The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-22
GENERAL LOGAN AT CAIRO.
THE GENERALS WAR PoLICY-THR CON

THE GENERALS WAR PoLICY-THB CON
FISCATIoN ACT, &C.
MY CoUNTRYMKN-I am extremely
proud to have the honor of addressing SO
large an audience as the one see assem-
bled upon this occasion. Some think it
strange that a soldier should at the pres
ent moment, be found speaking before as
semblages of the citizens of Illinois, when
congregated to listen; speaking upon the
war and some of the political issues agita-
ting the nation. Bnt what people say has
no effect upon me. Ny friends and neigh
bors desired ! should speak, and as an act
of courtesy l have done SO. Ispeak upon
the condition of the country-not in de-
Tense Of any party organization or party
clique. l do not at present care whether
one party succeeds over another or not
But no one will contend that we have not
the right to assemble and talk over the
condition of the country, and discuss the
best manner of putting down the rebellion
and perpetuating the free institutions of
talking alone, unaided by acts, has passed
some two years or more.
We have not for months, had the condi-
ton Of things in our country upon which
our eyes had been accustomed to look up
On. For two years peace has not smiled
npon us-we have not fiourished as
befOre-we have not had our commerce.
not had the freedom of our flag upon the
high seas, not the unobstructed navigation
freedom of the Mississippi and the Ohio.
For all this period the rights of the people
have been infringed. And why, had we
this war, this unhappy state of affairs in
our fair land? Not because the people
were not happy and prosperous. Not
because of the Oppressiveness of any
of our laws. Not because the Constitution
hat naL 4
every man could not find protection I'M
der it. Not because any of the rights of
any of the States, or any single State or in
dividual, had been invaded by the United
States. Nor fer any other good and SUBJ
stantial reason. But, from the simple fact
that one part of the people of the United
States, people Of different sentiments, hav-
portion Of these States, had by fair and
lawful authority, obtained the mastery of
the Government. For this the South def
ed the Constitution and trampled all I'M
der foot, without precedent, without law,
reason, principle or right, but merelry be-
cause they had the physical power to make
war-defied all the rest of the country, all
the nations OF the earth holding different
political views, and having ditferint po-
fitical character from that portion of these
United States.
When President Lincoln was elected to
his position, / was one of his most bitter
oppOsers, had never affiliated with him
or with the party which brought him into
power. But he was lawfully elected, ac-
cording to the Constitution and the laws,
elected by the people, majority of the re-
having been so elected, he had right to
hold his place and serve four years, and
be obeyed and respected as our Chief Mag
istrate, as the Constitution Provides
However, this was not conceded. The
South chose to rebel, to defy all, and seek
to dissever and break up the Union. de-
claring they would not remain in it,
When they decidedto do this the evil COM
menced. They then became disturbers of
the peace, yiolaters of the law and the
Constitution, became organized mobs, and
called themselves armies-armies of reb-
els. They were not satisfied with the
name their fathers had helped to establish,
but made a new name-the Southern Con-
federacy. They were not satisfied with
the old flag, under which their fathers had
fought. They created a new one and
planted it and waved it defantly in our
faces. Why did they make war? To see
our laws carried out? To protect our soil
from an invading foe? Rather to destroy
our country, braek up our Government,
for purposes of disturbance, riot, murder,
plumber, piracy upon the high seas, and
for all that is bloody and devilish in the
category of crimes. This did not satisfy
ed that we should have but one President,
one Congress, one army, they elected an
other ruler, formed what they were pleased
to term another government, and raised a
second army. And this in the face and
eyes of a law abiding people. Now, fellow
/ want to ask you whether
you be Democrats, or Republicans, or Abb
,..%, r 70 toll <r,,1xy
were you eUer taught when old or when
young, that any political organization, any
particular set or band of men, had ever
the right to set themselves and their au-
thority up in defiance of and in opposition
to the constituted authorities of the United
States? [Cries of mo ~ "Nov'] Where
then does the South or the individuals who
originated thisSwar go for their justifica-
tion1 Where in the history of this coun-
try or the record of other nations, do they
look for a precedent or for an example for
such an unexampled conduct, for resist
ance to such q Government. Look at
florida, and she, bought with our blood
and our treasure, with territory less than
some of our Eastern and Western States,
must set up her authority against our Con-
stitution too. Look in New YOrk-look
where you may you will find no precedent
for such an act. There was perfect equal
ity of rights under the Constitrtion-equal-
ity for all the people of all the States
Why seek for moref
want to ask: Suppose ]. G. Breckin-
ridge had been elected the President of the
United States, would you have rebelled9-
Had Douglas been elected would you have
rebelledS Did the people rebel when An
drew jackson was elected? Did any party
ever defy or set up an authority for them
selves against fairly elected Admnistra-
ton? Even the Abolition organization, as
it is called, never came to that, but always
submitted TO defeat and obsyed the laws OF
Congress passed by its opponents. [Cries,
"Good for your'l Then why was it, where
justified, that any man can come down SO
low as TO crawl upon his belly and lick the
dust at JEFF. Davis feetf [Cheers.l
But pass over many things l might al
Jude to in this connection, to note the pro-
gress of the rebellion. We find these men
At the South in rebellion against the Gov
eminent. Iwant any man-be he from
Chicago, Cairo, or from Greenland for that
matter-with brains enough in his Uranium
to be accountable for his acts and his
thoughts, and entitle him to be called q
human being, to tell me whether it is not
the plain and unavoidable duty of every
man-does not conscience call US to ito
do all he can TO suppress this rebellion?-