The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-01-16
concluded from third page.]

y
| ut least, the slaves were the equals Of their
| masters; they could lcrpatrate the same
crimes. be tired therefor by tl.e same tri-
hunals, incareerltnd III the Same prisons,
ana hung spcn the Same scatfo!as. And
while their masters commit atrOri0is trca-
son against the Government which shelters
| all, have no:these oppressed subjects right
! to tight for il, and shed their blood II de-
| tense Of its tag?
II by the offer of freedom we could in
iuce these bond subjects to leave their trea-
sonablc masters, and return to their ieeit-
/, innate sovereign, whom they have never
willingly offended, what principle Of law
or right would be thereby contravened?-
Has not any established Government an
absolute right 10 exercise this sovereign
| authority over It's own subjects? IT 1t be
! alleged that this would be violation Of
our faith with the Southern States, the con-
| elusive answer is, that they had already
violated theirs with as by attempting to
dissolve the Union. We could as rightfully
| do this, as we could induce the soldiers in
| the rebel armies 70 leave thei. ranks and
return to their allegiance, by the offer OF a
general pardon. And to deny that we can
| righrfully do either, is to hold that the in
dyidual claims Of traitors, the rights and
| local regulations o! insurgent States. are
paramount 10 the sovereignty " the 1tH-
eral Government
The period al length arrived when, 10 IL
sure success to our arms, and make the
| overthrow OF the Rebellion u speedy and
| certain event an etlectus.i blow 1T this for
mi1aDle element Of rebel power was inn
perativeiy demanded. Our authority over
/ the subject vas broad and ample, and the
| necessity for the step no longer doubtful
| Why hesitate TO terminate the war, and
save the Union, by losing slavery" 1t be.
came Obvious. that amid the throes Of tins
mighty revolution, one or the other must
90 down. The Union and Slavery cannot
! both be saved from the wreck, for the same
! power which raseues the one must inevita-
| bly, crush the other. Which is the more
| valuable for preservation? After All its
| manifold crimes against liberty and hui
manity, against GOD and Ills holy laws,
! what claim has Slavery upon this Govern
incnt for protection and perpe!ultys 10
| this reckoning had the Nation come on TIE
! first day or January, 1863.
| thank Almighty SOD. that II tins mo-
,nentous iuncture, We lad a man at the
helm Of this Government, who fully real
lied the situation, ana possessed the sub
lime courage TO perform his duty and place
the seal Of condemnation lrre.ocably, ana
forever, upon this convicted crlInina! OF
mankind. The deed is done; the righteous
judgment has been pronounced, and from
his homes. heart the author tells us, ''it
cannot be retracted.' No earthly power,
| can NSond back 10 slavery, these millions OF
| freedmen: for between them and such
power stand more than twenty millions OF
| other men, to defend the broad seal which
1 that proclamation bears.
! Ia its diminished and attenuated form,
slavery still fingers; but il is robed in the
nabillnents of the grave. waiting only for
! the rites Of sepulchre. How these shall be
performed the world may not care; for
| over its accursed remains the star OF free
dom shall forever shine, and the loud ho-
sannas Of an emancipated race be sung
through all succeeding ages.
The victim Of q morbid and reasonable
ambition, slavery has been murdered III
the house Of its friends. Upon them, not
Us, the responsibility Of Its death must for
ever rest. The Union a. it was, the peo-
pie of the North We're willing TO maintain
and abide by; but, rs the South have de-
lter,nned otherwise, il is our duty now. to
insist upon the Union as it should be, and
AS our fathers intended il.
Nv ardent wish is, that this deSoiating
war may speedily close, and the lnsurgent
States resume their political rights III the
Union.
That We may properly understand the
theory of reconstruction, ii IS important to
avoid misappica,ion Of the term. The
rebellion having failed OF success, the
Union is not dissolved and, therefore, the
disorganized States, only. require to be re-
constructed. Had they succeeded in
achieving their separation, the Union. to
that extent, would have been dissolved,
and the question of reconstruction have
presented Il different aspect.
Having, by treason TO the General Gov
ernment and the inevitable consequences
Of civil war, accomplished the destruction
Of their local organizations, and not their
observance from the Union, they stand
in the attitude Of States, with their govern
ment subverted and OverthrOwn. Re-or-
ganization, therefore, becomes an 1ndls-
pensable prerequisite to the resumption
Of their powers, and privileges, as sover-
eign States in the Union, Without tins,
they have no appropriate medium through
which their constitutional rights can be
secured or exercised. They cannot choose
Senators or Representatives to Congress,
participate in the election Of a President,
or enjoy any other regulation designed for
the common benefit of the States. And 1t
is only by means of State Governments,
that they can perform the functions OF
States, and discharge the various Obllga-
tons and duties they owe to the General
Government. Until then, the people OF
these disorganized States must, from ne
cessity. depend upon the Federal Govern
ment, under the arm of its military power.
But this theory by no means implies that
these States must be reduced to terrific |
rial condition, maintained, during their
territorial minOrage, under p Government
provided for them, at the expense OF the
National Treasury, and re-admitted into |
the Union as States. It simply means,
what is obviously true, that they have
State limits, territory and people, without
the essential machinery OF State Govern
ments, which are the test and means OF
their political existence. Il
Government represents, not merely iand
and certain defined territorial limits, but
the people who establish it, and who speak
and act through il. as their political organ.
These people. in consequence of their
treason, having disqualified themselves
for the exercise Of political rights and PRIV
ileges, their State Governments have there
by become suspended, and must remain
in allegiance, until this disqualification is
removed by the act OF Federal authority.
Reduced to this condition, the provision
al control over these States, until fully re-
organized, aud restored, is vested in the
Federal Government; but when restored,
it must Re under Governments which have
emanated from their own people, under
Constitutional restrictions. I recognize
the right of every State to regulate and
shape its own institutions, but this right