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

tors, when it is he and his advisers. who
are traitors to the constitution and to the
country. He affects to consider the South
ern States as existing no longer; as having
been taken out of the Union and DESTROYED,
and the Southern State governments as no
longer existing,-when every constitu-
| tional lawyer knows that the acts of seces.
sion were null and void, that the Southern
States are not now, and never were, out of
the Union; that the Union is unbroken and
cannot be broken; and that the only thing
that interrupts the constitutional relations
between some of the States on the one
hand, and the Federal Government on the
other, is the fact that republican admin
istration is in power.
No one here believes that Mr.. Lincoln
makes this offer to the South in good faith,
or with any idea that it will be accepted
Nay, those who know him best say it was
made in order that it might be reject
ed-in order that new pretext might be
found for continuance of the war-in or
der that the war may be invested with new
features of ferocity, so that the people of
the North and the people of the South may
still be further embittered towards each
other-in order, in a word, that the present
shape events as to retain their power for
another term. 3g
There is one feature of the Message that
is worthy Of being dragged from the drea-
ry wilderness of yerbiage in which it is in
vested; because it xhibits at once the ma !;
Lightly OF and the bitterness of the man
who devised it. Abe knows that his alb
surd plan will be rejected. and that the
Union will never be restored in that way.
Therefore he says in effect that it is possible
that this Congress, or a subsequent one,
may repeat the obnoxious acts of the last
Congress, and may call on the President to
revoke the Emancipation Proclamation
These op1f Of thn t1,aro
might be a dawn of hope for the restora-
ton of the Union. But, says the heir of
the aspirations of John Brown, will new
er revoke or modify that proclamation, no
never, neUe7, NEVER. Let the readers of
the Herald observe this point. No matter
how conservative this Congress, or the
Congress of 1866 may be. If they should
both unite IN removing out of the way ev-
cry stumbling block which lies in the way
OF restoration of the Union, will still
keep that rock of offence in the way, even
! If should be reelected in 1864.
Every intelligent reader of the Herald
| knows that if all these obnoxious acts were
repealed, and democratic administration
elected, there would be good prospect of
restoring the Union, and YOU now see the
bait that this artfEl dodger holds out TO the
radicals. Elect me President for another
term, says Abe, and although every other
department of the government combined
|
again, I, ,single-handed and alone, win keep
them out. ,...
Look out for the debate on the message.
1t will be the liveliest wittiest, spiciest,
most fearless, most out-spoken, of any de-
bate ever yet held in the new capitol. The
copper in the head of the new statue of
FREEDOM that crowns the dome, will get
into the crowns of the copperheads on the
floor, and the way old Abe will catch it
will make him forget that he has had the
small-pox-for he has had it, has gotit now,
very bad.
Gen. Meade's head is off, only he don't
know it yet. He had the same task to do
that the butcher of Fredericksburg was sent
i to accomplish last December. The only
difference between the two men is, the
butcher butchered $1,000 of his men, be-
cause he is a butcher, and failed General
Meade brought off his army in safety, saw
ed the lives of IL, 900 of his troops, because
he is humane man and judicious Gene
raj, and failed. Any other General, no
matter what his abilities. will fail on this
road to Richmond. But the administration
hate Meade, because he did not use up Is,
600 of Abe's bullocks, an animal that can
be purchased for $500 a head. A.