The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-03-05
THE DEMOCRATS, SLAVERY AND THE

/ THE DEMOCRATS, SLAVERY AND THE
I PREsIDENCY.-The democratic change Of
front on the slavery question marks an era
| in our political progress. Some Of the Re-
publican presses, taken by surprise, inter-
1 pref this unexp ected movement as merely
strategic. and doubt whether the demo-
cratic leaders are sincere in IT or will hold
to it more than long enough 70 get the Re
publican party committed 70 the most ex-
IRENE radical position. The theory is that
the democrats foresee a popular reaction
/ against radical anti-slavery measures, ana
think by encouraging the party IN power
| 10 reckless course to promote that reac-
ton and 50 get the benefit Of it in the Pres
idental canvass. With this motive they
/ take, or feign to take, the Identical ground
occupied by the Administration party al
the beginning Of the present struggle, anu
say that while the single object Of the war
should be the maintenance Of the Union,
slavery must suffer the inevitable cOnse-
quences of the war. Many Of them, like
Representative Brooks, Of New York, go
farther, and acknowledge that the destruc-
ton Of slavery is certainly to De accom-
plished, and that this fact is to be recOgnis-
ed and acquiesced in. In Mr.. Brooks case
we can suppose there is something like the
| feeling of recovered backslider, for IN his
early days he was an earnest antl-slavery
man and only denied his original faith
from the influence Of bad political assOcla-
tons. Mr.. Brooks in his late speech in
Congress pretended to base his belief in the
extinction of slavery upon the statement
that the rebel congress had authorized the
arming Of the negroes; both sides having
made soldiers of the negroes, he insisted
that both were alike committed 10 the ultl-
mate removal Of the institution. Here Mr..
Brooks stretched point to cover his own
1 g. c.1- toes fr,nf hn rob no
congress has not authorized the armlng OF
the negroes, but merely their consumption
as teamsters and laborers in the camps and
trenches-labors quite as consistent with
slavery as work in the cotton fields. Ihat
the rebels would arm the negroes II they
dared trust them may be readily believed,
but they dare not put arms into their hands
Of even the free negroes, and there is no
reason TO believe that they will under any
circumstances. They know that their me-
groes are against them.
i Nevertheless Mr.. Brooks is right in his
general conclusion that Slavery is doomed,
and the opposition presses and politicians
show more than their usual sagacity in de-
termining that they will not sacrifice them
selves in the vain effort TO resist the cur
rent Of events, The denial, however, that
the Democracy has ever defended and pro-
tected Slavery is a little too impudent.-
Why. even after the war commenced, they
organized u society in New York "tor the
| diffusion of political information, and the
tracts they have scattered most profusely
over the country have been the scriptual
arguments for Slavery as a divine !Estltu-
ton, written by Rev. DR.. Lord and Rev
Bishop Hopkins, two of the toughest Old
| theological brusiers nt this age, who. II
they live long enough, will probably be
found, after the last Slave has been freed,
I still arguing the Christian duty Of compel
ling the sons OF Ham TO work without wages.
! What the Democrats mean to say about
Slavery and their own politics -. that Sc
cession and Abolition have killed 1t: that
they wash their hands of all responsibility
for its death, but are not such fools as to
attempt 10 galvaniZe the corpse; they 40
: not vet know as they will oppose a consti-
tutional amendment aeolishing and pro-
hibiting Slavery-they wait TO see how the
: popular opinion sets in that matter; that
they will make all they can out of the al
legged unconstitutional and oppressive acts
of the Administration, the official cOrrup-
ton, the military blunders, and the gener-
al faults of the party in power; and espe-
cially that they will do their utmost to
stimulate the feuds and personal rivalries
which threaten division and weakness to
the Republican party. OF course they
will make the most of Gen. Mcclellan as n
martyr to radicalism and military ignor-
ance in the Government, but that is alrea-
dy dead issue. The people have no IN
terest in it, and if it could be proved that
Mcclellan is the greatest captain OF the
age and has been badly abused, it by no
means follows that he is the man for Presi-
dent. The presidential contest must turn
upon some issue of more vital and national
importance than the reputation of any
General. If the Slavery issue is to be taken
out of the canvass by general consent, as
would seem likely, then modes of recon-
struction and questions of finance will be-
come prominent, and the issue will be,
Shall we go through with and settle the
whole thing according to the present poll
cies, or shall we change, and so incur the
risks of untried and doubtful experiments?
There is no mistake AS to the general feel-
ing at this moment-Abraham, you are do
ing well-put it through. -Spr,nGfetd Rep.
PROTECTION OF THE INSANE.-After
persons are placed in asylums or hospitals
by proper public authority, the duty o.
the State TO protect them does not cease
They need the States protection after, even
more than before, their Imprisonment
They then become, as the law now stands,
with unimportant exceptions, to repeat
wha: has already been said completely
. subject to the arbitrary will of IL single
man, the Superintendent. He may be hon
est and judicious. The maiority Of these
gentlemen are no doubt very well adapted
FOR their situations. But there inevitably
are or Will be exceptions. The exercise o.
arbitrary power always tends to abuse
And wha, increases the necessity of pro-
lection, is the proneness OF this class OF
men to discover insanity where others dc
! not suspect it, aud to regard persons with
certain mental peculiari:ies as fitting sub.
: jects for experiment and confinement
!, whom others might think entitled to their
, liberty. Indeed, q very respectable super.
intendent Of an insane hospital in Massa.
chusetts, said, on public examination
that he did not hesitate sometimes to de-
. tain men whom he knew were net insane
2 when he thought it would be beneficial t.
them. No one ought to have such power
e over another's liberty. still more re.
r markable instance of the utter disregard
of the right to personal liberty, which ar
bitrary power engenders, is reported to mt
, on good authority. An unfortunate wo
( man had been consigned to an asylum or
the certificate of physician, which STATED
that he had seen no marks Of insanity il
her himself, but believed her to be SO from
J what others had told him. A friend whe
r r i'll not halipva hpr tn no insane callp3 nj thx