The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-06-13

THE TRuk Victory Kossuth and Ma
poleon alike declare that political causpe
are now tried before the public opinion Of
the world, and stand or fall by its verdict.
| Mistakes are sometimes made; hasty and
ERRONEOUS judgments pronounced; but such
cases are sooner or later reheard. We have
ourselves just escaped the danger OF such
a premature decision, that "the contest was
on tho side Of North for empire, on that OF
the South for independence" for which
| good counsel and skillful management had
prepared the minds OF the court, ana there
need be no longer any fear that the cues
ton viii not be heard and decided on what
the course of events shall prove to be ITS
merits in the serious opinions OF mankind.
This contest has become too vast to be con-
trolled even by the intentions of those who
| carry it on. 1t is destined to follow It's own
course through hitherto untried conditions
of human nature and society. IT Will nave
its incidents and episodes, which 1T Will pc
our difficult business to deal with as they
arise, but which will hardly influence the
main action or the grand result. we must
| live and act in our day and for our day as
best we can; and yet in order to shape our
| action so as to secure that universal ana
decisive verdict, which alone is victory and
peace, it is well to fix our minds on those
conditions which will be found to be abso-
lutte and indispensable in obtaining 1t.
Nothing but some great good that we
have accomplished or attempted can arrest
the sympathies of the world, or will be
accepted as compensation for the shock
that has been given to all it's interests and
ideas. And the longer the disturbance
continues, the higher will be the demands
which we must be prepared to meet, in or
der to Justify the unprecedented and aw-
full occurrences of which our country is the
theater. No selfish advantage, bounded
by our own interests, will answer. That
osrppr
dressed. Still less will any reasons rela-
ing to forms of law or government, which,
however our imagination or credulity may
connect with that substantial Well-beIng
which is the aim of all social organization,
the common sense and the heart of man
kind declare to be quite separate matter.
| Republican institutions, liberties and laws
are deservedly dear to us, but men may be
and are thriving without them; and it is not
by their excellencies or their defense that
we can attract to our side the millions upon
millions who know and care nothing about
them A better thing and not better
form, a real benefit, an improvement about
which there can be no question, happiness
instead of misery. a prosperous, well Or
ganized community, in place OF brutality
and oppression, is what we must offer to
the world as the result OF the sacrifices
which we impose upon them, as well as
upon ourselves. Nothing less will satisfy
done is secondary Question, which few
beyond our own borders will ever care TO
ask. All questions but the main one fade
away in the distance; and the fearful price
that we are paying ought to bring us eye
sight as clear and wisdom of as high a char
.acter as more fortunate situation easily
affords to others.
We are held, then, to establish in the
southern states better system OF society
than that which crumheles before our ad-
vancing arms. Easy as this may be thought
it is likely to fail unless it is distinctly
madean object of design and effort. For
although the world is prepared to applaud
the extinction of slavery, which it has ir-
revocably decided to be the worst form of
society," it is equally convinced that any
form, that has the shape of law, is better
than absolute anarchy. Mere abolition of
slavery brings with it no positive benefit,
only an opportunity for Improvement
The responsibility for neglecting or inn
proving this opportunity is inseparable at
tached to those by whom the former con-
dition is overthrown. Southern society of
itself is incapable of anything, but the re-
lation of master and slave; any. ameliOra-
} ton must come from us. If we have moth
ing better to propose, the judgment of the
world will consider the misery and horror
Of this civil and what may yet bea s Sc
war unredeemed and unjustitied. This is
the condition in which we stand and which
we may as well look in the face. -
Only one thing is needed to release us
triumphantly from this situation, under
which we shall otherwise be crushed. In
some way or other, the negroes must have
land, or what is the same thing, work up
on it. They must have some connection
with the earth on which they live. Sla-
} very itself gives this, and without such
connection established in law or custom,
the existence Of any considerable popula-
ton, not to speak Of four millions Of peo-
pie, is impossible. OF the thousand forms
of the tenure Of land, there is but one that
is likely to be understood by or to be ac-
ceptable to the people OF this country
that ofsimple ownership by the cultivators.
Particular circumstances may favor other
arrangements, for which the way should
J be left open; but this is the rule which our
thoughts and habits have. exalted into a
principle. We shall think of nothing better
for the negroes that what we have adopted
} for ourselves.
The difficulties in the way of placing q
sufficient portion of the land of the South
ern country, nine-tenths of which is I'M
cultivated, within reach of the negroes and
of establishing them upon it, are the true
difficulties of our situation. The men, who
overcome them, will win victories more
important than those in the field, which,
however, are victories in the same cause,
and which ought to come first. These diff
ticulties are immense; we do not conceal
from ourselves their formidable character !;
the more reason why the object to be ar
rived at should be clearly held in view, and
the purpose to overcome them be firmly
fixed. Whatever our resources in other
respects, the knowledge of the work before
us, and the determination not TO fail, must
be the chief element OF our ability to per-
form it. 1t is our good fortune that both
these qualities, so far as they extend, have
their root in those principles Of American
liberty, which we already understand and
have long ago adopted; and, still more,
that their further extension is inseparably
dependent upon the growth and prevalence
of moral greatness which, even more
than success, commands the respect and
admiration OF the world. Before that tri-
bunal, our nobleness is our strength. The
free gift to mankind OF country, redeem
ed from slavery and inha Dited by we'll
governed population, upon whom, for tho
: first time, hope is allowed TO dawn, is at
once the end of the rebellion, and the SAL
walton and glory of the American People.
Springfield Republican.