The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-07-16

- The nature Of The war now raging
seems even yet TO be but impefiectiy un.
lerstood. Most men have comprehended
hat 1t In . civil war. Some have go' 80 ~
n d uuderstand that the rebels, wag1ng
var by means Of organised armies, while
not losing their character Of traitors sfe
~ in the prosecution Of It accorded some
81 tho riehts Of belligerants.
But what too many fail to understand H.
where the war prevails and how II anec's
the individual citizen. It 10 imagined taa'
the war exists only in the South. thai INC
north h exempt, not merely nom iss tsv-
agea. but also from its other perils, ulais
and responsibilities. II We were waslns
var against . foreign nation every ons
would comprehend that all the citizens .,
each country were public enemies. a 0sl'
war il a different thing. 1tisa war oet~een
the citizens, subjects or inhao'ssne % w
same country. In this instance, n 10 inc
endsayor Of q portion Of the citizens OF the
United States to revolt against ito autnol-
itv and to oct up new government w''n'n
il limits. It is not mere civil insulfec
ton to resist the law or merely . sPeo,..
grievance. tits an attempt to suover1 INC
national authority altogether. 1t is qa'''
,mm.terial In what mode or BY what pre-
tended sanction this attempt is made
rhere IL and can be NO authority anywhere
to resist, oppose or subvert the autnoia'y
Of the Union. The war is not against
States but against combinations OF citizens
subject to the laws and forcibly resisting
The laws. The pretence OF State ausnosl'y
= Q mers form of the combination-a mere
manifestation Of the treason.
Being 1 war for the subjugation Of trait
orr. it exists and must exist everywhere IN
tho land, not only where the rebels con-
gregate in armed force, but where they
do not. It extends not only through
out the South but throughout the
North also. We are al at war on one
side or the other for the Union o.
for the traitors. The laws Of war prevail
m we'll throughout the North as throughou'
the South. They are not enforced IN the
..me manner or to the same extent in the
one locality a. in the other, simply because
the necessities are different. In the South
The rebels are the majority, or at least ap.
near to be, and do actually control al
within their lines. In the North the major
ity are loyal, true to their duty and thei,
country. The disioyal, though numerous
have as yet been restrained against any
combined action Of rebellion. The ordi'
nary authorities have generally been com
petent to control them, and therefore thu
ordinary authorities have been lett gener
| ally to control them. Military authority
has mot been interposea because It has no
been mecessory, But it exists hero and ma!
| b exercised here to the same extent ant
with the same efficacy - in the South. II
say that It does mot h to assume that Ma
tioual authority IL greater In one portion
Of the countzy than in another. which
absurd. The right to put down the rebel
lion in one section IL the right to PIT
down everywhere, and by the same mean
/ and The same thoroughnsss. If It don
exist everywhere. it can exist nowhere.
II the xecessisy created BY events and CHI
cumstances, which prescribes how far an
to what extent and BY what measures, ~
thority should b exercised, and not local
hy. 41s f
There are but two sides to this civil va
Those who seek to sustain the Governmer
are patriots and on the side Of the countr.
Those who seek to aid, or do in fact aid u
rebels, are on the side of the traitors.
There - no middle ground. The war
!. not local but general, and the National q,
thority may and must be exercised evey7
vAsve to suppress its opponents. And ev
rywhere 1t has the indubitable right to .,
ercise it to just that extent which IL r
lquired by circumstances, and in that mo>
: or form which u judged BEST adapted to q
end. Il il not astonishing that Cope
!, heads exclaim against and deny this q
thofity. They do It because it aids the re-
els-because they wish to be traitors, .,
y ~ with other traitors, this authority IL liz
9 " 70 hurt them. -
IL - The new rebel raid into Marylal
70 has again developed the absolute necessi
" Of National Militia Law, and thorou
" organization under it. The rebels there.
70 on former occasions, on crossing the F
At tomac push out small parties Of caval
ID along al the roads who gallop along u
y opposed until they chance upon sol
to party Of soldiers which arrests their Q
OF vance. A nero corporal's guard dash II
ve town and village and take pessessit
'c- and do much or little damage, ~ til
in choose, and there IL none to oppose tn,