The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-11-21
Gen. Meagher ON Slavery-Irish-
Americans on the True War.


Path.
NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 1s63.-My Dear
Sir: have been in debt to you long, long
time. You have sent me your paper con-
tinually, and have written to me frequent
". Up to this you have not had from me
one word OF acknowledgment and thanks.
True it is, ! have been on the point OF drop
ping you a line, saying how gladly and
gratefully l received these evidences of
Your remembrance; but ever and always,
something or other interviewed, and had
to throw aside pen, ink and paper, and
with them my good intentions in your re-
gard.
This was invariably the case tor the last
two years or more; camp LIE beng any
thing but conducive to the maintenance of
friendly relations. so far as they depend on
the interchange of envelopes and postage
stamps. .........
Strange to say, however, the Gdtrdy
american used to make its way to me
across the ocean, down to Washington,
over the Potomac, into the heart OF Vlr-
ginia. Many a pleasant hour 1t brought
me, in the midst Of the cares, WORKINGS.
harlships and hard knocks OF a campaign.
1t gratifies me truly to find that you had
taken your stand against the Disnnionists
of America, and We're true and staunch to
the Stars and Stripes, and to all of the past,
and all Of the future, they so grandly sym
bOliZe. trar..- g.
But you, who We're here for so long a
time, and had studied and familiarized
yourself so thoroughly with the political
questions and parties OF the Republic, know
well how to discriminate between the UNI
| justified and treacherouS revolt of the
South and the revolutions which, in Eu-
rope, aim to shake Off, not sworn alliances
and sacred compacts, but mastershlp and
domination, the grasp OF the strong, the as
| h~ ny,f all ~
wrongs and burdens heaped upon the
weaker by the more powerful.
| You had seen and learned enough during
| your stay in this country to know that it
was against the spirit and institutions OF
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the freedom and no.
bility of labor, and all that was most hui
name, promising, and progressive in the
Republic, that the territorial oligarchy OF
the South rebelled.
Not independence, but domination, was
the inspiration and purpose of the Rebel
| lion Of the Slave Lords, the kings and prin-
ces of the cotton-fields and rice-swamps.-
To achieve this ascendancy, the disruption
of the American Union was essential
Hence the seizure of the Federal custom
houses, forts, barracks, munitions, and
ships of war, the expulsion of Federal Off
GERS, the rejection OF the Federal authori.
ty, wherever force or fraud could effect the
same in those uneasy States, where the
slavery of the black man constituted the
basis Of wealth, Of social consequence, and
political power.
i You remember how CALLING it was to us
while writing and speaking in favor O.
Democracy, and the liberty and new order
of manhood the Republic guaranteed, 81.
lently to submit to the requirements of the
National compact which compelled ever
the most ardent friends of human freedom
to be in great measure the accomplices O
-, A..
disease, as it was the glaring disgrace, Of
this great Nation, and violent contradic
ton of the principles on which it was es
tablished. cannot forget my friend, Mr.
Smith O'Brien, asking me, more than once
during his visit to this country, how it was
that could bring myself to be an apollo
gist of the Slavery existing in the South
Neither can forget that, in reply to thi.
, question, told him / was not in favor O
Slavery, but was devoted to Union; anC
that, as the Union involved the Slavery b.
CONDEMNED, had to accept the latter to be-
friend and serve the former.
National unity, national greatness, tn,
} blending of several interests and races in
: to one great power, require many sacrifi
pened, the liberation of grievous error!
} themselves while generous impulses, en-
lightened views, the broader and loftiel
! ideas and plans Of Government and socie
ty, have to be suppressed or modified.
| Society itself-even in the household, tn,
narrowest sphere in which it is presented
is held together, rendered harmonious
useful, happy, and benefcent, by similal
compromises, by the like forbearance, by
, the subsection of individuals tastes ane
! ambition to certain general regulations
and preserve and govern it as a unit.
7 O'Connel declared himself willing tx
, have Catholic disabilities (struck off by tn,
Irish Parliament in 1888 re-imposed pro
3 vided that the Irish Parliament were re
stored, and Ireland thus set again on tn,
footing of an Independent nation. Thu
first speech he made was made memora
+ BILE by this declaration. The patriotism O
3 it was never questioned. 1t did much TO
t his fame. He detested the bigotry which
had placed those disabilities on the statue
, book. He would have had the Irish Cath
Ollie, 80 far as the law and the Governmen
) were concerned, the unrestricted and per
!. koct ooual of fh0 Irish PrOtasfant