The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-22

eng IOr the Time DelnS, every Other polnC,
and then make y last desperate effort to
Overwhelm Meade and capture Washing
ton. He argues that they will do this be-
cause it is positively the only thing left to
them which can possibly avert complete
destruction to all their hopes and purposes.
His suggestions are plausible.
We wonder if our patriot Horatio, the
misfortune and disgrace of New York, is
not striving to aid their scheme? He ap-
pears to be devising means to weaken Gen.
Meade's army, by making the presence of
a part of it necessary elsewhere. If he can
manage to cause the withdrawal of large
part of it, by intensifying the '.fre in the
rear what will hinder the accomplish
ment of the rebel purpose? What stu
pendous perfidy is that ofSeymour and his
Copperhead conspirators! What an awful
responsibility are they assuming! Now,
when slight addition to our army would
enable Meade to crush Lee, capture Rich
mond, and blow up the bubble, he and his
fellows stand in the way and do all they
can to make the efforts of patriots unavail
ing. How hideous are their designs!
What punishment is sufficient to equal
their deserts
~ Gen. Sibley has made long march,
had a little fight, killed few Indians, got
a part of their baggage and provisions, and,
as we understand reports, is now returning
towards st. Paul, announcing that the cam
paign is over and its purpose accomplished!
If this, as it seems to us is the case, is the
whole history of the work accomplished, it
is so small business that it would have
been much wiser not TO have undertaken
it at all.
1t looked to us at the beginning as if ut
ter failure in the expedition was inevitable.
The idea that such force as was sent out
would ever find any Indians was simply
preposterous. 1t never did find any. The
Indians found the expedition and made an
attack upon it. The attack was repulsed
and the Indians escaped with slight Loss
That they were able to escape after battle
proves that they chose to fight and could
have avoided it if they desired to do so. In
fact, the whole thing has been farce
What it was undertaken for we do not
know-unless it was to dissipate the Min
nesota Indignation under pretense of pun
ishing the savages. The expedition up the
Missouri will probably prove equally bar
rem of results-unless it is supposed that
the mere display of such force will Sc
cure the future peace of both regions.
rs The Copperheads say that there is
not a man, woman or child in the rebel
States in favor of return to the Union
They also affirm that the South cannot be
conquered by force of arms. After making
these assertions, and swearing that they
are true, they declare that they are oppos-
ed to the prosecution of the war and want
immediate peace. They affirm that the
rebels will not willingly return to the
Union, and that ne cannot force them. Of
course that means that we should consent
to disunion, separation, final and eternal
Their opposition to the war, and advocacy
of peace are meant to ensure this success
to the rebellion, and are meant for nothing
else, and, according to their assertions they
can ensure nothing else. If Copperheads
really mean anything besides this eternal
separation, if there are any among them
who think such separation can ever be
followed by reconstruction of any sort,
what fools they must be! If they don't
believe reconstruction possible what trail
tors they are! They affirm that their poll
cy can end in nothing but disunion. Yet
they refuse to aid another which, at all
events, is the only one which can main
tain our territorial integrity. If they won't
do that it must be because they do not de-
sire to maintain that ntegrity-because
they are traitors, just as the rebels are.
lss~ If mans house were on fire, and
he should find large portion of his fellow
citizens cutting hose, breaking buckets, or
driving off others who were endeavoring
to use these means in putting out the fire
and saving his property, wethink it would
require smarter man than we ever ex-
pect to meet, to convince him that the men
SO acting really wished to quench the
flames and save him from injury. They
might swear as loudly as they pleased that
they We're his friends and did not wish to
see him suffer. But he would not believe
them. He would be fool if he did.
Just SO we should judge of men in this
civil war. Professions are nothing. What
men do or fail to do, is the only guide to
what they are. Ifmen act as if they wanted
to preserve the Union we may believe thew
are Union men. If their conduct is such
as to aid the rebels, or encourage them to
persist in their treason, or if it tends TO di-
vide or distract the people or lessen the
power and efficiency of the Administra-
ton, they may safely be set down as trait
ors at heart-the we'll wishers of the rebels
and the enemies of the loyal. It is quite
immaterial what excuses they may offer
for their conduct. They know what effect
1t has. They know it means treason and
that they are traitors. Why should they
complain when men interpret their acts
according to their true intent? How can
loyal man act the traitor? 1t is impos-
sible.