Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-06-03


] have prepared this work from the
single stand point Of incorporating de-
votion 10 the American Union as estab-
lished by our fathers, and unmitigated
hostility TO the armed rebels who are
seeking its destruction. My ancestors
fought in its defence; and while their
blood flows In my veins ! shall instinc-
lively recoil from bartering away the
glory Of its past and the prophecy of its
future for the stained record of that vile
thing, begotten by fraud, crime and bad
ambition, christened Southern Confed-
eracy. / cannot exchange historic re-
nown for disgrace, national honor for in
fanny, how splendid soever may be the
bride or how violent soever may be the
compulsion. This is my faith as an
American citizen; and this book will
show how sOrely il has been put to the
test. claim, however, no merit, further
than that arising from the discharge of
simple duty both of religion and patri-
otism. Thousands Of my fellow citizens
have been equally faithful among the
faithless. Their sufferings may be con-
ceived from this narrative of my own. e
Indeed, il is not from the slightest de-
sire Of self-glori6cation that have spo-
ken so freely of myself 1t would have
been sheer affectation Of modesty to at
tempt sby circumlocution of speech to do
otherwise. For / have, in this matter,
rather regarded myself as a type of the
large body Of loyal people in the border
States, and have, accordingly, been the
more unreserved, inasmuch as ] felt that
might assume to some extent to speak
in their behalf. 1t is important that our
cOunirymen OF the North should clearly
understand the embarrassing position of
this class, and the peculiar privations they
have been compelled TO undergo. 1t is
chiefly due TO them that the battle field
of the Rebellion has not been transferred
TO Northern homes. Their geographical
location and political elements are such
that, upon the soil which they inhabit,
loyalty and treason have overlapped, and,
being thus confronted face TO face, they
have been plunged into all the horrors of
discord and anarchy, of divided commu-
mites and sundered households. In
many respects, however, we of that re-
gion do not wholly sympathize with the
North any more than with the extreme
South. We deprecate alike the fanatical
agitators of one section and the Disunion
demagogues of the other. | believe /
represent the views of multitudes of
overture and now suffering patriots when
declare that, Southern man and slave
holder as am, if the South in her mad
ness and folly will force the issue upon
the country, of Slavery and no Union, or
! n TTrtou AID No Clouaru I a., g., a.
Union, though every other institution in
the country perish. am for sustaining
this Union if it shall require " coercion"
or "subjugation," or, what is worse, the
humiliation of the rebel population of
the land. These peculiarities in my po-
sition, as an East Tennesseean, it viii be
seen, have contributed to mould the views
which have expressed
] am, therefore, prepared TO expect that
many readers will not concur in all that
l have said. But do verify believe that,
as a National Manipulating had an OPP
! portunity, as from an intermediate emf
nence, TO view this question on both
sides,--and having observed the bearings
of the whole subject for thirty years
past, am enabled to suggest something
worthy the consideration Of my country
men. Hence / have not consulted the
opinions of others, nor reflected whether
what l say would be acceptable or unac-
ceptable, would render the writer popular
en- unpopular. / seek only to utter the
profound convictions of my own mind, in
order that, God willing, may be OF some
benefit in my day and generation, and,
without fear or favor, come veal or woe,
may have the sad privilege of warning
my fellow citizens, even if may not en-
Joy the cheerful satisfaction of cOnvinc-
ing them.
/ have suffered deeply in person and
estate, have avoided no responsibility,
have endured evil treatment and impris-
onment, and been compelled day by day
| to contemplate the near prospect of a
brutal death upon the gallows,-all in
behalf of the sacred cause / have es-
poused. / avouch these things as evil
dence Of sincerity. Not only so, but
they have left me in no mood for the use
of seftened forms of speech in narrating
such acts or depicting the actors. Hence
l have spoken plainly. Extreme fastid-
iousness of taste may, perhaps, shrink
with er-sensitiveness from some of the
language / have employed. But it was
no time for dalliance with polished SEN
fences or enticing words; for an imminent
necessity-like the "burden" of the old
Hebrew prophet--was upon us, and the
cause of our LORD and LAND could be
best served by the sturdy rhetoric of de-
fance and the nnanswerable logic of
facts. The traitors merited a sword
thrust style, aud deserved the strongest
rasithet have applied. My persecution
them was such that l had a fair right
TO handle them roughly: they were not
worth any other mode Of treatments and
have written what have written.
l cannot close this preface without eX-
/ - 4 L 4 Z L