The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-09-05


when properly used. A man may be an
Abolitionist when he is jealous for the re-
moval of evils of any kind. 1t is good as
applied to drunkenness or profanity-but
it has no significance now when applied to
slavery. That gfeat nuisance is already
abated; the slave-owners have left far be-
hind them the emancipationists of the
North.
This word has often been applied unjust
|ly to the Editor of this paper. We never
deservedit Always devoted to the cause
of order, we never felt>that we could justly
assail what the law protected. But things
are changed. Slavery is abolished by the
action of its friends. The Shareholder, in
his mad attempt to destroy the North, has
lei case in history, where thevery cause for
which war is undertaken, becomes, in
the progress ofevents, the most fatal ene-
my to itself. We have seen the scorpion
when surrounded by enemies and unable
to escape bury its fangs in it's own body
and sting itself to death. So has slavery
acted-not, however, by compulsion, but
voluntarily. We never raised hand
against it no werd of any Catholic editor
assailed itso long as it would be unjust and
| illegal to dosp-but now that it is dead-we
will not consent to see its body fostering on
| the highways. Let it be buried out of sight
! forever. Let it rest with all its horrors in
| the grave-let it's memory fade from the
recollection of men. 1t was an outrage
against humanity ,and suchas the history
of no otherpeople could exhibit. There was
something manly in the old custom of re-
ducing to slavery him whose sword had
| been beaten down by stronger arm on
| the battle field; there was a show of justice
in reducing to bondage the debtor who cod
not pay his creditor, but for American sla-
very there was no excuse! 1t was mon
I,<. hn Sni0 off, hn fri.
can in his own land to the moment of his
death, when his body was wasted by toll
| rather than disease, to uphold the luxury
| of a master.
Well, it has fallen, and we are called Alb
olitionists because we refuse our consent t<
it's resuscitation! We are proud of being
called so, under circumstances so credita
BILE to the mind and heart. May we ever
deserve the name! We will bear its stig
ma joyfully through life, and carry it int
eternity with honor. We struggle in no
ly cause.-the cause of religion and the hui
man race. We maintain the sanctity Of thu
marriage tie-the fidelity of the husband
and wife to each other; we maintain th'
cause of justice, denying the right Of any
man to another's labors without his con
sent or compensation. We maintain thu
right of the parents to the disposal of theil
children, and that no man, through the ex
ercise of his power as master, shall de
prive human beings of instruction in th'
Christian religion, and of the means to saw
their souls. Can any man be a Catholic
a believer in the Christian faith and con
slider the question otherwise? With tn
long and shining lists OF names, from tn
earliest period Of Christianity to the pres
ent day, of Popes. Confessors, and Doctors
to sustain our position, we cannot be driy
On from our ground-or rather we shoult
4 say, the ground maintained by tho Catho
lie Church in every age of her existence :
If the question of American Slavery wa
to be submitted tomorrow to genera
council OF the Church, the institution woult
perish-sunken deeper than ever plumme
sounded. The voices in its favor would p
as few and small as those which hesitatet
to speak out boldly with Catholic faith
when the doctrine Of the Immaculate Con
i ception was discussed.
It is monstrous that cause 80 just y
human liberty should be assailed as it is q
l. tho Aov rvifho,,% ol.o ~ roo