The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-01-30

but to the terrible mlSmanagement OF the
| financial head of the government, who still
holds an office of high trust and confidence
in it. Now, it is proposed to visit upon the
people the sins for which JEFF. Davis and
his Secretary Of the Treasury are alone re-
| sponslble, and to compel the holders of the
eight hundred millions of Treasury notes
| to surrender them for Confederate bonds.
1t will not do to say that the holder will
not lose by the change, and that the plight
ed faith of the nation is as much pledged
to the redemption of the one as the other.
Ii the people and not the Government are
to be benefited hy this great financial OPP
Grafton, whv do the rebels hesitate TO so
licit the consent Of the creditor to such
renewal Of the obligation under a different
form.
The plighted faith Of the rebel Govern
Inent has long ago lost commercial and
moral value. Its faith was plighted for the
discharge Of the twelve months men a. the
expiration OF their term of service, and 1t
was violated; il was plighted for the dis
charge OF the three years men AT the ex pi-
ration Of their term, and will tie again vio-
| lated it was plighted for the exemption Of
those who had furnished substitutes, and a
third time broken; it was plighted for the
payment OF the Treasury notes, and that
plighted faith il is about TO disregard.
Who then believes that its plighted faith
for the redemption Of the bonds will be any
more sacredly observed? 1t will be for
feited whenever the interests Of the Rich
mOnd dictatOrs require it.
The consciousness that the Confederate
Government will violate its most solemn
| promises must stand in the wav Of any res
| toration of the public credit. though the
best financier in the world stood at the
head of its financial affairs. That credit
has been lost. and nothing can restore il.
But more than this has been lost. The good
will and affection Of the people, no matter
how ardent their desire for independence
and separate nationality, can not survive
such mortal blows as are inflicted upon
them. Security Of life and property is one
Of the chief ends for which governments
are established. and when they fail not
only TO afford it, but by their own action
endanger both person and property, .jeo-
pardiZing all the interests of the citizen,
| they can not expect any measure OF conf
dence and good will, and must henceforth
rely upon arbitrary and unlimited power
to extort from the people what they fail to
for their rights. The forfeiture Of political
and commercial contracts on the part Of
any government, no matter how great its
necessities, and under what pleas Of public
safety, inevitably tends to ruin.
This is the condition of the Confederate
Government to-day. 1t is driven to the
logical consequences Of its acts with ire
\
be government OF written law, it over
rides all its constitutional limitations and
guarantees. and does it with an impudence
that does not seek to excuse the flagitious
outrage. Hence it is that il is gradually
alternating itself from the affections OF its
best friends, and growing more and more
a government depending on the bayonet
for its stability. And this leads to resist
ance. We see in North Carolina evidence
Of the growing feeling against the Govern
ment. The current Of hostility is changed
from Washington to Richmond, and any
attempt to enforce the outrageous and un-
constitutional DEGREES Of the rebel Congress
will provoke collision, and place the State
in an attitude Of defiance TO the Confeder-
ate authority. While not 50 forward as the
North CarOlinianS In resisting the arbitra-
ry action OF their government, it is plainly
evident that in Tennessee, Northern Geor-
gia, Alabama, and Mississippi, and in the
States west Of the Mississippi, the same
spirit Is developing itself, and will be
more strikingly manifested If the rebel
Government attempts to repair its financial
credit by compulsory measures, and
strengthen its armies by violations Of con-
} tracts, in which it made its own terms.
In these things, perhaps, more than in
the actual achievements of the Federal
arms, we see evidences of the disorganiza.
ton, decentralization, and speedy disrup-
ton, of the rebel Government. Founded
! upon treacherv and violence, it is perpetu.
ated bv fraud and military despotism. II
has destroyed its own credit, disaffected its
own people. multiplied the multitude of its
enemies, and revived love and respect 70,
a government under which they enjoyed
innumerable blessings. and the largest
freedom Of thought and action E.actnaat
: Commercial.
!, DANGERS TO NORTH CARoLINA.-We are
now reaping the fruits of" f"Ieaceoble !Seces.
sion,' in forcing from their once happy
and peaceful homes into the army all from
Isl to 45 years Of age, 10 be driven to the
slaughter like oxen TO the shambles. And
to fill upthe thinned ranks the present Con.
gress now has before it the monstrous prop
sition to conscript all from fifteen to tWenty
!, fee years Of age, and make them subject
to military law, which the Richmond Er.
+ dminer boldly denounces as nothing less
than an attempt to make Mr.. Davis Die.
! tdtOr.
Let US examine and see what kind Of .
, body it is that is imposing such burdens
on the people Of North Carolina.
We have Congress, the legislation Of
which is controlled by members from Ken
tacky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas
!. Louisiana and other places, who impose
, upon US what can no more be enforced or
the people of the States they represent than
upon the people Of New York or New
England. The chief cause of the revolu.
| tionary war which sundered the colonies
from the mother country was that the Eng
, lish Parliament imposed oppressive laws
on the colonies which did not affect the
people Of England themselves, No con.
script law can be enforced upon the people
of Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkan.
sas, Louisiana, nor on large portion OF
J Virginia, Florida, Mississippi or Texas
No tax law, nor tithing, nor inpressmen1
, law can be enforced on them, while those
irresponsible members may force from
their homes every person in North Carroll.
ma able to bear arms, regardless Of age 0,
condition, and place them in the army, as
is now urged by them in Congress-. and
leave the helpless women and children te
starve, they may put US under military
despotism, and place over us a Dictotor
and impose taxas and burdens on us which
are insnpportable, and there is nd redress
unless North Carolina will protect hel
children.
Is it not an outrage on every principle OF
free government for men of desperate for
tunes, protesting to represent other States,
on whose soil they dare not set their foot,
to make and enforce odious and oppressive
laws LOO n