The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-05-06


I the Union, but hon shalt order, peace ana
| security be best obtained.
We have said and still believe, that with
the great body OF Southern people, there
will be no difficulty. Nine out Of ten will
submit cheerfully to the laws ofthe Union,
and care little about their political condi-
| ton IT they can be made secure in 'life,
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness" and
to that all who submit to the laws are en-
titled. But while this is granted, we must
not forget the great facts Of their condition:
!. That they are conquered people,
There is no use in mincing terms; that is a
naked fact. It is fact, also, pregnant
with consequences. A people who yester-
d II had great armies in the feldland whose
conduct, both before aud after the war, has
been marked by all the characteristics Of
barbarism, cannot be fairly supposed
to have acquired in one day the character
OF loyal, kindly, willing citizens. Hence,
the Government must Of necessity take
measures of defense. 2. That slavery eth
er is or must be abolished. That is fact,
and one which the American people will
never for one moment forget. The slave.
holding element OF the South has been pre-
cisely like the adder in 4Esop's Fables,
which, taken into the house and warmed
by fire, stung its benefactor. Slavery was
protected by the laws, defended by the
Constitution, apo,ogized for by the Church.
y
the Intellectual life of Americana. Thus
cherished, it grew with the growth of the
country, and actually dominated in politi-
cal and commercial affairs yet, no sooner
had 1t obtained his vast power and wealth,
than 1t sprang at the throat Of the nation,
and fastening its fangs in the very life OF
the country. It broke down the ramparts
Of the Constitution, and perished in the At
tempt TO overthrow that venerable struc-
tuYe Of Law and OPflAr
3. There exists in the South large body
Of open traitors, who, by their acts,
brought en- recession, and by their conduct
sustained the rebel Government. In the
nature Of things, this class il dangerous
class. There 10 no reason whatever why
such dangerous body should 30 permit-
ted 70 live In this country. The safety of
the country il of much more importance
than their forfeited lives, or their condition
Of being. Their removal il . measure Of
sound policy.
4. There IL . law Of Treason in the land.
It e fact, it happens to be the highest law
OF the Countrywide most necessary to its
existence. II justice is to be administer
ed at all, the law Of treason must be adj
ministered. How can the administrator
appear ct the Bar Of Eternal Justice, and
say: II sent poor boy to jail for stealing
spoon. sent chap to the penitentiary
for forging note. I dieRraced poor
woman because she was not as good as she
ought to be. But, ~ to these rebels. they
are rich gentleNen-they are great men
they belong to the chivalry-they didn't
man, they made war on grand magnii-
cent scale, and couldn't punish them
They are gentlemen There have been
many periods in human history when this
plea, in substance, has been available.
but We doubt whether it is fair plea in
this country, and in this age of intelligence
and Christianity. Is the law indeed, made !
only for the poor and weak? Shall erriug
boys be sent to the Penitentiary and the |
Beauregards, the Benjamins, the Wigfalis, !
Lees and Wade Hamptons escape? Shall |
infamy be attached to the name Of Q poor
woman, while the vilest traitors who ever
humanity, pass ~ honorable |
men. The irony Of Mark Antony well |
described them:
BFutus was IN honorable man"
II these are honorable men, let Us keep
out Of their company! But some one
says: Oh! these gentlemen are repent
ant. They made . great mistake, and are
very sorryw No doubt of it. Is there a
convict in the penitentiary who IL not re-
pentant? It is the sword Of justice which
makes them penitent. Give them chance
and this Republic would be
buried to pieces and Davis installed on the
rom the slain soldiers Of the Republic,
hey ore penitent Of nothing but their de.
EAT and punishment,
The words Of President johnson ore lust
md peope9:
L . not promulgating anything that /
nave not heretofore said % say that traitors
must b made odious: that treason must
g made odions that traitors must Be pun.
shed and impoverished. [Applause.l
they must not only be punished, but their
.ocial power must be destroyed. If not
hey will still maintain IN ascendancy 1
md may again become numerous and /
powerful. For In the words Of . former |
Of the United States: "Where
traitors become numerous enough, treason
becomes respectable"
This Is exactly what We see at this mo-
ment. Treason at the South and sympa-
thy at tho North yet think themselves
strong enough to make treason respecta-
BILE. We have yet trials to go through but
We shall go through safely and gloriously.
No convention of armies in the field no
sympathy ut the North no reckless trait
from any quarter. shall divert this nation
from its fixed purpose to put chiyalry I'M
der its feet, and make rebels poweSless
forever.
just a. the nation has made up its mind
on this subject, we have another startling
event 20 nerve IL Win new energy. We
near OF Sherman's insane convention.-i
Could Sherman or Johnston, or any sane
man, nave thought that the Government
and people Of this county would ratiiy
such /. convention? 1t is out Of the limits
Of common sense. And here we see how
Providence IS guiding us safe through an
o.he- grea, danger. We>have along been
n danger from military men, and now this
comes just in time to show Us
where the danger is. Look at Sherman's
Order So, arrogating to himself the power
o make peace, from the Potomac 10 the
Rio Grande. by Militory Convention But I
t is over: Gen. Sherman's career is end j
d. No harm will follow, unless that Of!
Davis escape and what will that avail .
Our search at the point of the {
'ayonet, will follow him round the globe ~