The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-02-13


1,on. u. c. Humphreys, prominent poii-
.;a;an Of Alabama, who was DouS'as
,,o.,o~ in that State at the PRESIDENTIAL
Lection in 1860. and who was Union man
,,bar the Rebellion commenced. but was
e,r,ad into II. and has been active IN ald-
inc the South until he heard OF the tresi-
dents Amnesty Proclamation. ne IS no"
axerting himself for the restoration % n.s
state to the Union. as will be seen from ''''s
.h,o address. which will no doubt have
good effect. o,.
The Address is printed upon coarse yei-
low paper, and reads as follows:
ruoueHTs ON THE STATE OF AFFAlks AM
SUGGESTIONS HOW QUIET MAJ
STORED, By D. c. HUMPHREhs'
The grand epoch of the ninete si u, 't az
t,rv is and in all probability VIII oe, tnc
s uly 80, IN tbose States once forming the
,y.;,aa S..tas These hostilities now DESC
,ot;n- tho Southern Slavehold!ng States,
49, come "a an end, even though they last
many long wears yet. II peace can oe re-
stored and the honor OF these STATES pre-
served. the speedier i IS done me nelter.-
He can be no philantnIopls. WY u ases,
war when the result is havoc ana uesoia-
-, a warrior NAV be proud OF his VIE
.om, - aelirhted with his strategy; and
/, no,,tician may he ambitious that TINS
war nolicy should prove failure; put
na;tber the one nor the other should be
gratjtied or upheld when the only result is
the distress and ruin OF a country anc lis
inhabitants.
In the war Of the revolution against the
m;srule of the mother country, the hearts
Of the people were enlisted. Oppression
yas real. The Colonies were taxed and
denied representation. That struggle was
Tor liberty and freedom, as we'll as TOR IN
derendence. And because 1t was strug-
Vie for liberty. for freedom. the Colonies
had the sympathy OF the world ana ths al"
If nations. A struggle for liberty Will al
WAYS receive the sympathy OF the world,
and. unite! with the effort TO set up ma
tionality. will receive aid directly or midi
rectlv from other nations.
Mark the difference between the contest
az the Colonies with the British Govern
ment. and the contest OF the southern
states with the Government of the United
States. The people of the Southern States
enjoyed the blessings Of liberty and Of
freedom: but not satisfied with what was
possessed, politicians succeeded in precpt-
fcting their people into revolution de-
signed to establish separate nationality.
Nothing could be added to the measure OF
personal freedom or liberty, let the contest
tors fanced greatness would attend a ma
tionality that would expand until it encir-
cled within its control and power whole
continent. They were in error. The track
of the precipitators is to be marked by the
blood whichahas flowed, from the Potomac
to the Gulf, and along the Mississippi, from
the mouth of the Ohio to the Balize. And
what has been accomplished Instead OF
expanding in power, the Slave States have
been contracting ever since the contest be-
gan. Ruined cities, demolished towns, de-
serted villages, desOlat0 farms, are to De
seen all over the South. At the beginning
of the contest the Southern States had over
one million Of fighting men, and have had
in the field near five hundred thousand ;
but are now reduced below two hundred
and fifty thousand. At the commence
ment of hostilities the Southern States had
an organized system of labor. That sys-
tenn is nearly destroyed, and the laborers
are rapidly deserving the fields that are not
already desolated.
Is it not time to pause in this mad ca
reer? Shall those who led the country
from power to weakness, from wealth to
poverty, from happiness TO misery, from
absolute luxury to absolute want, be lon
yer listened to, or shall other counsels be
followed? Or, can we look to those to ex-
tricate us, whose policy thus led the coun-
try into ruin?
Had the people been consulted deliber-
ately, upon the change sought to he made,
we would not now behold PROSTATE coun-
J try. One half Of the population OF the
South have looked upon the new Govern
ment az a usurpatior, and still view it in
that light.
The condition Of the country is melan-
choly evidence of the instability of power
gained by violating principle. Usurped
power may reign for period; but it is all
tho vn,1 In N, lon mn Va -
the rights of the great mass are set al
naught. If any section Of the old United
States shall ever succeed in setting up an
independent power, the movement must
be based upon the will Of the masses. Let
ambition be hereafter warned not to rush
madly upon changes. Let the past be re
viewed, and the error is evident. But the
present needs no philosophizing. The
condition of the country is open to the
view Of all. and to the comprehension OF
any. What is to be done? or what cdn be
done? are the interrOgatOries prOpOunded
by all. We know what is needed. but we
do not see the way to arrive at the desired
end. The result we seek is civil authority
restored constitutional liberty and organ
lied security. Did this country ever pos
sess the blessings OF good Governments
Let us see: We had power to resist inva.
sion from without; we had protection al
home. The Southern States produced in
great abundance rice, sugar, cotton, tobac.
co, hemp. The Northern States produced
in like abundance wheat, corn, oats, bar.
ley, clover, timothy, and the live stock suf
ficient to supply the demands of the whole
Inc whole country had its commerce.
The Southern States exported rice, sugar
tobacco. The whole aoounded in mines
Of the richest character. The whole hac
grown rich together. But what was the
condition OF the South? She was rich.-
Together with the North, she not ONLY haC
the necessaries, but she possessed luxu
ries and. conveniences Of life. There wa,
no port but our vessels entered. orr sta
pies were exchanged for the manufactured
goods Of England, for the silks and vine,
Of the French, for the furs Of Russia. anc
for the spices Of India. So abundant wer,
our crops, and SO great were the facilitie,
of transportation, expectation and inpor
tation, that all we had to concern our
selves about was TO produce the raw ma
terial, and all other things were brought /,
our doors. At Norfolk, Wilmington
Charleston, Savannah, Pensacola, Mobile
New Orleans, Galveston, the wharves wer,
crowded with the vessels Of all nations
bringing the products Of other chimes to b
deposited at those ports, and thence distri
bu:ed all over and through the country