Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-08-16
The sFratricidaI War.
IFrom the Dublin Nation.1


As the news from America flows in, the
language of the Northerners and of Their
journals tends more and more to disgust
and outrage all who hold the sacred faith
of human freedom, and to make them weep
in poignant modification and deep despair
Well may we despair of popular liberty in
presence of the sight the world sees to- day
A republican people, whose liberties were
won by rebellion, whose independence
was achieved by secession, parrot as glib.
| " as any minions of old world tyranny
''the rebels and the rebellion" as phra-
ses of odium and reproach Those who
profess to hold sacred the popular will, to
reverence the desire for self government
proceeding to drown the popular will in
blood. .aad 20 answer the desire for self.
government by butchery and slaughter
If what is now passing in America took
place in any of the old world empires, il
would be at least ineligible. If the citi-
zens of nearly halfof an empire five times
as large as all Europe, with an unanimity
never surpassed, and rarely equalled, de.
clares, by free poll, in open day, by uni.
versal suffrage, that their interests and then
| feelings demanded the substitution of the
Imperial Government by one of their own
choice; and the Imperial Government
marched its armies to crush the demand in
the blood of the "rebels, itwould be moth
ling new amongst the despOtic systems,-
But in greatconfederation of Republican
States, in a system based on The ioiU Of tn
people-based on The right Of rebellion
that all this should happen that we now
soe-that no tyranny or despotism of old
Europe ever drew the sword more savagely
to put down rebellion" and trample or
the voice of the people, than this same
Central Government of Republican Con
federation-it is enough to wiring the heart
of any man who believed in the greater
humanity and popular governments. Wei
may the advocates of despOtic monarchy
laugh in bitter mockery at those who be
lieved that n people ruling themselve
would never spill blood in popular subju
cation, and that such murders were dom
by Kings and despots of old Europe
1t is hideus sarcasm of Republicanisn
to hear the journals of the northern State
yelling for the blood of "the rebels" 70
their utter subjugation and destruction =
ave mean to conquer them, says TIL
NEW YORK TRIBUNE, ''not merely 4
defcat but to CONQUER, to SUBJU
GATE them. But when the rebellion
traitors are overwhelmed in the field, anC
scattered like leaves before the angry wind
it must not be to return to peaceful an,
contented homes. They must fad poUert
at their .fresideS, and see priUdtion in III
darious> eyes Of mothers and the rags o
chiidren." Was ever more hellish senti
ment uttered Where IN The annals o
despOtism or the record of as hutcheriessh
ace find pdrdlelo this? Where-evel
) against rebels who had not a particle o
justification If the subjects of the mos
Legitimate sovereign that ever held scep
tire had acted as the Southern States hav
|, done, would these sentiments not be iufa
nous if uttered on his part? Yet infam
OF iufamies are they when uttered by Re
publicans against brother Republicans
uttered by the descendants of the rebels o
'76, against men who with far greater una
nimity now demand the self-same righ
those rebels claimed-self-goye
We shall be told that the South had n
right TO secede therefore, war upon it
- justifable, When England made war o
her rebellious American colonies, she sal
they had no right to "secede," aud tha
therefore, that war was justifabe W
y shall be told the South can exhibit n
wrongs to justify rebellion, The sam
was held by those who sought to crush th
colonies in their struggle for self-govcrr
I ment But why should We be called upo
a by Republicans to consider these points
d all ? Have we not been told, as the RI
e publican principle, that the subjects of
of State themselves, and no one else, are to
{ judges whether they have proyoeation, ju
% tifcation or right
Yet Let MS cnnsider TINT the ease Of q