The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-03-19

! cratic Representative
And the historian Of New-York politic
who shall call the roll of the Democrats O
'hat State who have impressed themselve
upon 'helr country's administration will
pause at the name Of Harry Stebbins. an(
say, " He was without fear and without re-
proach At S. w.
The Raid ON Richmond.
Richmond papers seem to begreatly excit.
ed overthe late rad under Fitzpatrick. They
are full of wrath and bitterness. and. as
the following extracts from the WIG indi.
cate, are studious Of revenge. They pub
Iish what they say are orders found on the
body OF Col. Dahlgren, but which our Of
ficers declare to be mere forgeries.-in or
der TO excite the luminosity OF their readers.
lnsy were badly scare, 80 donnI. Eui
We don't see how that excuses the sor. 81
talk below, or apologies for their prepara-
tions to blow the Union prisoners up with
200 kegs of powder, which were made De-
fore they could have had Dahlgren's pre-
tended order. The New Civilization is
aptly illustrated by the Whg,
| THE FUTURE CHARACTER OF THE WAR.
| The band Of robbers, incendiaries, and
murderers who lately came against this
| city to sack and burn it, and massacre the
selected from the different corps under
Gen. Meade, and sent under chosen officers
OF that army. Meade himself has lately
| returned from Washington, and it was no.
| ticed that Immediately on his arrival move
Ments were commenced, which have now
week. There is no doubt the epeditiOn was
planned and it's Internal character given to
il at Washington.
Lincoln and his advisers were parties to
it-perhaps instigat0rs of it. Meade was
particeps, because il he did not, as is prob
able, write the orders that were found on
Dahlgren's person, he necessarily knew OF
them, and handled his army so as to facili-
tate their execution. Those orders were
for war under the black flag. On the line
Of their desOlating march Everything that
can be used by the rebels was to be ''de-
stroyed," and when they had reached
Richmond they were ITO destroy and burn
the hateful city, and not allow the rebel
leader Davis and his traitorous crew to es-
cape;n they must be 'killed." This is q
mode Of warfare recognized by no code nor
creed Of civilization. 1t is war under the
black flag.
1t was well understood to be SO by those
engaged in il; for Dahigren, after sffering
to his men the privilege Of Withdrawing II
warned them that if they permitted them
selves to BE- taken prisoners, they would
meet with an ''ignominious death.'' II
may be very shocking to the tender sensi-
bilities of our authorities to entertain the
idea that this Is TO be the future character
Of the war, but we respectfully suggest that
they have no option about il. This is mat
make bargain. The enemy have decided,
and their decision is controlling.
We would have kept out Of the war alto
getker, IL the enemy wOnl0 have allowed
NJ, but they would not. When forced into
it, we would have conducted it in accord
ance with the usages and principles of civ
ilized nations, but they will not have it SO.
We are passive and powerless in the mat
ter, and are simply obliged to accept the
conditions forced upon us. As war can
only be met by war, SO war under the black
flag can only be met by war under the
black 6ag If the President cannot recog-
nize 2his fact, the army can recognize none
Richmond Wki0, March Ssh.
WORTH LOOKING AFTER.
It is q singular and suspicious fact that
among several hundred of the raiders cap
tured by us, there are only four or Eve
officers. The inference is either that there
are more Of these epaul letted gentry dis
guisei as privates, from the hope that pri-
yates taken in such an expedition would
escape the summary execution that they
expected would be ueted out to the officers
or that, taking counsel Of that Rpprehen-
sion, they were 6rst to run, and so made
their escape. II our authorities were pre-.
pared to act as.the interests Of the cause
and the dignity Of the country Imperative
ly demand, it would make no difference
ii there were disguised officers among the
privates, since AN indiscriminate execution
ronO nj IL hn,f nj MA ho0 NJ NJ, ota
taken to this end, il would not be amiss to
make an investigation, with the view Of
detecting and dragging out the officers, il
there are any concealed in the garb or pri-
vates.- Wig March 7th.
THE CAPTURED BANDITS.
Presuming the documents found ON the
body of Dahlgren to be authentic, the
whole question Of the recent attempt TO in
wade Richmond, burn and sack it with all
the other horrible concomitants Of such
scene,) can be stated and disposed Of in q
few words. It requires no fine disquisi1
ton TO see our way clear 8 to what should
be done with those of the banditti who
qnire nerve TO execute the palpable convic-
tions Of our Judgment judgment which
will be promptly sustained by the civilized
world, including China, the most truculent
Of nations. nations not uncivilized. t,
Are these men U0rriers! Are they s0l-
diers taken in the performance Of duties
recognized as legitimate by the loossst
construction Of the code Of civilized warfare,
or are they assassins, barbarians, thugs,
who have lorfeited land expect TO lose) their
lives? Are they not barbarians redolent Of
more hellish purposes than were ever the
Goth, the Hun, or the 6aracen7 The con-
sentaneous voice Of all Christendom will
shudderingly proclaim them monsters,
whom no sentimental idea Of humanity.ll
no timorous views Of expediency, no tim
orous views Of consequences, should have
shielded from the quickest and sternest
death. to @@' st F@ #a&} !"
What more have we to dread from
Yankee malice or brutality than We now
know awaits US, II success attend them?
What have we to hope from their clemen-
cy? Win justice meted out to those crea-
lures stimulate either the brutality Of the
Yankees on the one hand, or increase their
capacity and means for diabolism on the
oher? Both are now in fullest in, exercise.