Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-12-03
There is much in thepresent condition of oul

There is much in represent condition of our
Country TO excite serious reflections in the mind
of the patriot and the plilanthopist The rgors Of
winter are upon US, and the unhallowed ambition,
wild fanaticism and stable cupidity Of our foe
keep up a line of invaders along our extensive
frontier, compelling us to meet him with force
of equal strength, az every point where he threats
. ems US. Our brave soldiers have thus to be ex
posed to all the privaions, exposures and hard
ships of winter campaign, in a climate not very
favorable to such life. --.
The hardships, however. which we endure are no
greater than those submitted to by the enemy. And
- it is proud reflection which ennobles our coun-
trymen, that they can suffer, and dare more for
: the holy cause Of freedom and independence than
49, our imp&cable enemies can for our subjugshon.
1t is simply question with them whether they
would prefer these temporary evils, hard though
they may be- than to be held in perpetual thraldom
by the arrogant and selfish race who claim the
right to deprive them of every right of freemen,
to plumber them of their property, destroy their
lives and extinguish their liberty at one blow
making of them "hewers Of wood and drawers Of
waterD to the supercilious North.
No true patriot can hesitate in such a choice
No man who is worthy to be citizen Of nation of
freemen, but will decide to undergo every condi-
ton of hardship rather than submit to such q
fate. a firm determination to abide such an issue
is the ,security and defence of freement When
our enemy finds that we are animated by this un-
conquerable determination to give blow for blow,
and to perish rather than submit, their easy con
fdence of victory will be dssipatedj their prod
igal expenditure of money will cease, their own
people will rise up and cry aloud for terminating
so unnecessary and unjust contest, and the ap
prehension of national suicide will drive them to
forego their blind and hopeless purpose
We are confident in the opinion, sustained
as it is by irresistible facts and arguments, that
the crisis of the war has alresdy been reached IN
the North, and is now pressing down upon the Ad-
ministration and the military leaders, with po
te1cy which they cannot resist. They fear and
tremble to bring on decisive engagements and yet
they dare not refuse This Is the key to the mani
fest hesitation in their movements, which has
marked the recent history OF the war. After all
the immense and costly preparations that have
been made in every quarter for the last
four months, costing not less than two hundred
millions of dollars, they dare not quietly settle
down into winter quarters, without powerful ei-
fort to redeem their pledges to th.ir people, and
guard our Southern Eden with the flaming sword
of patriotism and valor. 1t is morally impossible
for them to pass the winter il inaction. II
they do, they raise rebellion at home that
will disgrace the instgstors Of the invasion
and hurl them from their uneasy seats If
they postpone the attack it will operate to their
disadvantage, inssmuch as it viii render transpor-
tation more difficult and make the march of their
10 ill
be compelled to travel Their capture will thus be
assured whenever they reach the lines of the Cor
federates.
Advlees from the Potomac make it manifest that
MCCLE1LAS is moving with caution that sufficient
y indicates his distrustin the courage of his trOops
Instead Of bounding onward with the exulting con
fdence of Mcdowell, he is lmpiag along at the
rate of half mile day, and intrenching himself
at every camping station, that his
army in retreating may make stand al d
not bound back to Washington in one day
Under these circumstances it wRswise in the brave
General who leads our armies in Kentucky to call
forth every military resource at his command.
before meeting the expected and imminent as
sGult
The call for the militia in such an exigency,
when it was probable that the volunteers could
not be gathered together il time TO meet the
shock, wss prudent movement, justif-
fed by the great stake to the people Of the
South which is in issue. It is moment Of deep
import to every patriot, and demands that We
should leave nothing undone, shat is in our power,
to assure victory that must prove 50 decisive in
its results. We have pledged orr all upon the is
sue. We have felt ready to make any sacrifice
rather than submit to defeat at such moment
and thus indefinitely protract the WIT, and have
our fair homes overrun by the Vandals.
The Governor of Virginia, in a similar energen-
cy called out the militia in the threatened counties
The mill tia of New Orleans are held in constant
readiness to repel an attack from the fleets Of the
enemy. The history Of Tennessee proves that her
sons are as ready to meet invading foe, as any
ether State ,rIa!svsr may be the form Ct The appeal
to their chivalry and patriotism.
They will rally to the border, when there is not
time to embody themselves as volunteers, with the
same alscrity that they would spring to the de-
Tense eff their hesrhstones under the inspiring
cry which animates their volunteer soldiery. And
if the enemy by his hesitation, gives them time TO
form their volunteer corps they will then with
one voluntary impulse to the rescue of their bleed>
ing country from the vandal hordes that press
upon them,
They will not feel in either cs59, that there is
any reproach in fighting or bleeding for ones
country and eKpelling its invaders.
But they will wear as an heirloom, their achieve
merits on the battlefield, when made in obedience
to the call of the sentinel they have posted upon
the watchtower Of their liberties, and who wishes
to guard them from subjugation and their homes
and families from dissertation.
TKE True SPIRIT.-The Milledgeville Union men.
lions the fact that couple Of gentlemen had pass
cd over the South Carolina railroad who were res