Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-08
RICHMOND wHIG.
TIE SURRENDER OF NASHVILLE,
10 the Editor Of che WIG:

llCoLslueta.e II We may Jlugo HOu thc Ui JdSs N0H
msuts of the Richmond Exam iler, upon tho calamity
which has a,ey befsen the capital of Tennessee, the
citizens of that Inflated city have no! been exempt from
the operation Of the rule referred TO.
Among heightened ucn, there two classes ircm
whom the events considered might be supposed to elicit
tie remarks which more than have occupied place
in the columns OF that paper namely from those who
void OF natural courage always val ant when danger
Is afar and from him whc, knowing no fear himself and
dei with the loiiest sentiments Of bghtoned chivay
rushes hesdong to martyrdom and DEATH rather than
yield to the ine1Orabe DEGREES Of fate which hu
man vaor would be powerle' to aver.
In the absence OF any perscu knowledge except such
as may be derived from the general tone aud manner Of
the references in question: will consider that the writer
Of these articles belongs to the latter class and that his
charges Of eowardice against the citizens of Nashville
out the OutpOUriugs OF viorous heart grown res
tive under the restraints Of that peaceful calling, to
which mistaken sense of duty rather than the prompt
i1gs of bis warlike nature had assigned him.
The writer hereof was eye witness Of and to some
extent paricpato n the events which have 80 shocked
the sensbiSs of the EIsmlner, and he can assert with
confidence tla the niersnce5 drawn by the Editor are
As Gl'e as bis premises sra exaggerated.
At an carly hour the morning. Of the surrender the
miaIy.suhori,i,s of Nashville wsre informed of the
events which trsnspired at Fort Donelson and immed
stely cog manoed preparations for hssty Eight to the
roar Of toe city thus leaving noi an armed between
Nashville and the Two armies of the enemy which were
rardlv spproa hing in different directions Il not
until Ike hour n the morning that these dispatches
we're Ch,lly communicated to the citizens, but the full
ent of the disaster had already leaked out with the
lddit oUol announce snt that the ehtre military force
under the Commanding General Of the Confederate
troops was falling back thirty miles behind Nashville
Auo her dispatch promulgated by the authorities, gave
the further intelligence that the head OF Buss army was
ouy tw on'y-fTe mice disant while the gun6oas oi
tae enemy having reduced the las; Of the ebe deeno
whicl he'd been erected to oppose them were approach
ig and .ht be expected any moment to arrive in
font Of the city.
The main body Of our army had surrendered, and
Gh, gallsut Foyd, with fifteen hundred Of Sis brave
Brigade, scre flying before the smallest Of the two
unigs which wsrO closing upon the city. These car
red more arms il their Blight fge f5ll, thsa the
TIRE city OF Nashville contained. The Examiner
discover nothing bat herois patriotism in this retreat
but is overwhelmed with chsrFin and osents,ious in
liSnstioa at wta he chooses to denOminste the "ab
j c: cowardi,e" Of the unarmtd c; us, who did 70
regoise osr up their ives & needless sAOrises for
an unatt,inabl. purPossi
Il is 6if ul to b,ieve that he cln himself be truly
brave, Wh) with full knowledge of tao fscs give
expression sUch 'caumuioC5 opthets against brave
ucu and noble women, 50 stricken by a calamity which
hey we're poweress to avert; but, as have chosen 10
at
a heart Of s.ec impervious TO the common weakuessss
of humanity viii, without eEdsavoring to soften his
-orn and uureeaiiug mood, appeal with co0fieuce TO
n public before whom the citz,us oi Nashville have
been SO u.jIs,iy srriisucd.
i there d rational man Of sound ju g uent, within
he limits 0. the Coaleieracy, who would commend +
d rent course, under like Circumstances iiom that
,bch vss followed by the inhabitants of that abandon
cd city,
TIE ircipe cf patriotism deveIopes Itself in avar.
e.y CT modes, and is ofel Iinclured by the cireum
stances or the dios yncrlciCs Of the individual. He
sho has 10 hous to destroy tas often infinite ad
uirltou for hat type Of patriotism which consists III
mixing DO Sres OF o.s upol the approach Of an enc
my Another, who il boucd by DO eudeaTing faml.
y ties or whose sern nature has bowed before
the g'uts II nIeuces OF wcmln would lrsIate h' pa
uo.ism by yisirg others 10 apply the torch to their
oNn dwelling upon ne approach Of an enemy and send
forth their wives ard children TO wander lik. wild beasts
the adj cent Adds and iOoss This sor' Of patriotism
Is cheap 20 the former however terrible to tho latter IL
pl. in praaice. Moreover oil all the forms which that
nots quality assumes, is least vaulbe to the country.
Would the enemy b. chqgruel dishestened thou yh
every city and village in the Confedcrscy mass
of ,mouldering ashet. No, they would be rjoced to
vi ness he col AlgTaon while nothing but evil could
,o.ult to curselves The couatry should frown down
this miserable Bogus Patriotism and itself TO meet
hose ., al sacrifices which an enlightened Judgement
would dictate as conducive the o tie great
and glorious cause in which We are engaged.
That tho startling proximity Of such danger
should have produced profound aud Univcr5Al
Jn, cannot be regarded matter ior surprise. That
s.roug men should have bowed their heads in the au
gush o. their hearts, aud that the lamentations Of
brayc-A,Gtcd wom,n might be supposed to have attend
s1 The announcement of such impending blow, is
sas, all might expect whO are familiar with the work
irgs Of the human heart bu lhn. there anything
u this or in the conduct Of the m 'rty Of the cz
of Nashville upon that cceision to justify the calumny
uttered against tleH no uUo ul-' O'l'i "''' JHsNO'
aver.
Desired by the army, snd Informed by the military
q,Aoitits tSas he eity coud not aud would not be
] rendel, the oitz.ns would have been wcrss than
.li1.s, It they had no. sought by sl honorable us-rs
t. mi, la.s the horrors Of sb-adOumel; 20 al usb;i-
dlsl aud mere mary fo'ierr
did not sec nor do believe th't "shi'e 's" was
displayed from the Capitol; but II such had been the
fac d, no, tbirk tbl. would have justified the in
dignAtOl Of te Examiner sire, that symbol Of sur
render had only f5s hours before been displayed to
cur army at For D,uslsou and h moreover the recos-
med mode ny which caouy is informed that no far
tber defence IS to bs made
The ''yellOw g certainly displayed over the
hospitals, where nearly Ave thou'and Of sick aud
wounded sciiera 7era watched aud mnisssred to
he m nnhla hand Of women "a eV. suooLhad the pil-