The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-12-24
BURLINGTON, SATURDAY DECEMBER "a 1864


64. ,sx 81
:. ;
sought to create q disruption tending to
shake the community and cause an in.
convenience abrosd tave always put out,
from respect for the world a programme
Of their grievances but where is there
any programme in this case? In the case
OF Our civil war, after Cromwell and his
party deposed and decapitated Charles l.,
they put programme of grievances which
they published in three languages and ar
ticulated throughout all Europe, showing
why they had deposed the King, and why
they had established the Commonwealth.
Hear, hear.) What happened when James
II. was dethroned ond William III. was in
vited over? A declaration Of rights was
published-a narrative Of the grievances
against James H., and the programme in
succeeding King. Hear, Hear.) What
did the Americans do when they declared
their independence in l776? They put
forth q declaration Of grievances, and at
the present time no Englishman can doubt
that they were justified in separating from
the mother country. (Cheers.) In begin
popons px Sse s hos. q wheS hsve
luded, which the parties knew would con-
vulse this peaceful district, have they put
forth any programmed know the men,
and ! know that no one is more competent
to write such q programme than Jefferson
Davis. He could write it out as well a.
Thomas Jefferson did the Declaration of
l776. But why IL there no such declara-
ance they want to consolidate, perpetuate
and extend-Slavery; but they cannot do
1t. (LOnd aud repeated cheers.)
But. instead of taking straightforward
course, what do they constantly say? There
eminent men-eminent / mean for their
intellect, who would 80 well state their
case II they dared to speak the tru;h-what
do they say? Leave us alone; all we want
is to be left alone. That is the reason why
the Conservative Governments Of Earope,
and so large portion Of the upper classes
in England have consented to back the in
surrection. Now, how would they feel IL
Essex and East Kent. having been beaten
on the subject OF the corn laws, had chosen
to set up Kent and Essex and East Anglia,
right across the Thames, as the secession
ists have soughtto attempt to cut OF Lou
isiAna from the Mississippi, and If they had
said, eve want to be left alone." [Hear.
Why, can any government be carried on il
section Of the people, when they are beat
en- at the polls at peaceful election, be al
lowed to secede? ask where is the Con.
servative among the governing class of the
country? come to the conclusion that
after all there is more Conservatism among
the Democracy. Loud cheers.1 We have
heard news from America lately which
confess has struck me as being one Of the
most sublime srectacles in the history Of
the world. You have g, ,oOO, 600 or 24,OOO,-
some thousands Of miles square, exercising
on one day the right Of ruffrage upon .
question respecting which currents Of blood
are flowing. And you see the result ofthat
peaceful election given without 30 much
tumult as have seen in that dirty little
village Of Calne or that little town Of Kid.
derminister. lCheers and laughter.] That
is an event that humanity may be proud Of
and il IL not the subject for any political
party to exult over or scowl over. Loud
cheers.] A people who can do that, have
given to the world a spectacle such as was
never before presented by any people. And
what have they done? They have decided
after years of war, and almost every
household has lost q relative or an inmate
-the ccnteetthat rose between General Nc
Clellan, who desires to put down the war
without making the abolition Of slavery y
condition, and Mr.. lincoln, who desires to
put down the war and extirpate slavery
from the South. [Cheers.] Notwithstand-
ing that that was the appeal made to the
the interests Of humanity, for that can no
longer be questioned. They have preferred
the continuance of war rather than the con-
tinuance Of degrading slavery. [Cheers. ]
Let US have no more Of the late talk that
this is not war to put down slavery. Ev.
erybOdy now admits that, whatever is the
issue of the struggle, slavery will be abol-
ished.
Now, with regard to the issue itself, I
told you four years ago thatI did not be-
lieve that should live to see two indepen-
dent States on that continent OF North
America. have repeated that assertion
since. and / now come to confirm that
opinion, but with far more emphasis than
l have ever expressed before. (Cheers.)-
I do not believe that that country in my
day will ever be separated. look upon
separation to be absolutely insurmounta-
BILE. {Cheers.) Take the case of the Mis-
sissippi: That river, with its tributaries,
flows through 10000 miles of nayigable
waters into the Gulf OF Mexico, aud IN or
der that the United States might have its
mouths in their own occupation, that they
might have, a. it were, the keys Of their
chased from the First Napoleon the State
ofLouisiana, with the money of the old
Union, for three millions sterling. (Hear,
hear). Well, now, some two or three hum
dredthousand people could have squatted
there. Some English, some French, and
some Americans have taken it into their
heads that they willcarry off this State, and
place the mouths of that greet river, the
outlet Of that vast country, in the hands of
q foreign State. have said It would be
far easier for Essex or Kent to carry off the
mouths Of the Thames, and set up an East
Anglian kingdom, than for Louisiana to
carry off the mouths ofthe Missis sippi, and
set up for an Independent State. There
are some few hundreds of thousands in the
counties Of Kent and Essex, but thevallev
OF the Mississippi will become the homes
of 2OO, ,OO0, 900, and this makes it Infinitely
more impossible that the United States
should allow the mouths Of the Mississippi
taken Oft than England should suffer tie
Thames to be carried away. Why should
they do 80 when they can prevent it by the
smallest expense, and retain possession of
It, for q few gunbcats could easily blockade