The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-02-28
LET THE LINES BE DRAWN

a
Iris clear that if the effort of the Copper
heads to embarrass and breek down the admin
istration goes on, the liEe between loyalty and
treason will have to be etraightly drawn, and
that soon. The rebellion can never be put
down if large class Of men in the loyal States
are permitted to afford continual aid and COM
tort to the enemy. The government must OF
course continue to tolerate, as it has, the largest
liberty of speech and the press, which does not
lapse into overt treason, but the loyal and patri
otto people ought not to be equally tolerant
They cannot be if they are in earnest for the
salvation Of the country. They will bring the
moral power Of popular indignation to bear upon
the allies Of treason in Sway to make il felt and
feared. 81 ,..sfsaaEs e&5ts,, 80
OF course opinion must be left free, but if any
man at the North honestly thinks that the reb-
els are right and the government of the United
States wrong, he should either 60 South and
join the ranks of JEFF Davis, or keep bis tho'ts
to himself. He has no right to claim the pro-
lection of the government ss citizen, while he
is at heart sgainstit and is using his in 6uence
for its overthrow. And if he covers hie treason
with professions of loyalty and patriotism, he
but adds cowardice and hypocrisy to his disloy-
atty. This is precisely what the copperhead
leaders are doing.
1t is not difficult for truly patriotic man to
fix limits to his own freedom Of dissent from the
government at time of public danger like this.
Undoubtedly great many patriotic men honest
" think tina. the Presidents proclamation was
a mistake; the members of the Kentucky legis-
lature may actually believe that they are acting
as patriots in avowing their purpose 'to coerce
the President and bis party to renounce said
policy" and Northern Democrats may think that
the Union caDhot be restored under shis policy
But moments thought must SHOW these men
that the President cannot withdraw his procla-
nation, and that if b should, it would be such a
triumph for tie rebels and such disbonor to
the national canse. abroad as must almost GER
tainly make sure the independence of the Con-
federacy. We cannot see how an earnest patri
OF, whatever may be bis opinions, can enlist in a
crusade against the government on this matter.
The most radical Of the coprerheads, like Val.
landigham, boldly proclaim their purpose to
withhold supplies and cripple the government in
every possible way till it abandons the emsnci-
patiou policy. And many democrats who shrink
back from such manifest disloyalty as this, new
ertheless refuse to see that by clamoring against
the policy of the administration, they are con.
tributing to the same destructive end. Our 10y.
atty must be something more than an abstraction
at such crisis as THE. We caunot sustain the
Constitution and support the war, and a. the
same time oppose the government. WeOmust
either work for the rebellion or against it.
The opponents Of the administration profess
to believe that the proclamation is unconstitu-
tional, and therefore null and void. If they
actually think SO they have little reason to
oppose 1t. 1t is already evident that it will
free the negroes only as fast as our armies pen.
citrate the slave region, and that would have
happened under the law of Congress or by
the accepted laws Of war, without any special
act. If therefore the supreme court declares
the proclamation to be unconstitutional, or null
and void for any other reason, not a slave will
be freed by it, for the slaves in all the South
that have not actually been freed by the, army,
will still remain slaves under State laws as be-
fore. Let these stickle1s for the constitution
await then, with faith and patience the decis-
ion of the judges. The friends of the measure
are willing to stand by that decision, and will
be obliged to whether willing or not. Why
then, should not this distracting conflict Of
opinions stop among all loyal men? Stand
by the Government; push on the war and post
poue political questions till therebellion is put
down. The man who does not see that such
are the duties of the hour, and act accordingly,
should question the sincerity of his own patri-
otism.-[Springfeld Republican.