The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-01

on Friday OF last week. we nnO iuI re-
port of his talk to the Egyptians in the
Cincinnati Cb-mrcsaL We make the fol-
lowing extracts, which will speak for
themselves.
What then is the duty we owe to that
Governmenti I'll tell you in few words.
We owe it our first allegiance as Ameri-
can citizens. We owe our first allegiance
to that Government paramount to any
State, County, Section, or Territory. We
owe it our first allegiance az citizens. We
are in duty bound to protect that Govern
ment under whose @gis we have so long
enjoyed peace, prosperity and security
AS citizens who have received protection
from it, it is our duty to stand by it in all
it's perils, in all its trials, all its wants, In
every thing; it makes no matter what 1t is.
1t is our duty to see that at no time that
Government is destroyed-that at no time
the rights and privileges of its citizens are
interfered with or molested. Applause
believe no one will dispute this point for .
moment All will admit it. Well, if it be
true that we are indebted to this Govern
ment that much, clearly, then, there is
duty incumbent upon US, upon all men
and women in the land, upon all officers,
upon all persons in the Government; and
| it is that kind of duty that they should GER
tainly perform-it is to execute the trust
| imposed upon them in good faith, in hon
esty and candor, according to the laws of
| the land and the constitution under which
we live. (Applause.l This being the case
then, will now bring to your attention
the point lam driving at. 1t is this-when
a country like this is in war, what is the
duty of it's citizens? Now if we owe our
first allegiance to that Governmental we
are bound to respect its laws, and in good
| faith carry them out-why then, if that is
the nature of our obligation to it, we are
bound to prevent in every way possible, in
every manner within our power, any in
| reference with it in any way whatever
| We are bound to resist any blow aimed at
its vitality. We are bound to go between
| it and its antagonist, be he whom he may,
what power under heaven it may-we are
| bound to shield it with our strong arms in
it's hour of danger. Applause.
| PEACE MEN.-But we lind other Objec-
tons, too. Many say, well, we are for the
Government it is true, but we are for peace;
we are for the Union, but we are opposed
to the war. Well, 1 suppose we are all for
peace. / know l am. Some people call
themselves peace men. Great God. fellow
citizens, we are all peace men. Is there a
man here that is not for peace? Not at all.
But how are you for it? Do these gentle
men tell you how they are tor peace? l
want them to tell me; is 1t dirty, coward
ly peace, :; disgraceful peace that divides
it? If / were politician or statesman,
and if were to get up before the commu-
nifty and tell them 1 was for thing, wo'd
give them the reason for it. You hear
| peace speeches made very often. We are
for peace, they say. 1 say so, too. l am
| for peace as much as any man can be. We
will meet them half way and shake hands
peace But will tell you what sort of a
peace am for. Tan, not for a piece Of a
country (Applause.) I am for this sort
Of peace: before this rebellion broke out,
we had peace. Before the rebels raised ar
mics to fight against our Government, we
had peace. While the stars and stripes
! fioated, from Maine to California, and from
South, we had peace. While the same
martial music was played in every town
and hamlet throughout the length and
breadth of the land, we had peace. While
we had one army, one navy, one President,
one United States, one people, wehad peace
Then, say, I am for the same kind of
peace again, and, so help me God, want
no other kind. (Applause.) 1 am for the
same country and the same Constitution.
And l can tell these gentlemen now they
can get peace tomorrow. You once were
the State of Mississippi, belonging to the
United States Government; so you were
once the State of Louisiana; so of all these
Ii
of rebellion. You mustered yourselves
against the Government, and brought war
and bloodshed. You did all these things.
Now lay down your arms as rebels ought
to do, pay obedience to the Government,
again say that owed allegiance to the Gov
eminent of the United States once; owe
it again. Walk back as whipped child
las you are and will be worse if you don't
quit soon,) TO a fond and indulgent parent,
who loved you and gave you nourishment
| Now, my tellow-citizens, that is the kind
of peace 1 am for. (Applause.) Now,
these other gentlemen, who talk about
peace don't tell you what kind of a peace
they want. Well, can tell you. 1 don't
want any man to understand by my argu-
ment that am striking at any party or
any set of men. I only strike at individu-
ais who are trying to ruin the country. If,
however, the shoe fits any body, l can't
help it. This is freecountry. He can do
as he pleases about 1t, 1 suppose.
| Now let us see what sort of peace some
men are for. Some men are in favor of
peace, expecting to gain peace by stopping
the further offensive prosecution of the
| war. They are opposed to the further Of
| fensive prosecution of the war. What does
that mean? 1t means this: when we march
ed to Fort Henry, that was an offensive
prosecution of the war; when we marched
| on Fort Donelson, that was an offensive
i
on each and every battlefield, it was an Of
| fensiye prosecution of the war AS long as
we keep our armies in the Southern States
and make them recognize the Constitution
of the United States and the supremacy of
| the laws, it is an offensive prosecution of
! the war. If that is correct, I want to take
| the language see reported in some of the
speeches made on this subject, and sift it a
little. Their argument is this: a further
prosecution of the war is unconstitutional,
therefore, we are for peace. They all de-
clare that to be their position on this sub
ject We fought the battle of Thompson's
Hills on the LIST of May, and whipped the
rebels; that was an offensive prosecution of
the war, and that was unconstitutional
When we fought them at Raymond, and
whipped them, it was an offensive prose-
cutiOn of the war. The battle of jackson
was an offensive prosecution Of the war
it was very offensive to herebels Laugh
teri When we fought the battle of Black
River, 1t was an offensive prosecution Of
the war. When we invested Vicksburg, it
was an unconstitutional act, being an Of
fensive prosecution of the war. When we
| took thirty-two thousand prisoners. we
went beyond the limits of the Constitution