The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-02-25
The Campafgn ~ II IL. and the
Rebellion on its L8St Legs.


Sometime in the spring OF 1851, an assem-.
bly, Of rebel insurgents zee, a; Iontgom-
cry, Ala, TO form rebel Conseceracy.
enacta new Constitution, proclaim slavery
as the corner stone OF q repub bic, and com.
mence career CT glory and empire which
should extend from the Potomac 20 The
isthMus OF Dsr.en. TIE sctene was a
grand one. There were OILY NO obstacles
Z the N2y-.na: s,Ave-y wfss no. eoEs.s:en:
with the very absu-c IDEAS o. civilization
prevalent iE this generation, and that the
ted States was unwilling 70 lei them CO.
The last idea was quite astonishing. Why
shouldn't il let them 90? What allegiance
did they owe TO the Government Ct the
United States? Didn't it begin. go on and
end il the Old Dominion of Virginia and
the palmettos Of South Carolina? Where
was all the courage, courtesy and civiliza-
ton Of the earth bu. IN the land Of the pal.
metto and the cotton plant? Didn't it pro.
duce all the sugar, cotton and bowie
knives in the country? And what higher
evidences OF civilization has the world pro.
duced than these? The nations Of the earth
will Al once recognize US as the asserters
Of freedom, the cultivasors Of civilization,
and the emancipators Of commerce. Such
were the ideas entertained in that memo.
rable assembly at Montgomery, when Ma.
jor Anderson transferred his command te
Fort Sumter. When the ineurgent gov.
eminent ut Montgomery was telegraphed
whether the batteries should IRE on Sum.
ter, "Fire!" replied Walker. the rebel Sec.
retary-and they did fire. When Mr.. Lin.
coin, with the same mild and humane
spirit which has always characterized him
issued his proclamation calling for only
Is, Goo men, the rebel chiefs at Montgomery
roared with laughter. 1t was The maniac
laugh Of men whom pride and prosperity
had made insane. They could indeed com.
pei US to call out teniold that mum ber.-
They could deluge the South with blood
and cover it with the ruins of what once
were happy homes. All this they csxsd
and they did. Unable to comprehend tina,
the nation was IN earnest; unable 10 fee
there was anything higher than cotton and
slavery, they rushed upon their coming
hte. Where are they now? What is the
picture Of their success7 Two-,hirds o!
their country conquered; three thousand
millions OF property destroyed, their arm.
les broken and destroyed; Cut Oh from Ill
tie world; their Government shut up il
Richmond; their councils divided; and
their territory reduced to two States and
part Of another. This is the exact picture
Of their condition. They have been put il
the hopper Of mill and the nil goes on
grinding, and viii 60 until they are finish.
~. Lucy CaA kes oue VI ZIG Avppe1s o.lu
the mill won't stop grinding, and the wase,
won't stop flowing. Soon they viii be
ground up. Why not have stopped this
grinding process, as they might by .
word,) long ago. What wonderful del1.
sions! And yet, We see. that a. late rs the
middle Of September, Judge Campbell (ir
the intercepted letter. says: II there should
he civil convulsion a. the North; and i
their arms should meet with successes, &c.
Al 4 II, ~
the South have been KEEP: up. VINO car
doubt that the South wss led 70 Relieve
there would be convulsien ., the North!
Does any one need otnes evidence, than ths
conspiracies at Indianapolis and Chicago
and the raiders of Canada. and the letter o.
Judge Campbell, 70 be convinced thai
these conspiracies were known to the re-
bells. and counted on for their advan.
tage?
Now, what is, their military situation
Does il offer them any chance, much 1eei
probability Of even temporary success
Going back to last May. when we were de-
the Rapidan to Richmond, the readers o
the Gazette will remember that We sale
Lee must either leave Richmond, or bt
captured with his army and the reoe
Government in Rich mond. During the
whole period which has elapsed since, this
has remained true. Grant forced Lee into
Richmond, in spite OF his numerous in.
srenched camps on which he successfully
fell back TIL he reached the Qualifications o.
Richmond. After the failure of the attack
at Cold Harbor. and the evidence that
Richmond. was thoroughly fortified, the
part of Grant evidently was 70 do what be
has done to throw his line over james
River, and extending it in front OF Peters.
burg, gradually proceeding 70 the left,
Selling the roads and communications as
be went, to compel Lee to hold the largest
and best army Of the ContcderGcy there,
while the armies Of the West moving
steadily forward from Chattanooga. We
had taken the whole line Of the Mississip-
pi, and had fixed ourselves At Chattanooga,
The key port OF the s0ko!e mountain region.
When the history Of this war is correctly
written, it win be evident tina. the march
of Rbsecrans from the victory OF Stone
River through the passes Tull2hona to the
capture of Chattanooga, was one Of the
most important achievements OF the entire
war. Il enabled Us TO execute the com
pEcated campaign, Of which the driving
back of Lee, and seige Of Richmond were
only one part, and the march from Chat
,anooga through Atlanta, and cutting the
South again two, was by Tar the most i'm
portant. After Sherman had forced John
SON through the mountain passes around
Dalton, the .sG:1s ba.ssneSs az Grant was q
hold Lee fast while the brsinee ofseyering
and AAAtSCyirg the hAep1 or tho Co8Hh1Arn.