The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-06-13
THE IMPORTANCE OF VICKsRURG TO THE
SonrEpERACy--MILITA AND Political

THE IMPORTANCE OF VICKsRURG TO THE
rSonrEp ERACY--MILITARY AND Political
HsARiNGs OF THE CoNTEsT.-All interest,
,n;litary and political centers this day up
an the fearful and bloody struggle now ra-
s;np around the bluffs of Vicksburg. 1t is
The most momentous, and, perhaps, the
bloodiost fight of the campaign this year.
fGrant's daring attempts fail, or his ar
NV he DESTROYED, or oven driven Off with
auch plentiful carnage and havoc as our
batteries are now making IN the ranks,
then tho Mississippi and all the West are
onrs for this season. If Vicksburg unhap-
n;lv falls. the war is only beginning. But
the worst effect of that disaster would as
snredIy be the renewal Of that miserable
outcry for counting and tampering with the
Great union with several
States of the Northwest-that is, submits
sion to the Northwest.
Vicksburg, as we have good hope, viii
not fail, and can not fail. We have there a
fine army, brave to desperation, and led by
able commanders. Every motive, every
nassion that can eXalt soldier. to the point
ct which men conquer or die, is there pres
ent: patriotism and pride, the need OF sus-
tanning a well won renown, thirst for pub
lie and for private vengeance upon the des-
olators of the land, the incendiaries of our
towns and cowardly oppressors OF unpro-
tected women and children, all stir and
madden our men to daring deeds, and give
sest to the work ofwholesome slaughter
Pemberton is nobly sustaining his fame
and ours; and with Johnston and his gath
ering reinforcements to strike in at the
moment of fate and finish the terrible
strife, it may well be hoped that, with Gods
blessing on our army, those most formida-
BILE ornaments of the enemy, by land and
water, will be ruined. overwhelmed, and
sent to perdition.
Yet. if it be fated, that in spite of all hui
devotion cal do Wick hnrp
and its defenders should become the prey
of our enemy, then indeed will come the
tug of war. Then also will come the polltl-
cal crisis. Whatever of imbecility and
faint-heartedness and downright latent
toryism and treason exists in the Conted-
eracy, will ut once receive a new accession
of weakness; many will again begin to cry
out for IAN honorable peace" as they Will
call it. by means of submission to one sec
ton of our invading foes who are now rag
ing over our country with fire and sword.
The doctrine of the necessary unit of the
Missippi Valley from Lake Itasca to the
Gulf will be again revived by political ge-
ographers of feeble knees-as if the Mis-
sissippi River were something different
from all other rivers; as il there We're any
more unity or continuity in it's shores than
in the shore of the sea, as If the Great West
had right to our country because the wa
ter flows from their lands into ours; all
this sad nonsense, which is nothing but
cloak for treason, and excuse for coward
ice, would be echoed and reverberated
over the land again. And then the North
west would not listen to our offers and
overtures, if such should be made. With
the possession of Vicksburg and Port Hud-
son, they would fancy themselves assured
of the whole Mississippi by conquest; and
they would no longer dream of escaping 1t
by treaty. If our politicians of Tennessee
and Mississippi should, then, renew their
helpless talk of giving favorable CONNER
cial treaty to the upper States of the river,
as an inducement to them to separate them
selves from the Eastern States and erect
Confederacy of their own, such offers
would be received with contempt. The
issue would be presented pure and simple,
naked and remptory-submlsslono rsub-
jugation. And subjugation means eXter-
mination.
Thus, Vicksburg is at this time a point
not only of strategetic but also of political
importance. While our flag flies defiant
over the Great River, no party OF compro-
mise can venture to raise its hand; no
man will dare to breathe one word OF re
construction in whole or in part. All Will
be good Confederates. The cause which IS
supposed to be sinking and failing is the
one which is likely to be abandoned by the
towards, and betrayed by the traitors. To
the cause that prospers we are always as
true as steel.
For this reason, the result of these Vir-
ginia elections is by no means of SO deep
political significance as the result of those
battles around Vicksburg. All the gentle
men elected the day before yesterday, are
to-day, we hope and believe, faithful and
resolute Contederates, whether they be late
secessiOnists or original ones. Ii any OF
them have unconsciously lurking WITHIN
them some relic of tenderness for the old
Union, some underlined laundering after
peace by total or partial reconstruction up
on any terms whatever, honorable" or
otherwise, the successful defense OF Vlcks-
burg will help to obliterate the last tinge or
faint of such anti Confederate sentiment
This is not said in disparagement OF those
who left the Union reluctantly and at the
last moment, but who left it then forever.
and who have since maintained, on many
bloody field, the sovereignty OF their
States against an invading enemy. we
find it impossible to conceive for example,
that men like Col. Wickham, who has led
a Virginia regiment through two years OF
desperate war in defense of Virginia's right
to secede-or like Alexander Boteler, whose
home has been desolated by invading bar
barians, and who has ridden by the side Of
jackson through the campaigns which IL
lustrate his native State, and gemmed 1t all
over with fields of glory like an Emperor's
shield-should ever contemplate the posi-
bility of any compromise OF Vlrglnlas SOW
ereignty at all, under any circumstances or
any pressure-Vicksburg or no Vicksburg
Yet some there are, of a lneaner type-pray
God they may be feW-whO would see IN
the fall of Vicksburg an occasion, perhaps
even a reason, perhaps they might even
see an honest and patriotic reason, Tor
drawing back from the extreme measure
of our proud position, and listening to com
promise, and an honorable peace" we
do assure them, (if such there be,) that they
are in the wrong. Compromise, there can
be none; nor medium. This Confederacy
has before it one of two things; either to
conquer it's full and separate Independence
by battle and victory-or to yield itself con-
auered, and feel the bitter doom of an ''op-
pressed nationality under the basest OF
masters; a naked bound, sconrged Gin
derella OF nations;' object-at the very pest
of the worlds contemptuous pity.
There are few, it may be hoped. who are
not now up to the right mark; prepared IN
this matter to make the right decislon.--
Richmond Enquirer, May 30th.
Which WAY Is DEsPoTIsM?-We have