The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-05-14

~ When the enlisting Of negro troops
vas first resolved upon, we were toid Oy
be Copperheads that it was barDafous'
hat it would be the Inauguration OF indis-
riminate massacre. Whether they made
his prediction because they believed the
,uee mountain Of wrongs and outrages IN
licted upon them by their white masters
woulo justify such retribution, We oon
pretend to decide. But if they really had
aith in their own prophecy, that iaitn !.
,ould have had no other reasonable oasis.
rhev must have believed thatmen Who nad
made slaves and chattelsof the negroes d.
,erved to be offered up in hecatomos oy
hose they had 20 outrageously wronged.
Now how has the prophecy turned out!
Have the negroes in any one instance been
guilty Of q siagle violation Of the rules q
warfare. Have they anywhere commit
ed cruelty, or shed any blood needlessly,
,r slaughtered non combatantsw while wear
ing the uniform Of the army Can any
,ne indicate . solitary instance? we nave
heard Of none; there il none.
But on the other hand We have heard OF
slaughters, atrocities unknown
before in the history Of civilized war
fare, and singular to say these atrocities
were committed, not BY the negroes but
by their former masters and their fellows,
the noble and honorable and humane dis
ciples Of the "New Civilization" These
worthy and distinguished and gentleman
" scions OF the ancient ,chivalry, not con-
tent with having robbed 9 whole race Of
their natural rights and reduced them to
the condition Of mere chattels, have on
sundry occasions evidenced their own high
claims to humanity BY deliberately slaugh-
tering the unfortunate negroes, In cold
blood, with cruelties and horrors which
would shame the savages Of the South Sea.
The facts show where the barbarian is.--
It turns out that the negroes remain guilt
less of any inhumanity, that their skirts
are clear Of any act Of private malice or
vengeance, that they have done nothing but
their duty - soldiers. It u the Southern
s4Chivalry'' who commit the murders. It
Il they who slaughter unresisting prison
ers. It 10 they who prove themselves BUTCH
era, and make boast Of their atrocities.
This is the realization Of the Copperhead
prophecy. The singular fact has also BE-
come apparent, that these virulent Copper
heads, who were 90 fearful Of the barbara
ties of the negroes, make no complaint Of
the actual savagery Of their shiee friends of
the South. The slave-mongers have done
It, therefore it IL right Was there ever 90
plain proof Of the utter baseness Of the
pack of Villains who consort with traitors,
who seek the destruction Of the Union, who
sanction any atrocity that by any means
tends to such infamous ends?
~ A French paper says lit was expect
ed that the common people would run af-
tor the red shirt of Garibaldi, but that the
should run after II, passes COM
pfehension - No doubt Of It. It is in
to the minions Of mere
despot that IN aristocrat should admire and
honor . patriot, lover Of the ''conmon
people" and one Of them himself. Moth
Ing IL % difacult Of comprehension to the
trxe slave Of despotism, - the fact that
men do not worship 1t their own base
shrine. But this fellow need not have
himself greatly about the "Aris-
tocrats" Of England. T1ey paid NO vol.
untary honors to the Liberator Of Italy,
They were merely seeking to keep him out
Of the hands Of tho people, and prevent, II
possible, demonstrations which might give
themselves trouble. Their anxiety to get
him out Of England, to exclude his friends
from Communication with him, their NC
tual interception Of letters addressed to
him, all Indicate the nature or their admit
ration. They finally invited him 70 leave
ct the dictation Of Louis Napoleon. That
shows their own nobility and manhood,
and makes them 30 despicable that we are
really ashamed that they have right to
claim that they are Of the Same race with
ourselves. The Frenchman need not be
troubled about the "Aristocrats' or Eng
land. They are base enough in all con.
science.
~It il reported that General Banks
has been superseded in his command OF the
forces in Louisiana by Major General e.
r. g. Canby. 1.-THE stories told about the
unfortunate result Of affairs on the Red
river are only half true, it 10 . great pity
that Banks was not removed before. Some
one has been guilty OF terrible blunder,
not to give It worse name, in that quar-
tor, and the chief commander must be
held responsible until it 10 shown that il
justly 4 attributable to sabordinate.-
Tho whole affair IL . mystery % N, on the
assumption that there was any sagacity il
the plan and ordinary vigor and ability
displayed in its execution. Bat Il ~tai b
sunvsiled some day. Meanwhile Bsnks
must bear the brunt Of it. II hs = wronged
By this opinion, whom hs shows that bid
conduct has NOT dsnaanded censure. III
people viii b prompt % do him justice,
but the sacriAess and losDee needleenly IL.
Cured require inveiaga&ion, and those
who have bean guilty of the cause should
b treated to . ipunishmsnt In propor.
ton % their deserts. We care not where Il
tslls % II be just. Something 4 wrona
certainly. A change 81 commander ~
y - n -