The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-12-13

fordville, Ga, some weeks since, which
we find reported in the Augusta Chroni-
Gle. The present war; he said, is en-
phatically the peoples war; 1t is the
effort of one people TO blot another from
existence, aud il becomes every man in
the South 10 exercise every capacity in
aiding the army which is preventing his
becoming worse than a serf.
In his appeal for contributions he alTu-
ded 10 those whose pursuits, positions and
opportunities had enabled them to make
money in these times Opportunities 70
realize unusual profits upon labor or
capital, in particular pursuits or trades,
were incidents OF all wars, and this one
was no exception. These were evils Of
war. They offered great temptations TO
| frail human nature. These temptations
by every one should be resisted as the
! approaches Of the foul fend
On the general subject Of our present
conflict involving, as it does, our indi-
yidual as well as national existence, he
said all wars were calamities-th great
est that can befall people, except, per-
haps, direc. yisitations from Providence,
such as famines, plaques, aud pestilence.
The greater the war, the greater the
calamity. This war is great calam-
ity. All feel it. II is the greatest war,
and waged on the greatest scale, Of any
since the birth Of Christ The history
Of the world-not excepting the crusades
furnishes no parallel to it in the pres
ent
| The responsibility and guilt Of il must
be fearful somewhere AS great calami-
ties as wars are, they are, however, some
times necessary. Often forced by the
highest dictates of patriotism--like "of-
fenses" we are told of--they sometimes
needs come. They are, however, never
right or,justifable on both sides They
may be wrong on both sides, but can
never be right on both. Unjust wars by
the unanimous consent of civilized men
are held, as they should be, in condem-
nation and reprobation, People, therefore,
as well as their rulers, to whom such
high trusts are confided, should look well
TO it and see that they are right before
I. appealing to this last and most terrific
! arbitrament of arms.
, Some. thoughts on this subject, Mr.
. Stephens said, might not be out Of place
0 even there. These he dwelt upon al som,
. length, showing the justice of our cause
4 and the wanton aggression of the enemy
$ He traced the history of the controversy
: between the Southern and the Northern
e States, the principles and nature of ou
Government, the independence and SOW
: ereignty of the States, and the right o
:. each to control its own destinies and &C
. for itself in the last resort, as each stat,
Q might think best for itself 1t was wholly
Il immaterial, he said, in considering tn
e question of right and justice, now TO lool
e any farther than the solemn act of tn
= States of the South, after mature deliber
+ alton, each acting for itself in its sover
o eign capacity. Each State had the righ
n thus to act; and when each for itself hal
thus acted, no power on earth had tn
IT right Justly TO gainsay il.
>. This war was waged by the North Il
= denial of this right and for the purpos
! of conquest and .subjugation. II was
't therefore, aggressive, wanton and unjus
70 Such must be the judgments Of mankind
= let its results be what they may. Tn
responsibility, therefore, for all its sac
ri6ces of treasure and blood heretoforI
and hereafter to be made in its prosecu
tion, rests not upon the South.
70 Mr. Stephens said that soon after IN
ID first battle of Manassas duty called hil
lr TO our camps near that point He wen
3 over the ground on which that confliC
III had taken place The evidence Of IN
4 late terrible strife were still fresh an
to visible all around The wide-sprea
:. desolation, the new-made graves and th
IN putrid animal remains, not yet remove
N by the vultures, fully attestad what
le scene of blood il had been. While survey
c. ing the hills aud deiiles over which III
lg various columns of men and the enem
ne passed, and were engaged on that memol
I'd able day, among many other things thi
~ crowded themselves upon his mind wei
4 two dying expressions reported 10 hay
ne been uttered ia the midst Of the batil
ne One was by soldier on the side OF II
Ir enemy, who, fallen and weltering in b
is blood exclaimed "My God what is d
r. this for 2" The other was by the Ii
he mented Barlow, who said Boys, ihs
~ have killed me, but never give il up.p-
e These two ordinations were made at
e. great distance apart, and perhaps ne
re, the same time. 3snlfni fadm q
@ HWhAt is all this for y Mr., Stephel
as said he could not but think the questi,
~ was pertinent TO both sides, aud mo
I'd pertinent from him who uttered IL, a,
do dressed TO ali his invading eomrad'
u and those who sent them. Well mig
'ir he there, in the agonies Of death ia h
X din and dust of strife, In the clangor
'e- armies and the thunder Of ARTILLERY, as
les What is all this for ~ Why this ARA
IT. Of arms Why this fierce meeting
ut mortal combat g-What is all this carna
m, and slaughter for p? The same quesli'
ie, is still as pertinent to Those who are wa
lie ing this war against us as IL was the