The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1862-03-25

NASHVILLE, March 20, 1S62.
Editor Nc,5 FORK san .-SiR; A late number
Of your paper has fallen into my hands, and |
was greatly gratlfed to find therein amidst all
the lies and misrepresentation, a single grain OF
truth and dcconcy, although you gave it the
name Of "a rebel letter" Hoping you will let
another ''rcbcl" be heard from, send the follow
ing. Strike, if you will, but hear U.S.
think you will n..ree with me that II is In
violation Of the fundamental principle of tho
Federal Constitution and in direct contradiction
&C all the prccclents in its history, TO undertake
the conquest of a country simply with view 10
holding it a. q sul jcctcd province. Aui though
tho popular mprC ,s'ou is 1iN, rent at tho South.
IN fairness 10 the NuIth,l cannot believe tL,re il
any such purpose In its action, as controlled 10y
tn, majority. IL is tho delusive confidence in a
Union sentiment At tho Sou.h which is lea ling
you. and with a strange iriHtuat'on you refuse
to he uyuoed when the evidence If y,ur mis-
take is daily acyumulatng about yoI. Nhcto du
YOU hrl this Union s,ut.mrnti' J. it at Port
Royal, at Nash, .llc, in North Carolina, OF any
Where, cNo pt, To'siOly, 100 portions ci tennessee
In Nrgiuia, as YOUR armi,s advance, you " III
lind no nion feeling except such as slows IT,
self in the silence ol fear aui not that u consent
And In Baltimore and MARYLAND, why your
PIE are so de, otcd TO " the dear old luuu2'
The truth is, If this war has established rnthing
else ithJs proved beyond question thatWeare dis
tmctlv two people in feeling, thought and interest
Oar different sysjvms of so,ictv, aud our dili,r-
ent Wow, & government, were sufficient tp Keep
us apart, had not the breach been infinitely wi
dcu,l bl the bitterness engoudcrcd 10y this strife
How long a war dO you imagine Is required iu
'' restore the luiuui' Il II in human nature
that the sympathy, the harmony If purpose and
action, essential TO union, should lc conquered
l,v WARP suppose you az" victorious over the
Suuih In every battle drcs that restore your
lniuu2 Vain d,lu,un, into which tie eager
ness If ambition il leading lCu.
II matter. not To what tho difference between
us is due; II is enough 10 know that we arc d.s-
tuotly two people, and that any union between
us must I've a most unnatural one, established by
force aud pcrp.tudtei in tyranny. | hCknuw-
ledge q mistake on the part oi the south IN
this matter, at the beginning but as We have
| seen the unexpected unHuimity with which
YOU have rnllicd to the support Of the Lin
coin Administration, we have realized our
error in surprising that the sympith'sgr. with
the South and its Institutions at tho North
were sufficiently numerous to exercise any
marked influence upon your actions. II /,
equally ncrdtul that you should, On YOUR parts
| recognize the existence Of q similar uU1nWity
| of sentiment at the South. DO yon not Yet un-
der-taud how great was your mis'Hke IN sup
| posing that secession in tie Southern states wus
think Of the politicians and not oi tie Pcnp.,'
| You will find Union men at the South doubt
less, NJ you will lind southern sympntlhsors at
the Norih, and it were, perhaps, better for YOU
IL YOU understood how numerous they really
| are in your own community Of New lUk.
doubt it anywhere within the Confederate
States they are in equal proportion, among
those who control publ, sentiment and Hctlon.
Let us but once understand our relations tt
each other, and this unhappy and lurposclcs,
war would cease, before II convert into eternal
| And impacAhle enemies those who might, AS
separate states. live in goOl-icilOwship viii
each other, however impossible the moro init.
mate union Of n common nationality may be tC
| them SFCoNp kiBEL.