The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-09-12
BURLINGTON, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER r. 1863

1905.
panions then, are all touched, like himself,
MIN, they, too, are reaping, in the enjoy
ment OF genial old age, the reward of a
LIE OF honorable usefulness. Little did they
| Deileve when they were disporting them
selves among the groves and the gardens
OF tnose elegant estates, and making the
spacious halls ring with fun and merri-
ment, that by the time their children had
reached the same age, they would meet to-
gether to consider the best means of reuni-
ting divided country. Shortly after re-
turning to Gen. Ransom's headquarters, a
dozen or fifteen of the Oldest and wealth.
est citizens OF the place came in, and two
or three hours We're spent in a full and free
conversation between them and the militia
ry gentlemen. The most friendly feeling
prevailed, and all parties manifested a de-
sire to do in good faith all they could to
lessen the privations Of war.
am going to tell you now what know
you will believe with difficulty, because 1,
fairly understand it for long time
There Is a strong Union sentiment IN Match
es, and 1t has existed eUer since the breaking
| ent of the Cdr. The wealthiest people are
almost universally for the Union. They
opposed secession from the beginning, and
have continued to oppose it to the end
There are several who have stood out, in
spite OF danger and the loss Of their prop
erty, and have obstinately refused to give
their adherence or their countenance, much
less material support, to the rebellion
Many have, of course, been forced into ac-
qulescence, but they are sincerely glad to
see the old flag once more. The order Of
nature seems to be reversed. Elsewhere it
IS the rich men who have been secession
lists, and the Union feeling, if there is any,
Is confined to the lower classes. Here the
mllllonalres-the large Shareholders, have
held last, through good report and evil re-
port, the Government under which they
were born and have always lived. The
only reason can assign for their not be-
ing plundered and murdered, one by one,
as fast as they could be got at, is that there
, are great many OF them, and they repre-
resent large portion of the wealth, intel.
Lgence, and respectability of the country
They live in houses of regal magnificence
own plantations by the mile, and slaves by
generations identified with the history, the
prosperity, and the development of ths
country. 1t is dangerous business to play
at hanging such men. The instructive
: reverence Of the Southern people for wealtl
and position prevented them from practi
: cling on this determined band of old heroe.
the means Of fcompulsion they found so eff
Of these gentlemen, Mr.. Duncan, is maj
' seventy-seven years old. He has not beer
+ inside the city for two years until yester
q day, when he came to Seethe hero of Vicks
burg, the "Ouverture'' of the Mississippi
: His life has repeatedly been threatened
not only on account Of his persistent at
tachment to the Union, but also his very
disagreeable way Of expressing his opinion
of the Confederacy in just such terms as ht
I thought appropriate. Mr.. Marshall, too
, though living nearer to town, has never
? yielded an inch. He occupies magnif
cent house, think the finest in the city
Mr.. Merrill, who, though very wealthy, i.
I pie of his elders, and has been conspicuous
for his devotion to the Union. Most o
these gentlemen are old friends and &C
quaintances of General Thomas, and vel
coined him, perhaps, with more pleasure
than they would any other representative
of the Government. They have suffered
. severely from the rebellion, having los
from half million to million dollars
, worth of property.
q The best evidence that not only these, bu
!, all the other citizens of Natchez believ,
that slavery is gone forever, is that they
scarcely allude to the subject. If you ash
their opinion, they will give it freely. They
4 say that it will be impossible ever agair
o to reduce the negroes to the same s0bOr
dination as formerly. The abandonment
q of slavery is taken for granted, and al
conversations, proposals for coming bach
! to the Union, and all stipulations whatever
are based upon this tacit understanding
SO well understood, in fact, that it seems
. unnecessary to allude to it. General Thorn
take all the able-bodied slaves he coulC
find for soldiers; that as to the others, HI
would much prefer that they should re
main on the plantation to which they be
longed, for there they could be taken carr
of more easily than anywhere else, ant
die very fast. Wages must be paid for th'
e labor OF those who could earn more thar
! their support, and he desired every etfbr
u to be made to induce the negroes to worl
: for hire. This is perfectly satisfactory t.
them. 1t will be some time, however, be
e fore the negroes left on the plantation
: learn the necessity of laboring to supper
themselves. There are now six thOusant
}. contrabands in camp at Natchez, out 0
which we shall get three hundred fit TO
$ military duty. Two regiments have beel
i started, and will be filled in a week. On
) is to be commanded by Captain Stone, tn
: commander of the Contraband Camp. Tn
n other is to be an artillery regiment, and i
u to be consolidated with the 18th Misssour
: Regiment, which is to be reduced TO tw'
: hundred men. These men will form tw'
u companies by themselves, and the other
will be formed of blacks. General Thorn
a as returned to Vicksburg to-day.
= The President has ordered that the va
), cancies in the West Point cadetship, caus
ed by the rebellion, be filled from the ar
mics now occupying the revolted territory
u Examinations are now in progress in thi
e army to select candidates, and it is aston
e ishing how many young men are foun,
fit for the position. n.-C0r. Washington Chron
Z icle.
Iowa HEMP.-At the hardware store Q
Westphal Il Kinds there is on exhibition
:. specimen Of Iowa hemp. The plant
y sixteen feet high. 1t was raised by Math
), ew McNear, and is said by judges to b
q equal to any Kentucky hemp that eve
e grew. Mr.. McNear lived many years il
Kentucky. He says "Kentucky got ricl
n out ofhemp: but Iowa can SIX unk, her all 4