The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-05-07

The Rebellion and the Revolutiol
j of Ideas.
Mr.. Long, like the mythical Privat
Miles OReilly, compares himself to Cali
leo, who got into trouble by teaching th
revolutionary idea that the world moves
Unlike Private Miles OReilly ..Galileo re
canted publicly his rotary heresy; yet Mr.
| Long says, after the solemn ceremony
which fixed again the foundations Of thl
world, he whispered in friends ear, II
moves for all that
The profound Bunsby was wont to re.
mark at the conclusion Of those unfathop-
able opinions that caused the inefable ad.
miration Of Capt. Cutie, 1.-THE bearins ol
this here observation lies in the application
on it. The application of Mr.. Longs clas-
sical simile seems tobe that however much
his party friends in Congress may profess
to be for the war and the Union, they are
at heart for the secession movement.
But when we see Democratic journals
appealing for unrestrained liberty of the
press and denouncing in most virtuOus
terms every violence against public jour
nails for opinion Democratic orators de-
munity Of speech, the perpetual sanctity
Of the right Of trial by jury and of the hG-
bedS corpus Democratic members of Con-
gress asserting immunity Of debate and
Legislative action in assailing any and all
the institutions Of the country; Mr.. Voor-
hees blowing his horn for liberty of Inem-
bers to advocate the dissolution Of the
Constitution they are sworn to support,
and Mr. Pendleton disclaiming the unan-
imous Democratic expulsion of Mr.. Gid
dings ~ precedent for decent legislative
action, and declaring his glowing admira-
tion for John Quincy Adams, standing up
the solitary defender Of Constitutional
In Congress, in the hight Of insolence or
the slave power,-when we contemplate
this wonderful revolution, we are convinc-
ed that the world does move in spite of the
reactionary idea that the Union as it was''
means the perpetuation Of the ancient
wrongs that are all undermined by this
new light Democracy.
freedom Of speech, and Of the press, and Of
the public mails, and with hdbeds corpus
and trial by jury? Can slavery exist with
these7 From the FIRST it was conceded that
II could not. For. slavery, all these have
been destroyed. For slavery, opinion,
writing and speech were made q crime in
one half the nation, without the benefit Of
opinions against slavery, was enough for
the instant penalty of brutal murder. For
the support Of slavery the sentiment Of the
Northern people was debased to acQuies-
cence in these atrocities upon our own citi-
zens. In the free States, the m0bbing Of
anti. slavery persons was Democratic
principle and practice; and, besides this,
freedom Of opinion was crushed by parti-
san terrorism.
For slavery the public mails were violat-
ed. For slavery the rights Of habeas corpus
and trial by jury were broken down, and
every protection Of liberty for the inhabi-
tants Of the free States abandoned, that ne
gro hunters might be unimpeded by law in
their hunt for fugitive men. Speech and
writing were made crime in the territory
Of Kansas, by an infamous code which was
approved by the entire Democratic party
In Congress, and which Mr.. Pugh declared
to be necessary wherever slavery existed.
The emigration Of men Of anti-slavery
opinions 70 the new territories was held 10
Do crime. worthy Of punishment BY a
war OF determination: The whole Demo-
press was destroyed, an ar,ti-slavery editor
killed, . Senator almost murdered by
sneaking assassins for q speech in his place
strictly within the limits Of decorous de-
bate, and when war was levied by theSouth
upon the peaceful inhabitants of territory
for their opinions. ot
All this wss declared to be necessary to
ficient reason for destroying all human and
rights. But where would
the Democratic party be without slavery?
Therefore we ask where will the Democrat
ic party be with these rights restored,
which It's leaders in the North are now os-
tentatiously clamoring for? Granted that
all this Democratic cry is hypocritical; that
It means the destruction Of the nation for
the final destruction Of all these rights; vet
is it not revolution in the surface currents
of Democratic sentiment that will not be
easily turned back when they fail in their
objective point? Will it not have made an
on the popular mind, that can
not be effaced. for generation at least?
When the authority of the Government
Is established, will the Democratic masses
who have been accustomed to this new
Democratic diet be easily brought back to
their ancient regimen? 1t is said that rev.
olutions never go backward. We have
made wonderful progress in the principles
of liberty; and the most remarkable fea-
the leaders in this progress. They now
cry for liberty, who never be-
fore raised their voices except for slavery.
They have undergone a complete revolu.
ton of ideas, while on the other side too
many are wasting great opportunities, and
turning mighty events to littleness, by set
ting up an alteration of the relics of the
ptasss Oy OIuOAuS 1Ao SAduG SiiOICS tue COuue
try is putting forth for its deliverance, to
the corruption Of the dead. by clinging to
the tumor which the body polite sloughed
Oh, and calling it the Constitution; by feebly
crying conservatism, In the midst of the
throes Of new creation; by inertly resist
ing the current of events, or turning it
aside by indirection, or drifting reluctantly
with it, revolving in all the eddies, and
clinging to all the impediments, and call
inC Il waiting for the nrO1roaa Of nnhlic
sentiment; and by trying to divest q cause
which demands heroic scrifices from the
people, Of every great idea.-Cin. Gazette.
THEN AND Now.-Speaking Of the inlla-
ton Of stocks the other day, gentleman
referred to . certain railroad whose stock
was quoted At q 20. ut was hard to sell
at ten cents before the war;" remarked al
bystander; II was the attorney and solici-
tor Of the company for three years, and
nearly al my time was occupied in solicit
ing sheriffs and conatables not to levy on
the rolling-stock at the way-stati0ns.-|
There never was . worse used.up institu.
tion than the c. Railroad when the war