Daily union appeal. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-186?, 1862-08-13
The oonelllatorx policy.

The policy hitherto adopted of allowing men
known to be hostile to the Government TO re-
main uumoested within the Union lines. and
even guard put upon their property, has
worked very badly for the Union cause. Men
who would remain hostile to a government
while accepting its protection and its favors,
are persons of very little honor or gratitude,
and we should expect from them such conduct
as experience has proved they have been guilty.
Of 1t is TO these persons the rebels in arms
were indebted for the information which ena-
bled them to make a successful raid or cut off
an Insignificant force left to guard some urim-
portant post on the line of our advance 1t is
these persons who have encouraged Morgan by
promises of assistance to commence his marau-
ding expedition into Kentucky. And it is these
persons who, when an opportunity presents
itself, join the rebel troops and harass and
cut up any of our soldiers who may be forced
to abandon an untenable position. The pol
icy of trying to eonciliate such men has failed.
and now 1t is time that they learned
what war means; that they cannot enjoy the
immunities of peace, while themselves engaged
In all the acts OF war except the avoWal of
open hostilities. 1t is not sufficient, however,
that the Government swear these rebelsto their
allegiance, and let them remain at peace. The
meanest and most ungrateful of them would
be just the ones to take such an oath and act in
NIOlatloA Oh ttj sOOtniIiS tn6lr conscience, II
they have any, with the argument that the
oath is a forced one, and therefore not binding.
If they are willing TO take the oath Of allegi-
mace to the Government, they are bound in
duty also to fight for it; and in every town or
territory hereafter thai the Government troops
occupy, thesame inhabitants should not only be
requir ID to take the oath of allegiance but they
should also be made to take musket in hand in
theranks of its army, and give an earnest Of the
sincerity of their oath by protecting their own
property and the Government, which they
swear to owe allegiance to- against rebellion.
The man that will not do this should be treated
as an enemy, as he undoubtedly is, and enjoy
none of its advantages which loyal citizens are
entitled to- bis property should go to the
support of the Union army, and he himself
should then be held as a prisoner, or forced to
join the enemy, in whose cause his heart and
often his hand, are already enlisted. The con-
cilstory policy has proved to be stupendous
failure. Even in such States as Kentucky and
Tennessee, for whose sakes more particularly
1t was adopted, it has proved to be one of the
greatest Injuries to our cause, nursing only q
nest of vipers, who enaeavor to sting the hand
that shelters them whenever they have the
opportunity. The policy Of the rebels is Just
the reverse. Every man found in the rebel
States, whether an Unionist or otherwise, ia
made TO perform service In the army, and
when suspected OF lack of zeal for the rebel
cause, is so placed that he can not avoid doing
duty. If this is not done, he is driven out Of
the State, stripped as bare as q begger. If
this is the rebel policy toward those who are
faithful to their government, why should a
different policy be pursued by US toward those
who are unfaithful to their government, and
seeking its 6estruction2 Let every man then
in the rebel States, where our troops have pos
session, as soon as he takes the oath of ale
glance, have musket put into his hands, and
be made to sustain his allegiance by his acts,
Then the government would be sure of having
no treaeherous enemies in the rear of is
armies, and have all its foes in front or undo
Its own eyes, where they could be watched.
Cincinnati Press, Aug. 2. s1s.ss