The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-12-03
g. c. rIERCEIt, Editor.
slavery in Tennessee as Affected by
the Rebellion.


The great right of self-preservation,
in the present momentous civil war, car
ries with it, necessarily, the right to dis
cuss freely, every matter which may affect
the Commonwealth. The day has past
forever, when any individual or class, in
this State, can demand that the press, or
forum shall be silent in regard to any
thing which concerns the Commonwealth.
Such time once existed-it has gone
forever, and henceforth no institution,
no system of labor, no material or moral
interest, which affects the welfare of null
titudes, can avoid the spirit of free in
quiry and rational investigation.
Itmay be seriously questioned whether
the sensitiveness shown by many slave
owners in regard to their right to the
possession of their slaves, does not pro-
coed more from false pride and false
honor, than from the real value of pro-
perry, which always has been uncertain,
and which the fierce revolution now con-
yulsing the nation has exposed TO certain
destruction. Few men, Of their own ac-
cord, relinquish power, however ignoble
it may be. The love of dominion is al
most universal in the human heart. We
delight not only in the possession of ac-
tual power and wealth, but we take
pleasure in impressing others with the
belief that we are more powerful than
we really are. Nay, so far does this alb
surd pride lead us, that we frequently
sacrifice real, substantial wealth in order
to delude the world with a display of
empty grandeur. 1t is this folly which
prompts poor young man to lavish his
years earnings n a suit of broadcloth, a
gold watch, and fine opera glass, and
induces q lady proud of pedigree, but
poor of purse" to live on black bread, in
order TO ilaunt her silks and paste jew
elry in the ballroom. We are much
mlStahen IL buOuSuuuS VI sldNOHOluSlS III
Tennessee are not the victims of like
infatuation. Their attachment to slavery
is matter of pride, rather than of profit;
il is venerable institution, rather than
a desirable species of property. In the
minds of many persons who have been
accustomed to the services of negro me-
malls, free labor is phrase which in
wolves the necessity of backing ones
boots and chopping ones fire wood. I he
possession of slaves has hitherto in the
South constituted sort of aristocracy,
whose standard of rank is the number of
slaves possessed, and the bales of cotton
and hogsheads of sugar and tobacco
raised. No man familiar with Southern
life, and Southern literature, and poll
tics, as represented by DE Bows ReUiel0,
by the Richmond Enquirer, the Charleston
MercuB and the speeches of RHETT,
HAMMOND, STEPHENS, DAVIS and YANcGY,
is unacquainted with the fact that they
have attempted to eXalt a species of
slaveholding caste and invest the small
class of slave owners with the pomp and
haughtiness of English aristocracy. 1t
is not wonderful that thousands who
have listened to such teachings should be
10th to part with a species Of property,
which has lost its value in the rage of
revolution. For this depreciation and
reyolution--which, as it has destroyed
hundreds Of millions of other PROPERTY in
in horses, in cattle, in grain, in growing
crops, in horses, in merchandise, in
stocks, in public and private improve
menls, so it is destroying Stare property
for a revolution, like food fire, a
tempest, or pesulence, is no respecter
of persons, or of things--tho owners Of
slaves may thank themselves, With
out cause, without excuse, with
out any provocation that a sensible
man would have noticed, they al
lowed themselves to be "stirred up to
sudden mutiny," by a set Of expelled
oflicc-holders; They went TO war TO OBJ
tain their "rights," and the result is that
Tennessee swarms with hostile armies.
Our bitterest enemies could not ask for
worse evils TO fall upon us than those
which we now suffer; we are bleeding
at every pore. Others may think aud
sneak as they please, but as for ourselves,
80 help us God, we would not consent that
one company Of Tennesseans should be
slaughtered on the battlefield, or pine
and die in those living charnel-houses,
called hospitals, to protect the slave pro-
psrty of every master in the South