Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-12-11
GEN. PRICES ADDREss.

fellow CITIZENS In the month of
June last was called to the command |
of handful of Missourians, who nobly |
gave up home and comfort to espouse In |
that gloomy hour the cause of your bleed |
ing country, struggling with the most
cruel and causeless despotism known |
among men, when peace and protection
could no longer be enjoyed but at the
price of honor and liberty. Your chief
magistrate called for $4,000 men to drive
the ruthless invaders from soil made |
fruitful by your labors and consecrated |
by your homes. To that call less than
5000 responded out of male population
exceeding 100000 men. One in forty
only stepped forward to defend with
their persons and their lives the cause of
| constitutional liberty and human rights.
Some allowances are to be made on the
score of the want of military organlza-
ton; a supposed want of arms; the nee
essary retreat of the army southwark;
the blockade of the river, and the pres
ence of an armed and organized foe. But
nearly six months has now elapsed. Your
crops have been titled; your harvests
have been reaped; your preparations for
winter have been made. The army of
Missouri, organized and equipped, fought
its way to the river. The foe is still in
the field. The country bleeds, and our
people groan under the infections of a
| foe marked with all the characteristics of
barbarian warfare. And where now are
the $4,000 to ayenge our wrongs and free
our country? Had $4,000 men focked
to our standard, with their shot guns in
| their hands, there would not now be Fed
1 L he tot IN Into
soil. Instead of ruined communities,
| starving families and desolated districts,
we should have had people blessed with
| protection and with stores to supply the
| wants and the necessities and comforts
| of life. Where are these $4,000 men
| Are Missourians no longer true to them
| craven race, fit only for subsection to a
despot? Awake, my countrymen, to
sense of what constitutes the dignity
and greatness of people! A few men
have fought your battles; few men have
dared the dangers of the battlefield;
| few have borne the hardships of the camp
| "a scorching sun of summer and frost of
| winter, the malaria of the swamps, the
| privations incident to our circumstances,
| fatigue, and hunger, and thirst, often
L
| sufficient clothing, with the cold, wet
earth for a bed, the sky for covering.
and stone for pillow, glad only to
meet the enemy on the field where some
| paid the noblest devotion known among
men on earth to the cause of your country
| and your rights with their lives. But
| where one has been lost on the field, three
have been lost by disease induced by
privation and toll.
| During all these trials we have murmur-
| ed not we have offered all we had on
| earth at the altar of our common country,
our own beloved Missouri, and we only
now ask our fellow citizens, our brethren,
to come to us and help to wear what We
have gained, and to win our GLORIOUS in
heritance from the cruel hand Of the spoil
er and oppressor. Come to US, brave sons
of Missouri. Rally to our standard.
must have $4,000 men. call upon you
in the name of your country for $4,000
men. Do you stay at home to take care
| of US and your property? Millions of
dollars have been lost because you have
stayed at home. Do you stay at home
for qualification More men have been
murdered at home than I have lost in
five successful battles. Do you stay at
home to secure terms with the enemy ?
Then warn you the day may soon come
when you may be surrendered to the mer-
cies of that enemy, and your substance
be given up to the Hessian and the Jay
hawker.
| can not, I will not attribute such
motives to you, my countrymen; but
where are our Southern rights friends !?
We must drive the oppressor from our
land. I must have so, 900 men. Now is
the crisis of your fate; now is the golden
| opportunity to save the State; now is
the day of your political salvation. The
| time for enlistment for our brave band is
beginning to expire. Do not hold their
patience beyond endurance. Do not sick
en- their hearts by hope deferred, They
/ begin to inquire, Where are our friends ?
Who shall give them an answer? Boys
and small property holders have in the
main fought the battles for the protection
of your property, "and where" they
| ask, are the men for whom we are
fighting !" How shall ], how can I ex-
plain?
Citizens of Missouri: I call upon you
by every consideration of interest, By
every desire of safety, by every tie that
binds you to home and country, delay no
longer. Let the dead bury their dead,
leave your property to take care of itself,
commend your homes to the protection
of God, and merit the appreciation and
love of childhood and womanhood, by
showing yourselves men. The sons of
the brave and free who bequeathed to US
the sacred trust of free institutions, come