The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-06-13
Loyal Leagues and their Uses.
By HORACE GREELEY.

Loyal Leagues and their Uses.
By HORACE GREELEY .
Politics, in the higher and truer sense
is the science of human well-being. In it's
more direct and special relation to Gov
it contemplates such improve
ment in laws and civil polity as shall re-
press fraud and wrong, while encouraging
industry and thrift by securing to every
one the just and full recompense of his
benlgnant and equal, opportunity to rise
by frugal diligence and wcll-doing more
constant and universal, and to diminish
and finally eradicate the pursuits and de-
vices whereby individuals enjoy luxury
and amass wealth at the expense of the
community, whether by debasing its NOR
ais or absorbing its substance, is in the no.
bier sense politician, though we are too
apt to degrade this term by employing it
to designate the subtle and crafty schemer
for personal aggrandizement, the courtier
of monarchs or majorities who seeks pow
er or peH through the cajoling and mis-
leading of his fellow-men. Nowhere have
capacity and philanthropy q nobler field
than that Of politics, and its surrender at
any time to Knavery and Greed is the
shame Of the wise and good and the peril of
the entire community.
The "scurvy politician" is not peculiar
though England in his day had never been
other than monarchy. The courtier for
personal ends of kings or ofmobs is des-
picable being. But all hypocricies, coun-
terteits, shams, imply the existence fthe
reality they hasely simulate. And it is one
OF the worst symptoms of any age that men
fitted by talent and knowledge to en-
liertNt IL %1,osx Tn110 ns%
shrink from the forum and the polls, and are
more inclined to apologize for performing
than for neglecting their duties as citizens
of q free commonwealth.
One essential quality ofall fit, effective
political action is adaptation to the needs
ofthe hour. The blind, besotted partisan
who boasts that he has always kept straight
him, has almost inevitably done his coun-
try as much harm as good. For the evils
which affiict, the perils which beset com
munity, are Infinite in variety as constant
only in their mutations. To-day, Order is
imperiled; tomorrow, Liberty: to-day sees
legitimate Authority wickedly assailed; to-
mOrrow's danger is the subsistence OF all
ferment in the stirling calm OF Despotism.
He only is true patriot who gives his
country the best service ola well-poised
Judgment as well as the steadfast loyalty
of a true and loving heart. She needs wis
dom to discern the right way as well as
courage to pursue it.
The public danger of the hour is that Ma
tional Disintegration. 1t is not as to the SUI
Perficial view might appear, thatof mere ter
square miles of our soil and still be pow
erful and prosperous people. Our real per-
il is far graver-that of National dissolu-
ton, to be speedily followed by "recon-
struction" on basis of deadly hostility to
the ideas and principles which have made
the American Union sign of hope and
promise to the oppressed and down-trod-
den throughout the civilized world, FIVE
which preface the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, we shall inevitably rise again as 8
martial oligarchy, based, on the law of the
strongest, REFRESHING Popular Education
and regarding the poor, the weak, the ig'
norant as the natural and lawful conven
fences of the rich, the strong, and the wise
or the millions who in the Free States ar,
the virtual allies of the Shareholders Re
bellion, not one contemplates any othe
than q temporary Disunion, to be followed
by a dropping away of State after Stat
from what is left to the old flag to it's tri
umphant rival, until the Union shall hav
been re-established under the Montgomer
Constitution, with the National Debt repu
dated, JEFF. Davis enthroned at Washing
ton, and Slavery glorified and universal
New England alone is to be left out of thi
readjusted Union, because ofthe invincibl
distrust cherished by the oligarchs for he
''fanaticism." Doubtless, her Pierces
Touceys, Seymours, will plead for the re
Taxation of this decree, alleging that he
spirit has been so broken by defeat an,
the death of her noblest on the battlefield,
that she may henceforth be trusted to re
press her pestilent agitators and follow
meekly in the wake of South Carolina; bu
their petitions will pass unheeded. In
stead Of pardoning and admitting her OF
due profession of penitence and faith, he
Confederates will be invited to quit he
harsh climate, her rocky soil, and find new
homes under the flag and in the more ge
NAL bosom of the Shareholders renovated
Union.
The Loyal Leagues now being rapid,
formed throughout the Free States have
very brief and simple creed-FIDELITY t,
THE UNION: not to some future, contingent
possible conglomeration of the States, bu
to that Union which was formed to resis
first French invasion, then British aggres
sion-which was cemented by the blood Q
our Revolutionary ancestors, and perfec
ted in form, not in essence, by the wis
craftsmanship, the patriotic forecast, o
Washington, Franklin, Hamilton, Madi
son. and their compeers, in the Convention
of 1887. That this Union shall stand-tha
it shall triumph over its deadly foes-tha
it shall emerge unbroken from the smok
and dust of the conflict which now shake
our continent-that it shall survive to be
shield and glory to our children's chill
dren-such are the high resolves which
impel thousands after thousands of GU
people to band themselves together il
Leagues having Loyalty for their shibbo
leth, and the salvation Of our country TO
their solitary aim.
tits wickedly false that they require un
questionining, unqualified support of tn
President or of his administration. In
few months, these will have passed away
but the loyalty pledged through thes
Leagues will be as significant and as stern
ly required as ever. The Administrator
is for the moment, while Loyalty is for al
time. Were the President to die to-mor
row, and the Vice President the next day
the LOYAL Leagues would be as effective, a
requisite, the day after as ever. Any mem
Der is at perfect liberty to dissent from, t
eriticise, to condemn, any act of the Presi
dent or of his Cabinet: he is not at libert
by word or deed to paralyze the arm tina
strikes for the life of the nation. Let hir
but give his best efforts to the unfolding {
the National cause, in stern hostility to til
traitors nov banded to effect our country