The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-12-10
BURLINGTON, SATURDAY DECEMBER Io 1854.

an unarswerable argument. 10 this effect,
Rnat no candidate for any Office, whether
lslxh Or low. has vensured TO seek Votes on
Ithe avowaf that lie was for giving up the
|Jnson. There have been much impugning
EpIafnQtlves and much heated controversy
EAS kW NE proper means ard best mode Of
. .s1paafing the Union cause. Bg. in the
.ahuTe TO present the oistinc. issue Of TN
ION Or 10 Union, the politicians have shown
iineir 'ntui:ive kr"w.e ge ssa' there is no
peon. have thus shown, one 10
another ano 70 the wnr;,, .h;s f;rn.
ness and uuan.n:.Ss VIZ ~ 20. ;A.s nasn TIE
election has been of vast value to the na-
tional cause. The election has exhioiteu
another fact not leAs valuable to be known
The fact that we do not approach exhaus-
ton in the most important branch OF tne
NATIONAL resources. that Of living men.
war has filed so many graves and caused
! mourning 10 SO many homes, it is some re-
lief to know that, compared with the sur
viving, the fallen have been few. Whole
corps and divisions and brigades and regi-
ments have formed, and fought, and b.ed.
and gone ont of existence. a great ina
jority OF the men who composed them are
still living. The same is true OF the naval
service. The election returns prove this
SO many voters could not else be fonnd.
| The States regularly holding elections,
both now and four years ago, to wit: Calf
fornia, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky. Maine, Mary
| land, Massachusetts,, Michigan. Minnesota.
Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, Ohio. Oregon, Penrsylvania,
Rhode Island, Vermont. West Virginia
and Wisconsin cast S,Ss2 40 votes now,
against :, ,s70, ,aa22 cast then; showing al ag-
gregate now OF a.53S, I'll, to which is 10 be
added 3S, 7C2 cast now III the new States Of
Kansas ana Nevada, " hicn States did not
vote in 1869; thus swelling the aggregate
To l,nS5,e7S, and the net increase during
| the three wears ard half of war 10 li5 75I.
| To this again should lie added The nuinber
Of ali solciers in the tei1 from Massachu-
sets, Rhode Isla~d. New Jersey, Della
ware. Inciaua, Illinois ana Callfo- MIA, who
I by the law Of those States could no. vote
away from their hones. and which man,
Der cannot be less thar 1900. Nor yet is
this all. The lun, Der in organized terri
tories IS triple now what j. was four years
ago, while thousands OF whites and blacks
1 icin US in the national armies to press back
the insurgents. So much Is shown afErm-
atively and negatively by the, election
! Il is not material to enGeire how the IN
crease has been produced. or to show tina:
1T would have been greater ont for the
| war, which is probably true. The impor.
tant fact remains demonstrated that We
/ have. more uien now than We had when
the war began. That We are not exhaust-
| ed nor i'll process OF sexhaustioD--that we
are gaining strength and may, ii need De,
I maintain the contest indefinitely. This as
TO men. Material resources are now more
com piete ana abundant than ever. The
| national resources are unexhausled, and
as we believe, inexhaustible. The public
purpose 10 re- establish and maintain the
national authority is unchanged. and, as
We believe. Interchangeable.
1 The manner OF couticuiEg the effort re-
mains to choose. On careful consideration
OF all the evidence accessible, it seems 10
4 rEe that no attempt at negotiation. with the
4 insnTgent leader could result in any good.
He would accept Of nothing short Of the
i severance OF the Union. Ills dec.a-at ions
to that eject ere explicit and Oft repeated.
He does not attempt to deceive Us. Ee az
fcrcs us no excuse TO deceive ourselves.
i We cannot voluntarily yield it. Between
4 him and us the Issue is distinct, simple ard
iinfiexibie. IT Is nm issne which can only
he tried by war and decided by victory.
! II we y.e.d we are beaten-it the Southern
people fail they themselves are beaten-ei-
/ iher way woul5 he he victory and Gefe &
following war. What IS Irue, however, OF
hicl who heads tine ;is Urgent cause, is not
necessarily true Vi snose who follow. AL
though he Garnet accept iEe Union they
] can. Some ot ,hein we know already ae-
sire peace aud reunion. The number OF
such may increase. They can a. any mo-
ment have peace simply by laying down
their arms and submitting TO tue National
authority, under the constitution. After
40 doing the government ccnld not, il il
4 would, maintain war against them. TIE
loyal people would not sustain or allow il.
If questions should remain We would al
inst them by the peaceful means Of legisla-
ton, conference, coIris and votes, opera
i ting only n constitutional and lawful chan
nels. Some certain other possible ques-
lions are put, bat would be beyond the Ex7
ecu,ive power TO adju For instance, the
admission Of members into Congress-, and
whatever nigh. require the appropriation
OF money.
4 The Executive power itself would be
greatly diminished by the cessation OF ac-
iual war. Psrdons and reinissicns, howev-
er. would still be within exc esuiive control.
In what spirit and temper this control
would be exercised, can be fairly judged
OF by the past. a year ago general par
don and amnesty, upon specified terms,
were offered to al except q certain desig-
mated class, and it was at the same time
made known that the excepted classes
were still within contemplation Of special
c,emency. During the year many availe6
themselves Of the general provisions, and
many more would only that the signs of
bad faith in some led to such precautiona-
~ measures as epdered the practical pro-
cess less easy and certain. During the same
tune. also. special pardOns have been gram
ted TO individuals of the excepted class and
no voluntary application has beer denied.
4 Thus practically the door has been, for 3
i full year, open 10 AL such as were in con.
ditiCn 10 make free choice; that is such ass
were nc. in custody or under constr aint.
4 It is h,Ei open to all. But the ti:ne NAV
come, probably, when the public drty
shall, dem nd THAT it be closed, and that in
! lieu thereof. more vigorous measures :har
heretofore 81 oll be adopted in preventing
the abandonment OF armed resistance u
The national authority on the part Of the
Insurgents, as the only Indispensable con-
di;icn 10 ending tbe war upon the part OF
of the Government. @hes $ Gus
retract nothing heretofore said as to
slavery. Irepeas the declaration made q
year ago, and that while Iremxin in my pre-
sent position, ! shall not attempt TO re.ract
or modify the Emancipation Proclamation,
! nor shall return to slavery any person
who is free by the terms OF siat Prociama.l
ton, or by any Of the pets OF Congress. II
| the people should by whatsoever mode or
means, make it an Executive duty TO re-
enslave such persons, another. and not !,
must be their instrument 10 perform II.