The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-04-02

The oPDesition and the President.
. Among the charges brought by the op-
,neshaon Aeninst The present administra-
ton and especially against the President
IA TINS, that Mr.. Lincoln and his constifu-
0onal advisers have not used to the best
HAxaA6ASS the immense force and means
e0sloseedto them by henati0n. He has
Tor three wears had At his disposal all the
men and property he asked for, the whole
might OF the country, and yet he has not
SE0ahsd the rebellion said recently an
aonResitiOn member Of Congress, and simi-
'Ane language il used by the opposition
9hese charges ought to act ~ a warning
to Mr.. Lincoln. and 10 all men in authority,
to teach them the sure fate Of those who a.
2 veyslsAsvsA political Oppssitien.. For It
IL clear to every man who has carefully
watched the course of the war that
wherever, Mr.. Lincoln has failed it has
hsen because he took the advice of
: hi political opponents and that if
The hnal victory Of our cause has
been put oof, 1t is because, during the
tary operations were controlled by Gene
rails and politicians now arfayed in the o..
p0otti0n, and who were then undisguised
pro.slavery democrats. .r
Every measure Of the war which has
since proved most effective was bitterly OPP
posed by thsees men, who unfortunately
were able to keep for while the Presi-
dents ear every elective, energetic COM
mander was displaced or kept back by
them or at their instance; and they were
,peruitted = carry on the war according to
their own notions, until they brought ~
70 the verge Of destruction. Mcclellan in
To East and Buell. in the west joined hands
~ N1vatN Anr3 s>NNt{0 nf
Z slavery, which formed the main strength
~ tho rebels; and while they protested
ana tried to c0nciliate determined and ir-
reclaimable malcontents, they succeeded
in snubbing or setting aside every military
man who displayed ardor, energy or genius.
Poor Mitchell was deprived Of his small
command, after brilliant campaign, and
sent out of the Western Department, at q
time when he had just asked leave to march
upon and capture Chattanooga He was
sent to the Obscure post Of Port Royal,
where he died. Fremont showed enter
prise and determination in Missouri, and
7Nas promptly displaced BY Mcclellan
Even Grants successful campaign against
Nashville, which swept the rebels, at one
blow from Kentucky and half of Tennes-
see, scarcely sutfived to sAve him from re-
6rement, and he was retained as q subor-
dinate while Buell. was driven by Bragg
from Central Tennessee to the Ohio river.
Rosecrans was transferred from small
command in Western Virginia to one Of
see. Butler, man of energy and resour-
ces, invented a phrase which struck blow
at slavery, and was displaced; when re-
employed he was sent out OF the way TO
NeW Oreaae. <sr.ss $50 ,s.
In the East, under the immediate eve of
General Mcclellan, all enterprise was dis
couraged; the enemy was allowed to be-
sfeee Washington for many months; his
cavalry 'raids" were never returned in
the army, and employed on picket and
septpost dutv, instead Of being massed for
effective operations; and the rebels were
constantly permitted to retain the initiative.
Thus were the golden opportunities lost,
when the rebellion, 40 YET scarcely more
than an instruction, might, with vigorous
and confident handling Of our forces, and
VIM equally energetic use Of the enemy's
weakness, have been crushed. The Presi-
dent, pnwisely, as events have proved,
ave heed to pro-slavery leaders; they
were placed in the chief military COM
mands, and their policy was supported by
him during 1i: tine. They opposed eve,
sUurce of the rebellion; and II il their Mult
that The war has been prolonged. That
they now cast the blame upon him ID what
he might have expected. They had no in
torest in his success; they were partisans,
aAd many Of them would have grudged
him success. They were animated BY .
dialike 70 him and TO the party which
elected him, similar in kind TO that enter
tanned BY the leading rebels. They cried
s'aholiti0niat'' with Beauregard, and talked
ofthe constitutional rights Of rebels with
ye6 Davis. We do not mean to say that
they were disloyal, but they had no true
co0eeptioqs Of the nature Of the struggle;
hey did not perceive the principle q ssst:;
.ssss who could probably % pscifed with
Hind words and promises Of future good
treatment, Wherein fact there was deter.
mined band Of arfstocrats, savagely bent
Upon destroying republican government
INT Mros u ssd misi.i. to sutru.t Il. chief
,siGhAed, and to shape the political conduct
Of the war according to their ideas and de-
mand1., And when they now tuYn upon the
President and blame him for that which
VA tkeir work, be has only to re6ect that
this 10 tho inavitable result 81: such . graye
eeoenities Of the country forced the Presis
1h0t0 ADOPT The measures which they had
most violently opposed. He put forth his
EQaAcipation Rroelamat3on; he ordered
slaves to be received and employed in our
1eIAAies, aAd . be armed and used - sol-
s0ieas.r Wherever i1rtho field Of war these
1aeo6ufeo have been carried out with spirit,
wherever our forces hxve be6n led by men
6ithibl TO the principle u equal liberty to1
'nQ men, there success has crowned our eff
1oFfh At once vigor, enterprise and dash
Woge infused into our armies. The meas
.uTes from which the Presidsnts conserve
Tive coun0ollon predicted only ruin to %
have brought, lnstead, disaster upon the
Hebels; and These measnres have to-day the
ardent support Of Ill loyal men IL the
southern Staten Suppose now he had BE-
cn tns ~ "a ny = s e rSeom = It
CLAIMING, he had given notice 70 the rebels.
0at II they persiated they must lose their
slaves; suppose b had at once encouraged