The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-25
=. G. MERCER, Editor.
Not Invasion.

NVb 4uNdblOn'
II is amazing 10 hear how rebels speak
of the coming Of United States soldiers
into the Southern States as an invasion.
II is nonsense 10 call the migration OF
a citizen from one State of this Republic
10 another an invasion II is simply
removal, change Of locality, which has
no likeness to an invasion. We might as
well speak of citizen of Middle Ten
nessee invading West Tennessee. We
have a nationality, and on the part OF
the loyal people of the Union this is a
war for the preservation and final estab-
lishment of the nationality Of the Repub-
lie. A citizen of Louisiana has a right
to travel unmoested through Vermont or
Ohio, aud purchase property, and dwell
there, if be chooses; and, again, the cit
zens of New England or The Northwest
have a right to 60 to Louisiana. The
States and Territories Of this Government
are the common property of the American
people, and, in a national point Of view,
citizen of one State possesses a common
share with all other citizens in the heri-
tage of the Union. If the people of
Massachusetts revolt and wage war
against the Government, it is the duty of
the people Of Louisiana and Of Georgia
TO aid in crushing out that rebellion, and
it is not invasion in that case for the
Southern people, at the call of the
Government TO take up arms, and
march TO Massachusetts TO punish the
rebels tbs their solemn duty to do so,
as far as the General Government may
need their services. What would be
thought of the insolence of Pennsylva-
nian, who should tell a FLORIDA planter
that he had no right to set his foot upon
the sacred soil' of the Keystone State ?
or Of Nermonter who should admon-
ish a Mississippian not to invade his
State All men would deride such talk
as The yaporing Of a simpletion. And yet
this talk would be quite as rational as
language that is uttered every day in
Nashville. Rebel men and women speak
of the Federal army as iHUailHg Tennes-
see, and of Federal soldiers as being in
Vaders. Let these empty blusterers know
that our army and Us soldiers are at
home, whether in Ohio. Tennessee, or Ala
bama. They are not in an aliens country.
Each soldier has right-small it may
be, yet still a right--to every foot of soil
upon which he marches. They are no
invaders, and have better right to- day
to the land in Tennessee than the scoun-
drels who have taken up arms to destroy
this Government The territory Of the
United States, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, is the common,inheritance of the
loyal and aw-abiding, and within the
limits of our country good citizens and
true Americans are at home eveyy0here.
And while we tell rebels that our soldiers
are not invaders, let them know that they
themselves are tresspassers upon an inner
itance which belongs only TO the loyal.
This is large State, but not large enough
to hold one traitor This is a fertile
State, but not fertile enough to feed one
enemy. This is a free State, but not free
enough TO tolerate one wretch base enough
TO plunge a poisoned dagger into the
heart of his mother-land. Tennessee
shall belong to the loyal only. No traitor
shall share the inheritance with us.