The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-10-19
The Results Of Civil warl

The Results of Civil wars
tScnrLLER, the historian Of the great
Thirtyeyears' Civil War, which ragged
through an the German States, in the
seventeenth century, drives the following
vivid sketch Of its results
"The misery of Germany had risen
TO such height, that all clamored vocif-
erously for peace and even the most
disadvantageous paci6cation would have
been hailed as blessing from heaven.
The plains, which formerly had been
thronged with happy and industrious
population, where nature had layished
her choicest gifts, and plenty and pros
perity had reigned, were now a wild and
desolate wilderness. The fields, aban
doned by the industrious husbandmen,
lay waste and uncultivated; and no
sooner had the young crops given promise
of smiling harvest, than single march
destroyed the labors of a year, and blasted
the last hope of an afflicted peasantry.
Burnt castles, wasted fields, villages in
ashes, were 70 be seen extending far and
wide on all sides, while the ruined peas
antry had nc resource left bat to swell
the horde OF incendiaries and fearfully
TO retaliate on their fellows, who had
hitherto been spared the miseries which
they themselves had suffered. The only
safeguard against oppression was to be-
come an oppressor. The towns groaned
under the RIGHTEOUSNESS of undisciplined
and plundering garrisons, who seized and
wasted the property Of the citizens, and
under the license of their position, COM
mitted the most remOrseiess devastation
and cruelty. If the march Of an army
converted whole provinces into deserts; if
others were impoverished by winter
quarters, or exhausted by contributions,
these still were but passing evils, and the
industry of year might efface the mis-
cries of q few months But there was
no relief for those who had garrison
within their walls, or in the neighbor
hood; evea Ne change of fortune could not
Improve their unfortunate fate, since the Utctor
t,,od in tte steps Of the Vanqaslsed, and friends
acre not more meycifiH than enemies. The
neglected farms, the destruction of the
crops, and the numerous armies which
overran the exhausted country, were in
evitably followed by scarcity, and the
high price of provisions, which in later
years was still further increased by gen
eral failure Of the crops. The croWding to-
gether Of men in camps and quarters, want
upon one side, and excess upon the other,
occasioned contagious distempers, which
were more fatal than even the sword
In this long and general confusion, all
the bonds of social life were broken up !;
respect for the rights of their fellow-men,
the fear of the laws, purity of morals,
honor, and religion, were laid aside,
where might ruled supreme with iron
sceptre. Under the shelter Of anarchy
and impurity, every vice flOurished, and
men became as wild as the country. No
station was too dignifed for outrage; no
property too holy for rapine and ayarice."
Citizens of Tennessee, this fearful pic
ture Of the results Of civil war, is but one
Of the many lessons which the past has
transmitted to us for our instruction and
warning. We might draw others equally
as frightful from the annals of England
and France, and Italy and Spain. And
now, in the full contemplation of these
awful consequences which a just Provi-
dence has affixed TO all civil wars, will
you madly persist in pulling down upon
your own State, upon yourselves and
your children, and upon your children's
children, the want the desolation, the
untold suffering which has been so VIZ
wildly sketched above. Will you sacri-
fee the real blessing, happiness and pros
perity, which you have so long enjoyed,
for the empty phantom Of Southern in
dependence, which means nothing under
heaven but despotism, where HAaRIs
aud his minions, backed by standing
army, can reign supremely over your
heads, and grind you 10 the very dust Of
humiliation tits time that you should
arise in your majesty and aid in vindi-
eating and enforcing the violated and
outraged laws Of the Federal Union,
which only can give you peace and pro-
lection, as it has done for near eighty
years already. Avert the awful curse Of
civil war from your borders, and pro-
claim yourselves unsweryingly loyal.