The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-02-20

intend to fight us. Their rebellion is
great military fact which must be crushed
out by the exercise of power; and cannot
be subdued BY an exhibition Of olive
even though they drop from the lips Of
members Of the American Congress.
While gentlemen in this body have been
talking about ''cono noiliation," charity"
"love," "olive-branches," ';peace," and a
Thousand other ill-timed subjects for
the benefit Of our "erring brethren" and
'wayward sisters those interesting rela-
tives have been employing their time very
differently as regards their present and flu
ture action toward us. On the I'D day of
last month the rebel senate, as if respond
| ing 70 the "peace and cOnciliatiOn" utter
ances of gentlemen in this House, passed
the following resolutions by q unanimous
| vote:
"RcsolUed, That the thanks Of Con yress
are hereby rendered to all brigades and
other troops in service who have taken the
patriotic and gallant resolution re-enlist
| Tor the war.
| "ResOlUed, That the manifestations Of
such spirit in our armies IL q happyOmen
OF the ultimate triumph OF our struggle tor
independence, indicative, as it is, of the
| the fixed determination of our people new
er to lay down their arms while our soil is
exposed to the hostile tread and barbarOus
| ravages Of our malignant enemies,'
This is the emphatic answer which comes
back from Richmond TO the peace resolu-
1 tions Of the gentleman from New York,
| MIR. Fernando Wood, the kind words OF
his colleague, Mr.. kernan,] the imploring
tones ofthe gentleman from Ohio, Mr.. Cox
and to the tine-spun arguments in behalf
of the ''constitutionaP' rights Of bloody
handed rebels submitted by the gentleman
from New Jersey, mir. Kogers,l the gen
tleman from Ohio, Messrs. Finck and
OH. I,x, la1N
que away the powers upon which the Gov
ernment must depend tor its safety and its
life. When these maryelOusly kind heart
ed gentlemen can stay the fury OF lorna
do by singing TO il q lullaby they may ex-
pect to put down Il rebellion such il now
depressing this nation by the course they
are parsuing in this House. Their cham
ces Of success would be just about equal IN
either case.
Sir, until We can dsperse the armies Of
the rebellion, crush ont it, military power,
and thus destroy the hopes Of its leaders, il
is idle to talk OF abstain!ng from the use OF
any proper means which will aid us in the
accomplishment of the great work we have
III hand. We have enough 10 do now with
out wasting any Of our precious time In
trying 10 administer soothing sirups 10 men
whose bloody hands are feeling for the
throat oftne Republic. SO long as the ban
ner Of armed revol, - thrust in the face OF
thesnaIion We must use power and exercise
ljustice. Mercy viii have its proper work
To perform in due season. When Justice
has subdneu these armed rebels 1t may in
troduce all ot them but The leaders to mcr-
cy. But the time for this ceremony has
not yet arrived, nor will il ever come for
the leaders Of this rebellion.
Mr.. Speaker, has il never occurred 10 the
! minds OF the gentlemen who object 10 the
passage Of this Joint resolution that it will
have no effect on the great mass of the pec-
pie oi the southern States? The property
in those States is owned by comparatively
a few persons. Property is not distributed
among the people there as ii is in the north
ern States. 4 sale and division Of the large
landed estates in the South would be of in
caiculable benefit to the mass of the people
after the rebellion passes into history. The
people can then become landhOlders, and
no longer be subject 10 the despOtism with
which privileged class has heretofore ru-
led that whole country. Thus we see that
the anguish which some gentlemen have
experienced has all resulted from the dam
ger in which the leaders of the rebellion
are placed. The great mass OF the people
will not be affected by the passage Of this
Joint resolution otherwise than favorably.
The leaders, the great lordly landholders
who have almost crushed humanity ont Of
the poor people who are sQuatted on their
princely estates, A3e the men who are to be
injuriously affected by the passage Of the
} resolution.
| am amazed at the position which these
|; gentleman have elected to occupy. Why
they should join hands with an aristocratic
T class which has used the immense slave
r and land power in its hands for the pur
> pose Of crushing and grinding the common
people into an intellectual darkness almost
> as dense as barbarism ITSELF il something
E which requires an explanation different
+ from amy We have yet received. With
their strange position unexplained, and, I
: may say, unex plainable, they stand before
> the country as the defenders of the leaders
: of the rebellion, and not as the advocates
j Of the crushed and bruised and misguided
! mass Of the southern people; for they stand
: here ohjecting to the passage Of . law ad-
!, mitted by themselves to be constitutional,
e which, if passed and properly executed,
: will open up a future to the poor non-l land
1 holders of the Southern States, as bright
: rs the sunbeams which tint the roses O1
J. people. This is their idea Of mercy. With
j the lordly few, they stand opposed to the
! poor, the oppressed, the betrayed mass Oi
e the southern people. They seem to regard
: the aristocratic few whOruled their present
defenders and the people Of the South with
i a rod of iron which pierced and scared ev-
Il cry lsubject conscience before the rebel.
2 lion, and now rule it, as embracing all the
Y human family to be found in the Southern
e States worthy of our consideration and
h mercy. While such views are sustained
t. by gentlemen, who can wonder Mt the bit
3 terness they have manifested toward this
joint resolution? They are hoping for tht
+ return Of power through the hands Of lead
!, ing rebels now dripping with loyal blood
y They are hoping for the establishment Of
e the old order of things when despotism
3 ruled the Republic; when the public con
,- science was imprisoned in slave pen
# when plantation manners were practised
3 in this hall, and slavery was regarded n
l. the most perfect result springing from I'll.
revelation Of Divine will to man. They
o well know that any legislation which vii
d convert the mass ofthe southern people in
e to landholders, will place the blight Of eter
+ nifty on these hopes. Hence they oppose
II this resolution, and denounce the doctrine
e Of the Constitution as "cruel and remorse
> less.'' 1t is this sympathy with the slave
e holding and land-possessed aristocracy
); which leads the rebellion, and the hopes
i which the passage of this resolution would
J, blight, which caused the gentleman from
I New York [Mr. Fernando Wood1 10 tell us