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

FRIEND DUNHAM: Your numerous read
ers, and, indeed, the great mass of reading
people on this continent, have undoubted-
~ seen the horrifying details Of that terri
bic calamity in Santiago, Chili-the burn
ing Of near 1900 men, women and children,
in the church Of the Jesuits. We are told
that the means devised by crafty priests to
enchant and captivate the weak, the igno-
rant and the credulous, were chiefly instru-
mental in bringing about this fearful catas-
trophe, and that these very priests blocked
the only remaining door of egress against
their victims, in order the more undisturD-
eddy, to save their wooden images and
other gim-cracks!
Were not the report vOuched for by the
most undOubted authority, it would be
branded rs 4 tremendous imposition. Had
history related it as an incident of the dark
er ages, il would be held up with Phara-
saical II thank thee, my God, that am
not like one Of these!' And now that the
naked, undeniable fact is before us, as an
other dark blot on the annals of the 10th
century, have no doubt that millions up
on millions on the American continent, ir-
respective Of political or religious creed,
hold up their hands in holy horror and ex-
ecrate that devil incarnate, Ugarte, and his
besotted minions.
stitious and prest-ridden population OF
Santiago broke from their thraldom upon
this awful occasion, leveled 10 the ground
the accursed structure whose walls had en-
circled this hecatomb Of human beings, and
banished the demons who had offered ii to
the reign of darkness. Indeed, none but a
maniac could contemplate such CHASTITY
sight without the deepest emotion.
But did 1t ever occur to great MANY OF
those who thus utter their indignation and
adherence in the most unmeasured terms,
that they themselves are not one particle
better, aye, even more criminal, than this
hellish Ugarte and his crew. oniv that they
are powerless to do what they would fain
have accomplished? fear not. And still
it is even so. Here are the people of this
Republic encircled by the fiery flames OF
civil war that was engendered and famed
and spread by the rankest political idOla-
try. The very life of this most promising
Of all nations is in imminent peril-imper-
illed by men who would replace the proud
statue Of the Goddess Of Liberty on the
Capitol with the image Of Mammon. The
flaming ring closes nearer and nearer.
Numberless victims have already been de-
voured by its Kissing tongues. The fate OF
humanity itself is at stake. There is one
door of egress left. The side door which
excludes the black-man from the inner
temple. Throw that open and all may yet
be saved. The people rush for that door as
their last hope. They reach, they try to
force it Would we believe it, had we not
been witnesses to the fact-will our chill
dren think it possible when we tell them
hereafter-will not history reject it as a
base calumny on mankind-these very
men, who, by their barterng in principles
for the sake Of filthy lucre, have inveigled
eur people into this fiery ordeal, attempt
with all their strength to block that dc or !!
Let the nation perish if they can only save
the wooden images and gilded GIN cracks /!
Thanks to the reviving genius Of Ameri-
ca, the door is forced and the nation is
saved! The puny efforts of our political
Ugartes have been of no avail. And all
that remains now is to tear down the black
ened walls Of their base edifice, to Danish
them forever from our councils, and to
worship Freedom, and that alone, under
the broad canopy Of Heaven.
I meant to have sent you a report OF to-
days doings, but having given reins to my
feelings ] am now in no mood for such
matters. More anon. II.