The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-15

SAAS Ss.u6ihB tu6G uoS Oe0n tDut
upon their nation by the Autocrat through
Prince GorchakoH in his reply to the Six
POINTS presented by the Allied Courts of
farls, London and Vienna, with respect to
Poland, and their call for war with Russia
is earnest and all but unanimous. Napo-
leon may resist tiff Great Britain and
Austria should shrink from the trial by
battle to which Alexander III. so plainly
invites them, we think he will; but he can
not do it, even though deserted by his Al
lies, without an immense sacrifice of
prestige. In fact, Russia has thrown down
the gauntlet to France, contesting her
claim to that leading place in Europe which
the latter has held since the close of the
Crimean War; and France must either
take up the gage or resign to Russia the
primacy held by her through the quarter of
a century which followed the pacifcation
Of 1915. And if Napoleon should consent
to eat the leek, it will be mainly because
of the unlucky absorption Of his forces
and means in his Cochin China and Mexi-
can adventures, aggravated by the pros
pect OF another war in distant Japan.
The French army and people would glad
ly fight for Poland and Liberty in the
East; they are strongly averse to fighting
for Aristocracy and Slavery in the Vest
Should Napoleon resolve to efface the
memory of his Russian rebuff by recog-
milton of the Shareholders Confederacy
and a war in its behalf, he would of course
be obeyed by the army, but without en-
thusiasm or heart. For France, whatever
may be the Emperor's inclinations, hates
Slavery and loves Equality. For the sake
Of being tranquil at home and powerful
abroad, she accepts the Empire; but her
people are essentially democratic, and bear
with impatience the imputation of being
the jailers of Roman Liberty. No war
into which Napoleon could plunge would
be SO unpopular in France as one against
this republic in behalf of the Rebel Slave
Power. 1t might not upset his throne, but
1T could not fail to render it eminently in
secure. We assume, therefore, that the
danger OF unfriendly French Intervention
IN our domestic quarrel, if it ever existed,
is peril no longer. 800
For the Shareholders Confederacy, If not
utterly played OUT. is manifestly and
rapidly approaching that natural cOnsum-
nation. Everything we hear from it be-
tokens exhaustion, impotence, despair
Wf.'s recent levy en- masse brings very few
conscripts to his camps, while assertions
therefrom occur by brigades. The Ken
tuckians and Tennesseeans who have re-
treated after every pitched battle fought in
their respective States for the last eighteen
months, and now find themselves fleeing
before Rosecrans in Georgia and Alabama,
cannot be duped by idle gasconade; they
know that their respective States are lost
to the Rebellion, and they revolt at the
prospect of another year of hardship, pri-
walton and slaughter now that hope has
departed. The forces of Johnston and Penn
berton, beaten in a dozen fights without
exception, hunted out Of Vicksburg and
Mississippi, with the loss of two-thirds of
their number and nearly all their artillery
and munitions, know that they are beaten
-routed-pulverized no lying bulletins or
windy General Orders can cheat them with
regard to fact whereofthey have had such
ample and palpable demonstration. They
have had enough of the ravages and DESC
lations of civil war, and sigh for return to
the ways of industry and peace. I
It is somewhat different with Lees army
yet not essentially so. That army can still
fight, and, acting on the defensive in a
strong position, it could doubtless give a
good account Of itself. In the conscious
ness that it is better led and more skillfully
handled than its antagonist has ever yet
been, it has an important element Of cohe-
sion and strength. But it is ragged, ill
shod, badly fed, long unpaid, and labors
has done its best without avail. It never
| fought better than at Gettysburg, where it
was massed and impelled with all Lees
conceded ability, where it had decided
advantage in the first encounter, and
fought in the full flush of that initial victo-
| ry through the two following days. HUI
man nature could do no more and when it
blood-soaked, wreck-strewn field, and turn
ed its face in full retreat to the Potomac and
| the Rapidan, it virtually left the fortunes
and the hopes Of the Confederacy in ruins
behind it. Distant partisans may maunder
and pettifog to their hearts content; but
ded the loyal States with full intent to
crush the Army Of the Potomac and cap
ture Baltimore and Washington, and that
| its return minus third of its numbers,
most of it's ammunition, and with the
Union cavalry harassing its rear, was q
disaster from which the rebel cause can
hardly recover. 1t has recently been re-
inforced SO as to swell its numerical
strength nearly to that with which it broke
up from Fredericksburg; but its real
strength is immensely diminished. Forty
thousand men added to it tomorrow
would not enable it to fight another bat
tie nearly so good as that it fought at Get
tysburg. ~ lra-.-.....,,-.
| We hold, then, that the Rebellion is atits
| last gasp, unless it can receive some new
infusion of vitality from abroad. And Eu-
| ropean Intervention being all but hopeless,
La Copperhead instruction to defeat the
draft is now its last chance. We have
reason to believe that instruction is now
being plotted in this city, and that it will
signalize its first outbreak by systematic
and widespread conflagration. We, ap-
prehend that the conspiracy is strengthen
ed by delay in enforcing the draft, though
we would not have Government proceed
with that until thoroughly prepared; but
the moment the schedules are ready, let
the draft proceed, and let us know the
| w0rst-that Northern treason has in store
for US. Let the rebels see just how much
this treason avails them, and make their
calculations accordingly. Let US have
Three Hundred Thousand fresh men in
the field, with Copperhead dislOyalty
probed to the core, and nothing but the
worst generalship on our side can protract
the life of the Rebellion beyond Christmas.
Energy in the Government, and patriot
ism eyinced by the loyal millions, ought to
give us substantial peace even earlier than
this.--N. Y. Tribune. fIa.gssjff4
GENERAL HATCH's EXPEDITION CLEApa
WEST TENNESSEE OF ALL ORGANIZED RER-
Ell FoRcEs.-CAIRo, Aug. 8.-The City of
Memphis arrived last night with 400 sick
from New Orleans She proceeded irnme-
diately to ST. Louis. Thirteen died ON The
way up, and were buried at Memphis.-