra;ion OF these laws is subject to this
end, and we may naturally suppose that It
will be modified by any clemency that will
political organization or person pretends
that just laws confiscating property, should
exempt property in slaves. And in war
there is an urgent reason for making this
species of rebel property the first subject
of contiscation. - iy,r.7,a.., 4 .;.,.., .s...
The leading rebels have forfeited their
slaves and other property, To this extent
the Presidents Proclamation merely re-
peats the law of Congress. The war at once
reduces all persons TO two classes, loyal
and rebel. Our armies could recognize no
other distinction, even if there had been no
cOnfiscation act or emancipation edict. The
blacks who have escaped from the enemy
to. US in the war, and have been received by
US, and have aided US, would not have been
given up to the subdued rebels, even if
there had been no contiscation act, or
emancipation edict; nor would the rescin-
ding of the enamel patton proclamation, If
that were possible, affect the status of these.
They are entitled to our protection by the
laws of war, and we could not withdraw it
from them without dishonOr in the eyes OF
all mankind. r.5s
So far, then, as the slaves of armed reb-
els, and those who have come to our ser
vice, are concerned, the emancipation pro-
clamation merely reaffirms the cOntscation
act, and the laws OF honorable warfare
No man is SO base as to say that the latter
should be given up, and no loyal man will
pTeCtuO tAdt TIE leSdl peHaltieS dSdluSt VIC
enemy should be repealed in advance to
induce them to submit. As to the slaves
not included in these classes, in the States
called seeded we have an idea that the
number is inconsiderable, for slaveholding
has been almost the sure test of treason in
the Cotton States. But whatever the num-
Der may be, these have no moreright to de-
surrendering to the Constitution and laws,
than they have to demand the resembling
of all legal penalties against treason before
they submit.
Furthermore, it has been uniformly held
that Slavery is an institution subject to the
control of the States wherein it exists. 1t
is probable that when the slaveholding
military despotism is overthrown in the
South, the loyal people of those States who
have been ground down and sacrificed by
it, will be disposed to take some action up
on An institution which arrays itself against
the public tranquility, the integrity and
independence OF the nation, and the iber-
ties of the people. And if they are dis
posed to SOW salt on the ruin which Slave
their right, or fail to approve their wisdom?
GIN. GAG.
ARCHBISHOP PURCELL ON THE DRAFT
Archbishop Purcell presided at the conse-
Grafton of the Roman Catholic Church, at
Greenville, on Sunday. In the course OF
an eloquent address, he impressed upon
his flock the duty of being law-abiding.-
He told them plainly that they must dis
charge their duties as patriots. The coun-
try, he said, has claims upon their services,
TO which they were under obligations to
respond. Ii they are drafted, they must
obey cheerfully. If he were drafted, he
would himself feel obliged to go. If he
could not serve in the ranks, he would like
to serve at least in the hospitals. We are
informed that the address was nobly patri-
otic-but it was not the first time that the
Archbishop had expressed his convictions
! of the duty Of citizens in these trying peri.
DDS Of public distress.-Dayton, Ohio Jonr-
nal.
| FRENCH INTERvENTIoN.-Whe n tn e
Richmond WhSg-after all its by-gone