The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-03-12

| ESl III the army. w etIotlS-Ai anu
clubs. State Register.
~ l.y- Gen. Butler has placed Il regiment Of
North Carolina negroes on guard over the
rebel prisoners at Point Lookout. lie is
determined that If the rebels will not ex-
change their negro prisoners they shall at
least have the satisfaction Of being guarded
BY bayonets in the hands Of the same class.
: A-The Government has paid 1903 900 to
the Illinois Central Railroad Company.
since February 18th 1862 for the transport
tation of troops and property. The Gov
eminent seems to be large customer.
WASHINGTON Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, March I, 1864.
The army here, if reports are to be cred-
tied, is in the midst Of movement, and
| in the midst OF mud. The extent OF the
movement cannot tell--nor the depth of
the mud though as the latter is not as ex-
tensive as it sometimes is, infer the same
with reference to the former, as they gen.
orally tally with one another very exactly
in point Of time and extent. We have had
splendid weather almost all the time since
the army laid up,-which was in good
season. But just AS it had got committed
to movement, the SHOWS descended the
floods came, and Virginia is quagmre.
| 1t is a thing thus far seldom known 10 fail,
! that a storm comes, when the army moves.
| Hence the rebels hereabouts are persStcTA
II the assertion that " the Lord Is on their
side" And with respect to the elements
in connection with the movements OF the
army Of the Potomac, it is hard to deny it.
| Legislation goes on after the old Sort"
Notwithstanding the change of circumstan-
ces in which legislators meet-sO much
cabling to so much voting; SO many New
Years, and Christmas, and so many sad
| Turnover holidays to the general aggre-
gate of working time. Not that exactly,
perhaps, but pretty near II. Barring the
communication Of important facts connect
ed with the matter in hand, extensive and
general debate is of but little consequence
in the course and determination of bust
ness. Those who talk most generally ex
ercise the least influence in the conduct Of
business; while whole weeks talk
| scarcely changes the vote Of a man. On a
certain important measure or policy mem
bers know ut the instant Of announcement
how they will vote; and they do vote cor
reSpondingly. The communication of
facts by aComnittee man, or any body who
knows what is not generally understood in
the House, may modify the business in
hand-but all the political sparring by par
" leaders, which constitutes the great vol
ume OF the debate is, Of course, total
iy uninfluental. 1t is Buncombe," and
nothing else. But for that, the enrolment
bill would have been a law at least six
weeks earlier, and the armies would before
this time have been replenished under it.
And all really important business which
the war demands would have been already
completed. I really think the remark
which l somewhere saw, that Congress
could not well complain of the slow move
ments of the army, considering how little
momentum had been communicated to
Congress itself by the great events trans
piring in its presence, was true and well
deserved. Custom and routine is as pre-
valent and powerful with the latter branch
Of the public service as tie former. Still,
business is more driving now, and / ad-
here to the opinion that there will be IN
early adjournment, and that there will,
also, be more business done in the same
time than by any Congress hitherto.
Presidentially, politicians are nonpluss-
ed. They don't know what to do, nor how
to do it. There is a great difference be-
tween them and what seems quite clearly
to be the desire Of the people. II speak Of
our own party.l How this is, letter which
lately received from friend may help to
explain. He has been here ever since the
Administration came Lately he received
an appointment, and has been travelling
among the people. He was not Lincoln
man. But he writes: 1.-THE people seem
almost every where to be very generally
for Lincoln. 1t cannot be denied. They
look only at the leading measures, and
with them they are generally satisfied
And | must confess that | am much more
of Lincoln man myself than while ! was
q. Washington, where l saw something
every day to get mad at The fact is,
there is great deal which passes under the
eyes or our members here at which they
are prone to "get mad" And the mad is
kept up too well to allow them to sympa-
ri u,ifh 1,a I :ro
ments amongthe people, perhaps should
say, among the Legislatures and the local
politicians; yet still, with every qualifica-
ton that can possibly be made, the most
stiff-necked must allow that there is pop
ular spirit at the bottom Of all public indi-
cations which is powerful, and indeed like
| ~ to prove overwhelming.
It is, however, but the simple truth to
say, that Of the emphatic Union men in
Congress, there are but few Of whom Mr..
| Lincoln is the first choice. He is the Sc
cond choice Of many, the. first choice Of
| few-rery few. So far as MY personal ac-
quaintance extends among them, only one
says he Is Tor Mr.. Lincoln first. They are,
however, net disposed to fight against the
popular choice for that is to fight against
those from whom they derive honor and
consequence, and it is not supposed to en-
nance their influence at Presidential quar-
ters. The fact Of the popular preference
being 80 strong, has, also, the effect, more
or less strong, according to the spirit Of the
individual to incline members to an agree
ment with the people, or at least to an
assent to the popular choice. Still, the re-
spense, the full, hearty, private response,
to the circular OF Mr.. Pomeroy, among
members and Senators. is not only far more
general than the public could well be
made to believe, but it will be more per-
sistent and of greater ultimate influence
than would be likely to be presumed. Per-
naps, with regard to the Pomeroy circular,
should make this qualification the dis
inclination to re-nOminate Mr. Lincoln is
not, SO near as that circular would seem
to make 1t, the proper measure OF friend
illness to Mr.. Chase as the first choice
think he would poll fewer votes among
the class referred to than Mr.. Lincoln
not because Of any other lack Of capacity
than that of Judging men. His endow-
ments are admitted. His spirit and pur-
poses about exactly meet the views Of the
strong and determined Union men in Con-
gres. But there is great distrust of his
Judgment in men, and far greater disin-