The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-12-19

ment over every foot Of land, and everyk :
soul of man. Whoever will not do this, T
except on some impossible or scandal
Gus condition; whoever will not do it ex-
cept with some object forbidden by law,
reason and humanity; whoever will ll11ot do
it at all, every one of them, calling himself
loyal, deserves the execration Of mankind
and the vengeance of God. The great po-
litical problem, then, Immediately before
the nation for solution is, whether this evil
spirit of division and distrust, which first
hurried the rebels to destruction, has so
fastened on us as to render us incapable Of
what God has set before us, and unworthy
of his further protection? 1t is problem
which the Administration Oh one side, and
the loyal people on the other, must deter
mine, as they will answer to all nations, to
posterity, and TO God. Nor can anything
be more clear than the fundamental prin-
ciples which ought to regulate the action of
both-the Administration carrying out the
great and Legitimate objects Of the war in
a manner not only deserving, but concili-
atlng the cordial appreciation of all loyal
people-and all such people giving the
most determined support to the Admins
tration.
The strength impaired to tie Government
by these recent ntelectlons-and the weakness
resulting from the great organized opposi-
tion and the mutual violence Of parties,
present unitedly an aspect Of the general
condition, not very easy to be estimated,
without taking into consideration the cor
responding condition Of the Confederate
States. Their divisions may be even more
perilous, though less obvious, than ours.-
Their difficulties, arising from immense,
though cautiously expressed, hostility to
the proceedings OF their Government, may
be even greater and more dangerous than
any thing that has been manifested among
US. The dominant party, and the Govern
ment among them, may be in such con-
dition, that even a total change of Admins
tration with us, would not arrest our tri-
umph over them. Their Government may
be laboring under far more powerful causes
tending to weaken it with the people, than
ours is; and no source, at all, OF increase
in popular strength, may be left TO it. If
these statements indicate, III some just de-
gree, the state Of parties and Of public feel
ing among the people Of the rebel States, il
and Of public feelings among ourselves. that
| might otherwise ill US With extreme apx-
| iety, sink correspondingly al the scale Of
| Importance. We have no doubt that, to a
wide extent, all this is true; and that 10 all
these causes the Confederate Government
must add many others, the united effect OF
the whole Of which is not only to weaken
| its influence from day 10 day. but 70 make
its existence precarious. With sense OF
| the hopelesSneSs OF the contest IL which
they are engaged; a conviction that total
ruin is the only result to be expected from
| its desperate continuance; the deceptions
which the leading classes of the rebels have
practjced upon the mass of the people, I'LL
! them with intense bitterness. The fright
| ful oppression and misery which, for the
sake OF utterly deceptious hopes and prom
ises, the people have endured, rankle III
their hearts. Ruined, betrayed, exhausted
under a pitiless military despotism; how
g, 1f,,,
est stages of civilization, can fail, AZ last, tC
eXecrate a government, which bestows or
+ them no blessing, and heaps upon then
ceaseless injuries, indignities, and wrongsi
There is no ground for doubt, that i'm
mense portions of the rebel armies have
been forced into service against their viii
and would Immediately quit the service j
rious occasions, large bodies of troops hav'
: mutinie0, and been subdue0, or pactied
! with the greatest difficulty; and many indi
/ cations render it far from probable, tina
the rebel Government, if not subdued %,
| US more speedily than seems to be expect
: ed at present, will be overtlrOwn by do
0 mestic insurrection. The universal test
Y mopy which reaches the loyal States from
I the vast rebel territories successfully occu
. pied by our troops, and from the multitude
G OF rebel deserters and refugees who com
: within our lines, concur in proving all tha
d we are here concerned 70 know upon thi
g point. The Confederate Administration ha
e relatively far less hold Oh the rebel popu
o lation, than the Federal Administration ha
It upon the loyal population. The violation
o OF life, liberty, property, anG every concelN
l. able right bestowed on man by nature, b
Dfl constitutions and by laws, are a thousand
d fold more numerous and extreme, by ii
J. Confederate Government in the rebel Stale
t. than the widest accusations have ever int
Y. mated against the Federal Government
l. the loyal States. With us, discomfort ma
Sc manifest itself freely, and in every possib
- way, so that IT stops short Of crime; wit
" them, discomfort dare not even be whispe
Of ed, without danger Of incurring, witho,
" trial, punishment due only to the highe
ID Of crimes; and still, as soon as the face
S. society there is even partially uncoVere
IS enough is seen to show that discomfort
id relatively far deeperi in most, if not all, par
al OF the rebel States, than in any portion
IN the loyal States. Nor can it be doubted tn
ce there are more refugees from the reb
IL States into the loyal States than Uice GERS
a and more soldiers from the South in Il
IN Northern armies than uice perSc; and tha
is in both respects, these facts are UecomiI
ed more marked every day. When We co
ng slider that the white population ofthe 10y
IS States is five times as great as that Of t
&C. rebel States, such facts do not admit of al
to explanation inconsistent with the one '
IS. have given to them. And the conclusi
"a is as clear as it well could be under exis
lie ing circumstances, that whatever may
at the amount OF loss of cordial popular su
IT'S port under which the Federal Governme
ar may find itself obliged, at present, to pre-
,ai ecute the war, that sort OF loss of suppt
of is relatively far greater as regards the pl
,at sent condition OF the Confederate Cover
&C. ment Nor could any conclusion be me
of important, or decisive, touching the futu
I'D course Of the war, and its conclusion. U
to doubtedly, the personal fame of Preside
mt Lincoln, and the supreme interest Of I
So country, demand that he should shape
Icy cuurse, and pursue it, in such a way as
we satisfy the nation, and carry with him {
nd cry loyal heart in it. But if this may I
the be, undoubtedly it should be great ST
ie- port to him in his honest efforts to cru
ual the rebellion, and a great joy to every ]
de- triot who feels his immense obligation
ril, support the President in his work, whetl
or he approves or disapproves Of any part,
in even tie whole, of his mode Of doing it.;
as perceive clearly that the political abil
nu- OF the Government to accomplish 1t, ey
led though apparently diminished, is relati
ing ly as great, perhaps greater, than IT e.