The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-22
~ close. Nothing could
rushing JEFF. Davis and

1 "
ganlzation again without war, / would
Dress myself up in my best clothes, put on
my pIetuest style, 60 South and pay my
court to the ladies. In time thew might be
won over,then they could win over the
men; 1or assure you, until the women
couId pc won over to our side no peace
propositions could touch the male portion
cheers1
| They want the Union as it was. and the
Constitution as it is. But they want the
war no longer prosecuted on the offensive.
suppose we are to sit down and watch
and see what the rebels will do. In six
months, say these peace agitators, they, the
| rebels, will ask to be taken back into the
Union. But what if we stop and JEFF. don't
come? Tell me, then, what? Hadn't you
better have kept up the fight and brought
him to terms? Now you have either tc
commence anew or let him slide. Wouldn't
it he best to keep hammering away at him
now that you have got your fingers in his
eyes. Cries of"Yes, yes; that 8 the game
1 met an influential gentleman the other
day on the cars. He was a peace man, and
Judge of the Court. asked him:
Judge, you are for stopping the war,
should suppose from your talk"
i eyes,
Now, why would you stop?''
Because The Government can never be
restored by the force of war;"
"Then how would you do it?"
y am not President"
"Well, supposing you were President,
now would you restore the Union without
fighting?'
I'D issue a proclamation that if jeff.
Davis didn't submit, I'd send Commission
ers to negotiate peace"
Suppose that he should tell your peace
Commissioners to get home about their
business, what then?',
I'D just acknowledge his indepen-
dence." tGreat applause.
Now this is just what these men are after.
They would give jeff. Davis notice thro'
Vallandigham and his friends. They
would recognize disunion, favor disunion,
and that after so much blood and treasure
had been spent in the endeavor to preserve
Union. l can prove that these men are in
favor of the called Confederacy, and yet
they claim to be Democrats. They are not
Democrats, for man cannot be Demo-
crat without first being patriot and low
er OF his country. They held meeting at
Springfield, said to have been composed of
Democrats-GOd save the mark! There
they proposed to read such as l am out Of
the Democratic party. In spite of that, 1
propose being just what am, just as am
minded. I'll be q Democrat. IF that party
is right, after the war-now l am a war
man. They passed at this meeting series
of resolutions, and among them is the ia
nous I'D resolutiOn-or their peace doc
trlne. 1 shall not pause to examine these
articles too closely. But in one place they
say they are in favor of the Constitution as
it is, and a little further along that they are
in favor of it as it is not-as they speak OF
amending it.
But what do they mean by the Govern
ment as it wasf Do they mean right
boz, e.. I'd i L.
men back with us, forgetting they were
ever traitors, and allowing them the same
rights as before7 Then, if SO, l am not
with them. / favor a different state of
things altogether. / am for prosecuting
this war to the bitter end against JEFF. Da-
Wis and his minions. am for going fur
Their than this-for hanging them to trees.
(Cheers.
These resolutions say that on the day
they were passed-the 18th of June-the
vigorous prosecution of the war should
have ceased. At that time Grants little
army was lying in bitches, rather dirty, it
must be admitted, back Of Vicksburg. If
we prosecuted the war Extensively after
that date, We were violating the Constitu-
ton. But we did prosecute it-Grant said
he would, and he did--on the 4th day of
music of the Star Spangled Banner, and
thus made that glorious day much the
greater day than ever before-added new
light to its brilliancy. According to these
Peace men, we should have remained out
side. Then Banks would not have entered
Port Hudson, and the Constitution would
not have been violated by opening the Mis-
sissippi to the Gulf. John Morgan would
have continued his tour through Ohio and
Kentucky; he would have traversed Penn
sylvania, and afterwards invaded Wash
ington. twas contrary to the Constitution
to stop Morgan, to whip Lee, to whip Penn
berton, to take Port Hudson. 1t is to be
hoped that there may be NO arrests made
upon these accusations.
Some of these wiseacres think that the
Constitution is constantly being violated.
l do not. George Washington did not
think so when he aided in the establish
ment Of this noble Government. We do
not believe, when man takes the Star
Spangled Banner and shakes it in the faces
of traitors until they turn pale, and their
legs refuse to hold their rotten carcasses,
that he is violating any provision of the
Constitution. Let people call such a man a
mean Abolionist, if they will. The man is
right. If man, for loving his country is
to be denounced and traduced, then /, fol-
one, am willing to be abused and villifed
| If for this / am to be abused and de-
nounced, let abuse and villifcation be
heaped upon me-let all the Williams this
side of purgatory get together and spue
them upon me. The very heavens will
weep waters to wash me clean again. If q
| man steals horse they may call him an
Abolitionist. If men like me must they cal
me an Abolitionist. 1t is, of course, be.
cause they lack the power of Language t.
describe. It is the only name they can
think of. II, instead of this, these men
| would only for once march into the army,
if but for one week, become u s. soldiers,
their hearts and consciences would be the
easier thenceforth, forever.
The time has been that O soldier was
honored, and if my country has come 30
low that, when a man comes out for its de-
| fence he must meet scorn and villification,
pray that 1 may die, and have ground
close over me. But it is not sol We are
not despised. The country will yet be re
stored. There is patriotism enough IN the
people to drive every vandal from the LAND,
az they deserve to be driven. When TINS
is done, 1 do not envy tho opposers OF the
war in after years. 1 do not want their
reputation for any of my friends. When
youdo read it, it will be black and dam
aging record dark page in the history Of
our countrymen and of our country.
learned when q boy, from good old
Democratic father and patriot, that to my