The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-05-30

MAKING UNION MEN OF REBELs.-The
editor of the Louisville Democrat sayS:-
1--we can make more Union men ont of
rebels than the present policy of the war
will ever make" Why, then, don't you
set about it? Show us one ofyour converts;
let us have his name, residence, antece-
dents, and the mode by which you induce
the leopard to change his spots. Is IT by
Cancellation? The Government tried it in
vain. Is it by waging constitutional
war;" according to the ideas of Fernan-
do Wood, c. l.. Vallandigham and s. 9.
Cox? The Government tried it till the pa
thence of Union men in the Border States
fairly broke down, and they cried out that
Government was protecting rebels and
offering premium for treason. When
| the war commenced our Captains in the
Cabinet and field determined to wage war
on civil principles. With the sword in one
hand and the constitution in the other the
armies marched into Dixie. Private prop
erty was religiously respected; negroes
We're kept out of the lines or returned to
their masters; guards were placed around
the dwellings and over the growing crops
and prosperous herds OF planters, ana not
only was all forage and provisions taken
by virtue of military necessity, paid Tor
at exorbitant prices, but indemnity was
given in round figures for all damages
unavoidably inflicted upon property by
the march, bivouac and encampment OF
pended in this way, and in all things a
Ileniency and tenderness manifested such
as no Government had ever exhibited in
times past to it's misguided citizens. Did
this policy ever make good Union man
out of rebel? We have never heard of a
single instance of such conversion. The
policy was a wretched and expensive fail
ure. Those who received protection acted
the part of spies and informers. The
profits of their traffic with the Federal
| q f,t IF fhn nbnlS in
E arms, and it frequently happened that they
shot or assassinated the very guards,
whose sleepless vigilance had been instru-
t mental in saving their property from de-
e struction. These men set out in the war of
rebellion by denying the authority OF the
= Constitution, and resorted 10 its immuni-
: ties only when it was necessary to save
: themselves and their property from the
a fate to which their action had, by all the
g laws of war, consigned them.
$ What, then, was to be done? Continue
an Intellectual policy, or adopt one that
i should make men conscious of thegreat
o peril incurred by wanton resort to arms
v against constituted authority? Or was the
q war to be abandoned altogether, and an at
6 tempt made to win back the unreasonable
h fire-eaters by soft words and promises p
That, too had been attempted. For four
Il months before actual hOSulitles, the Gov
), eminent, administered by a friend of the
it South, did not raise even protest against
IF the seizure OF It's ports,
and moneys. 1t called out no militia, IT
made no appropriations for an increased
army it built no Ships-of-war, 1t ordered
4 no arms, small or great-it did nothing, in
:, fact that indicated an intention to provoke
Sc collision, or intlame sectional anlmosltles.
u Even the Republican Administration took
y no steps, during the first weeks of its exist
y ence that looked like any intention to re-
possess the property of the Government
~ that had been Individually stolen from it.
y 1t commenced its career on d peace basis,
= that might have remained unchanged, had
ie not the Southern fanatics voluntarily cho-
h sen to break the peace and inaugurate war.
W While peaceful and cOnciliatng wordsWere
W. being spoken, the insurgents We're muster
* ing armies, in clear violation of an express
+ provision Of the Constitution, and boosted
r. their intention of marching upon the Fede-
ne le raj Capital and driving the constitutional
sc NEGLECTED incumbents from their official
o % chairs. Did this policy of inaction and con-
- Citation convert any rebel into Union
y man? If so, where is he to-day? Did II
ne abate the pretensions of the insurgents who
~ set up a Government appropriated the
-, property Of the Federal Government, anC
81 had the impudence to establish custom
, ,.' houses, and appoint revenue officers, no
Mt only in the seaport cities, but lnlane
nl towns, and along the great rivers, exactins
'tes imports upon merchandise entering iron
W foreign ports and the States not included II
l oI, the Confederate Government: .,.
~ All these We're acts OF positive hostility
81. which the Administration was slow to re
us sent Were the rebels converted into I'm
~, ion men thereby? Not bit OF it. Every
.oi thing but the stern policy of war was re
n; sorted to in hope that the misguided peopl
W might. after the sober second thought, re
IN trace their steps, and assume their old rela
l.i tions to the Governmet ana the othe
eI- States of the Union. But it only seemed t
VI harden them in their purpose. and klndl
!li- hopes of revolutionizing the Government
~ g which events have proven delusive.
v, Now after the Government has exhaust
"' ed all pacific means, and all CONSTITUTIONS
me resources-that is according to the view
az of the Vallandigham cOnservatives-lf tn
. el. epitor of the Democrat has sovereig
H Sne balm to heal the epidemic disease OF tres
All ';Ii son, let hing produce and apply 1t at one
IL We can safely pledge him that nobody WI
re- stand in his way, and that there is not
er loval many. North or South who will M
bid him God speed. Set to work at ono
and not humble and growl in your edit
tial rial den over the blunders and errors
ers. others. Convert a dozen North Carolin
be sand-hillers, Mississippi bushwhackers
tier Arkansas cut-throats, and we Will do OF
This part toward having your infalIible remeC
oh adopted by the Government, and unnlve
Y to sally applied.-COa. Com. <## ""
1er-
h to A GUSHING BRIGADIER.--The Cover
e of ment has been unable to resist the eli
tain uuence with which Gen. Meagher tender
lent his resignation lately and it has been a
u,l,o oII Of tl,a 10