The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-20
Learned ngnorance.

Already we have the bitter knowledge
that radical plans, threats and actions
have increased the unity and power OF
the rebellion, have given it fury and
yigor, have prolonged the war, and cost a.
thousands of our brave men IN 4
Joaraal Of Ctbmace
The editors Of the journal Of Commerce
who can write admirable articles on sub.
jects they do understand, write some very
absurd ones on subjects they do No
understand The sentence we have lust
quoted from its columns is fine instance
OF learned ignorancs. II is the within Of
a man, honest enough, no doubt, who
shut up in his room and ignorant Of plain
facts in the world without lays down
impossible theories, and draws from them
preposterous conclusions. The rebellion,
apart from lie innate zeal and earnest
ness whiehisthe real secret Of its power,
has gained strength not from the violent
and vehement opposition Of lis adysrsa-
rios, but from the timid, hesitating and
vascillating policy which too many OF
them have pursued Nothing is more
natural than for body Of violent men
to mistake the leniency and indulgence
OF their opponents for cowardice, and
this belief win incitc them to new out
RACES. 1t is not radical plans threats
and actions that have strengthened
and advanced The rebellion, but the un =
wise substitution by Federal authorities
Of mild and persuasive measures towards
PROMINENT rebels, instead of the rigid
exercise Of military power. The Gov
efnmcnt declared war, and war means
Jfsr6e and compuision, but our officers un-
happily forgot their true business. and
have been endeavoring most unsucccss-
fully 70 win the rebels over by allowing
them commercial privileges, by suffering
them to trade, by protecting their slave
property by hiring hands from
them, and purchasing provisions from
them at big prices. Instead Of de-
stroyipg them, the exercise OF their for
mer privileges as citizens, we have treat
ed them exactly as though they had for
feited no right Worse than ali. we
have actually allowed mem 10 place Them
sefves on an equal footinq sgiA loya7 citizens
and claim ne protection Qfhe Constitution /,
The consequences Of a policy so weak
and meaningless have necessarily been
most disastrous. Wespeak ofthese things,
not seated in an Office five hundred or q.
thousand miles from the scene Of action,
but living in the region of the rebellion.
a STAKEHOLDER ourselves, and from long
acquaintance and association with rebels.
claiming a knowledge of their feelings
and disposition--a good deal more accu-
rate than those editors who know moth
ing personally Of the iusuIrectionists.-
We have heard rebels assert frequently
that the Federal Government was afraid
to adopt severe measures; and that it
confessed its weakness by its conduct
We hare tEoSca men who had served as
Captains and Colonies in tho rebel SER
vice, go 70 Federal canps TO reclaim
their fugitive slaves, obtain their ne
groes, and, on returning home, denounce
the very officer who restored his nenro
as a hypocrite and an Aboiiionist.-
Wa never have known or heard
of one instance where rebel
abatcd his opposition to the Govern
ment by having his slaves restored or his
property protected by Federal officers.
And il would be very strange il such
thing were TO occur War, as we said
before is thing not ofrcason, but phys
ical power. The rebels Appealed 10 war
and gave rs the challenge, and our sole
alternative is 10 fight them and whip
them il we can, not to argue with them,
or attempt 10 cOnciliate them. This may
seem barbarous to the Journal Of Cam
a'e'ce, and perhaps it is, but we must re-
member that all war is barbarous, and
on their heads be the sin who began it.
We will now mention another fact and
that is, that what are called the "conser-
vativc' newspapers of the North, such as
the CINcINNAu ENQUmER, are eagerly
sought after by the rebels. They mani-
fest q singular Partially for newspapers
which preach conservatism, although we
cannot see that their reasonable feelings
are sofiened in the least II is not inn
possible that they desire a sort Of en-
from Northern news
papers which denounce and oppose an
which must either
save or destroy the Government And !
perhaps this encouragement may have
to do with prolonging the re-
lellion and giving it fury aud yigor.
Such at least is the belief Of a vast ma
GRITTY Of the loyal men in the South
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