The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-12-26

JEFFERSON DAVIS DENOUNCED AS A DC
TAToR.--The astounding propositions
which have signalized the first days of this
present session, for placing the entire pop
field, leaving no producers of food to feed
the enormous army so raised, and no tax
payers to find the money to furnish it,
have created considerable sensation. A
feeling of dependency has been produced
by them among reflective observers; not
by the prospect of the universal cessation
of national life and organization, which
the realization Of those wild projects would
certainly cause-for no one can fail to see
that there is 40 danger of realizing patent
impOssibility; but by the singular want of
discernment which they indicate. 1t is
difficult to believe that many members of
the Congress really intend the establish
ment of q dictatorship in this country, still
less to make Mr.. Davis dictator. Yet it
requires but little reflection to perceive
that such law lately suggested in his
message, a suggestion which members of
Congress have taken in trust from it, is
nothing more nor less than that.
An entire nation can not remain in the
field more than twenty-four hours, under
the penalty of death by starvation. A law
requiring the whole population to take up
arms and go into camp is a nullity. Few
will dispute the remark; and the President
blandly proposed that the power and dis
erection should be given him to ''detaip'
such persons as he pleased to continue the
pursuits of civil life. The relative num-
bers of those in the army and those out of
it, might not be changed by law of uni
yersal enrolment, if accompanied
between the present and prospective
condition of the military force and
nation, would be the change of
"details" for 'exempts." One of these
words designates the persons who continue
| the work that must be done in war and
peace, under the authority of law; the 9TH
er, those who go about their business be-
cause of the favor of the President and his
Office holders, great and small. This is a
proposition to give them despotic control
over every individual in this country, and
to destroy every check upon their WILL
The parasites OF power are pleased with it.
There exists a small faction in this country
who have long clamored for this measure,
because they expect power, profit and re-
yenge from it, But it is impossible to be-
lieve that those who have echoed this cry
in some Of the resolutions offered in Con-
gress, intended to do SO. A resolution of
inquiry, fortunately, is not a law, and when
the force OF the measures suggested in the
first has been examined, as it must be be-
fore it Is fixed in the last, there will be lit
tie danger that Congress will stultify itself
or sacrifice the cause by such insane steps
as are now feared by many.
The motive Of those who have given a
quasi sanction to these projects, is easily
understood. The Confederate army sorely
needs replenishing. But some means of
etecting that purpose must be found which
is not at once folly and crime. The
present army is created by CONSUMPTION
II the actual Conscription Law does not
furnish sufficient number of men, the
natural and rational means Of remedyiBg
the defect is to enlarge the sphere of its ac-
ton, by increasing the age Of conscripts,
and diminishing, where it can be done with
safety, the exempted class.-Aichmond En-
droiner, Dec. 18th.