The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-10-10
The Political Situation.

There are few suggestive facts that
men who mean to be loyal ought to think
of and consider well, before they vote
the so-called Democratic ticket. Under
the Lincoln despotism," which, it is
has taken away the liberties Of
the people, it is self-evident fact, perfect
ly notorious to every body, that the Cop
perhead leaders have used every effort and
expedient to prevent Democrats from en-
listing and to induce such as have enlisted
to desert. 1t is a fact perfectly notorious
that enlisting or the expression Of an in
tention to enlist is enough to bring upon
any Democrat suspicion, and often denun-
citation and abuse. The Democrat who en-
lists or who attempts to recruit for the ar
my is read out of the party as an "Aboli-
ZIONIST" Within a month, Esquire Barnes,
of Franklin township, obtained commits
sion and commenced recruiting for the 9th
Iowa Cavalry. This circumstance was
enough to bring down upon his devoted
head not only the suspicion but the earnest
and bitter denunciation of the Copper
heads, who have since raised an cutlery
against him.as an "Abelitionist." No man
can recruit for the army or fight the bat
ties of his country and remain an orthodox
Democrat inside the organization OF the
present so-called Democratic party. The
purpose of this party is plainly to stop the
war by preventing enlistments and cutting
off supplies. And such is the leniency
of the Govornment-such its regard even
for the rights of disloyal persons that they
are allowed to and do prevent enlistments
of Democrats.
On the other hand the rebel Government,
in the interest of which this opposition to
the war is made with the evident purpose
of making this rebellion successful, crush
es out all opposition, SO that no man in all
the rebel States dares to whisper one word
in favor of the Government Of the United
States. Even the suspicion ofloyalty costs
hundreds their lives and thousands and
tens of thousands their property to the last
dollar. Even women and children have
been stripped of every thing but the
clothes on their backs, and the North is
full of refugees, driven from their homes
on suspicion of being friendly to the flag Of
their country. The Rebel Government
sweeps all its citizens able to bear arms
into the army and imprisons, shoots,
hangs or exiles all who will not fight for
the rebellion or who are suspected of not
being friendly to it.
This is fair statement of the situation
and of the animus Of the opposition to the
Government. We take an appeal from
the Copperhead leaders to the loyal masses
of the Democratic party. We take an aP-
peal from partisan madness to reason and
patriotism. We appeal to love Of country
of home-of Democratic institutional
civil and religious iberty-yea, even to
material interests. We plead with them
in the name and on behalf Of our gallant
army. We plead with them on behalf of
our sons and brothers, in the distant
South, battling to protect our homes, pre-
serve our lives and property and save the
nation. We appeal to them to COME OUT
from a party whose success must be the
country's death-knell. We appeal to them
to leave an organization which is striking
home to the very heart Of the nation. We
ask them to look upon the "graves of their
fathers and the cradles of their children"
and swear with us eternal hostility to trea-
son and rebellion, henceforward and for
ever.
va The public must be on its guard