The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-01-17
THE EDIcr OF FREEDOM.

'7a53 H. p-tfs Ea w. 3. ROSEChANS, Z (
3 s~b,.s Major General Commanding
THE EDICT OF FREEDOM.
l2f " ga From the N. z. Independent. aasz
When the Savior drew nigh to Jerusalem, for
the last time, he rode upon palm branches, and
flowers, and silk and linon garments thrown
down to carpet the way; and the air was filed
with every enthusiastic cry Of JOY and tri-
umph. Yet, under this victorious appearance,
he was coming to darkness and anguish and
death. Just before him we're Gethsemane, CAL
vary, and the SepuIcher! Z. ''soo5s't
When Christ left Jerusalem for the last time,
condemned, bent and burdened with his cross,
amidst the jeers of deriding crowd, he was
marching to bis everlasting victory. Before him
lay the Resurrection, and after that, thrones and
dominions, in heavenly eminence and immor.
tal:ty! The insignia Of triumph led on bis de-
feat and the semblsnce of defeat preluded vic-
tory. as So. 49,
It is thus in Gods moral kingdom evermore
We are furthest from triumph when our
external condition is most promising. But our
dark hours knock at the very gate Of heaven!
A year ago, and all things seemed rushing to
their contamination. The Trent affair was hap.
PLY settled. Vast armies were gathered. Fleets
we're prepared. series of brilliant victories
opened the Mississippi to Vicksburg, gave us
New Orleans, drove back the rebels from Ken
lucky with manifold disasters, and gave our ar
mics possession Of Middle and Western Tennes-
see. Roanoke Island was taken, and Newbern.
The great Union army was encamped before
Richmond. And men were already counting the
days to the settlement OF this Civil War, with
Slavery untouched, with the malignant Southern
doctrine of State Rights more potent than be.
fore, with all the elements prepared for more
wasteful and dangerous internal political strug.
giles than the land had ever experienced or
dreamed Of We we're walking toward an open
sepulcher. We were about to hold communion
with Death. The fatal policy of the Border
Ststes-the policy which would have paralyzed
the conscience, hardened the heart, sealed the
pores of the Nation, keeping in every poisonous
secretion to work torpidity, congestion, fever
and death-was on the eve of adoption.
Then came year of Humiliation. Out of the
whole Mcclellan period there shines out not one
single point of light. The things which he
sooald have done, if he had no. been hsmpered,
were enough to have filed the most illustrous
volume ever ndted. But of the things actually
accomplished, there is not one that soothed the
wounded pride of the nation or cheered its de-
spending hopes. The career of General Pope,
superseding Fremont, cleaned for q momeLt
along the lurid horizon, and went out in sudden
explosion. His course is written in three words
He boosted lied, and retreated. Buelrs career
was only more staid and sober form of the
same universal disaster.
And now came Faction. All the sibilant
tongues that cowardice had kept in sheath for
months began to vibrate; treason began to look
out from behind its walls. Even a decent guise
of love for the Union was laid aside; and not on
ly was it declared hopeless to maintain this
Government in its original territory, but new
schemes of sectional secession and organization
were bruited. Midnight settled down on the
land. Not one star, shone. Clouds, aud only
clouds, filled the COPE Those who watched and
waited for the morning, seemed Responding of
ever again seeing the sweet star of day. It was
just then, on the 22d of September, God was
pleased to lift the star of hope above the hori.
zon-harbinger of the rising sun, which now,
since January, has cast full light Of hope upon
this land. -A
+ For, as if the revocation Of Fremonts Procla.
nation. and of General Hunters orders had been
followed by defeats and disasters, 60, with the
sublime National Order of Emancipation, came
Victory-a witness from God Of his. mind and
will. a.~
The order Of Emancipation has threefold
force, military, political, and moral. s2a'
It simplifes the duties of generals It puts
into their hands the most important aid. Itnot
only recognizes the manhood of three millions of
Africans, but it provides for their lawful and Or
derby organization in aid of the country and
Union. And though the full effects of such Q
movement cannot be at once expected, it would
be no more surprising, in future years, in oil our
tropical territory, to find our forts and ships
manned with African sailors and soldiers, pecu-
liarly fitted to withstand the Southern climate
and its diseases, than it is to find the British
holding their East Indian possessions by means
of native Sepoys @4 s tas @'s4
Not one word appears in the Presidents order
concerning colonization. The folly of denud-
ing tropical country of it's best laborers be-
gins to dawn on the minds even of American
statesmen. While every other, nation on the
globe, having possessions in torrid zones, Is
holding out inducements to Africans, Cinnamon
and every kind of laborers, to- come into their
islands and territories, we were preparing to
turn out of ten states their, peculiar industrial
political economy, in hope of dodginga preju-
dice which owes its existance and strength to
the stigma. which slavery puts upon labor and
the laborer! s,r,.. 5--,-, -, ~ 4
It is the destiny of this Great Order to draw a,
dividing line npolitics, and place all men on
one or the other side of itsq Men may strive to
avert the necessity, and to patch up some inter
mediate psrty-but the movement. Of events is
SO powerful that individuals. are of little ac-
count and mems wills are unconsciousiy con
trolled by the sweep Of a greater will, which
some call Destiny, but which we call Divinity!
Henceforth, the Union, the Government, and
Liberty stand on. one side; Secession and Sla-
very; are on the other, Let the lines, be drawn,
Write, s'They that are not for us are against
u.s." Let us know our enemies at once, and let
them ds1ears enemies. This PROCLAIM alton is a
saffron that will drive the measles of treaeheEy
from the blood to the skin, 4.
But greater, than all is the moral aspect Of
this new event 1t belongs to the category Of
Moral Forces, whose silent and secret Influence
Is greater than their report to the senses The
thunder roars, but does nothing. The lightning
rends, but is silent. tsis eds sYs v4eqs 2.at
y We unite, with every, true and deyout man
who sees in our national affairs an overruling
Divine Providence, in solemn thanksgiving to |
God that He has raised up man to perform the
croxningi deed of Moral Duty!l When Mr.. Lin
coin, by the simple words of his Military Pro-
clsmstion, decreed the liberty of three millions