The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-01-09

to wage it's eternal war successfully
If Slavery be wrong to any, it must be
simply because it is a wrong TO all. AS all
freemen unite in the assertion that it would
be a wrong to them, it must be equally a
wrong to every other man. The moment
we admit that any man, OF any race, may
rightfully bo made a slave, we admit that
any and every man may be. There is and
can be no middle ground. The right or the
wrong is inherent in mans nature, and
can have no dependence on outward cir
cumstances.
Here is tho essence of the whole matter.
If we would he free ourselves, we must in
sist on the freedom Of ALL. We have tried
the plan of partial freedom. We have
sought to maintain position OF armed
neutrality, maintaining the absolute free
dom Of the white and tie servitude Of the
black. The result of that course is before
us. 1t has eliminated in treason. IL mas
proved fruitful of revolt. The wrong DO
ers make war Oh those who tolerated the'T
wrongs while they did not in terms afiec'
the free. We are paying the penalty OF
we did not stamp the wrong out OF exist
ence in the beginning, it is now seeking 70
tran: pie on us. The slave-mongers nave
made it plain to the dulest comprehension
that we can only maintain our own loer-
ties by maintaining the liberty of all,
nss- Very few people bestow much char
ity on murderers. None that we ever
heard Of think arson entitled TO common
dation. Horse-thieves are always an
Accumulation and burglars are not lenient-
y dealt with when caught. In fact men
who indulge in these and other enormities
are not usually deemed the very highes;
ornaments of society.
Yet there are men who will persist il
apologizing for treason, who seem TO mag
inc that it is possible that traitors and re-
bells are, some how, very respectable and
honorable class of people. This strange
infatuation is astonishing. Treason has
always been considered and it really is the
most enormous of all possible crimes. 1t
includes not merely all other crimes but a
countless multitude of all others. Rob-
berries, arsons murders, and those without
number or limitation, are essential to the
success Of traitors, and are coolly contem-
plated by all who steep their souls in the
iniquity of revolt. They know as well be-
fore they commence, as after, all the hor-
rible results and accomplishments of an at
tempt to overthrow the Government of law
and to substitute for it one of violence and
blood. They know that every man who
tails in asserting the supremacy of law
is murdered and that they are his murder
ers. They know that every wrong and
outrage committed while seeking to carry
out their purpose, is their act, and that
they are responsible for it. They assume
this responsibility when they undertake
the revolt. 1t is so and it is right that it
should be. Terrible as single murder is.
how infinitely more so is that horrible
of all possible crimes implied
in the word TREASON!
And if the commission OF this offence is
SO abominably wicked, how do those who
approve or sanction it, imagine they can
escape without sharing in its shame and
ign6miny! How much difference is there
between the commission and the endorse
ment of this horrible crime. If a man de-
liberately approves an act, are we not
bound to believe that he is DISPOSED to
II? If he thinks traitors are doing
right, must it not be because he believes
the treason is right-because he. in his own
mind, wills all its consequences and sane
tons the ends at which it aims. If he does
all this, where is the difference, in the Court
OF conscience, between the Southern trail
TOR ana the Northern sympatilizero
1t IS astonishing that men pretend 10 be
so blind AS not to STE these patent conse-
quences OF sympathy with crime. There
is no excuse for them. If they don't see the
wrong they commit, it is simply because
they Wiu not. Ii treason be merely opin
ION, then they are actual traitors, for opin
ION gives actual aid and comfort TO ooin
ion. If it requires an overt act then thov
clude The meshes OF the law. bat remain
equally amenable to conscience and NOR
atty. They may escape all penalties, ex-
cept their in.amv, in this world. but. nm
less they repent, now can they expect to
escape in the ne1ts Treason in a Republic
is the objectionable sin. Here it i. abso-
iuteiy inexcusabie. And the traitors
themselves, have not forborne announcing
to the world that they commenced their
revolt without any apology OF wrong com
United against them or any right denied
Ii they have nothing Of this sort to extern
uate their crime, what apology can "A North
ern man offer for insaneiy sanctioning a
confessed iniquity of blood: 1t is time that
men began to understand that those who
smile approvingly on crimes SO enormous,
snare the guilt and must abide the penal
ties.
~ We wonder if this "cold term,
made an impression so far into "Dixie',
as Richmond? If it did, how do the delect-
able traitors who have there assembled un.
DER the pretence Of o Congress like it :?
Wonder if they manage to keen warm nv