The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-08-13
CONSERVATIVE rrinc,pIe-.


Already we have the bitter knowledge
hat radical plans, threats and actions,
have increased the unity and power Of
ihd rebellion, have given il fury and
yiror, have prolonged the war, and cost
as thousands Of our brave men.--Nszg 4
Krf journal Of Commerce.
The editors Of the journal Of Commerce,
who can write admirable articles on sub
jocts they do understand, write very abb
surd ones on subjects they do not under
stand. The sentence wehRve Just quoted
from It's columns Is q fine instance Of
learned ignorance. Il is the whim Of a
man, honest enough, no doubt, who, shut
up IN his room, aud ignorant of plain
facts In the world without, lays down
impossible theories, and draws from them
preposterous conclusions.
y ~ - .r
Instead Of destroying them, the cxer-
else OF their former privileges ns citizens,
we have treated them exactly as though
they had forfeited no right Worse than
all, we have actually allowed them 10 place
dea,eloos on equal jooting teih loyal citizens
and claim he protection Of or Constitution.
y 1901 4 r.
The rebels appealed 20 war and gave
rs the thallange, and our sole alternative
Is TO Fight them and whip them il we can,
not TO argue with them, or attempt 70
oonciliate them. This may seem barr
barOds 10 the journal of Commerce, and
perhaps 10 is, but we must remember
that all war is barbarous.
We have extracted The three paragraphs
above from an article in the Nashville
Gaint, because they present three promi-
nept errors which demand universal con-
domination, and two Of which, having re-
ceived tho clear disapproval Of the Presi-
dent OF the United States, arc stiIl per-
sisted in by those who are not content
with sustaining the Government, but in
slst OF pressing The Government into
their own plans and schemes. The pa
per in which we find these remarks Is
frequently quoted by the radical news
papers of the North as a Border State
authority. But the Nashville paper
makes in a great many instances the err
ror contained in the first paragraph.
which is the notion that a position al
Nashville or in the midst Of contend
ing forces gives q better opportunity
for judgment on the questions in
vOlyed than a more remote position. On
the contrary, 10 is only too evident that
the feelings of those who live ia the i'm
mediate scenes Of civil war become so
deeply interested on one side or the
other as TO warp judgment and destroy
the faculty OF correct reasoning. II ia on
this very account, doubtless, that our
Nashville contemporary, an able and spirit.
ed paper, falls into the gross error con-
famed IN the second paragraph which Wc
have quoted, an error that underlies All
the radicalism Of the North, and which
could hardly thrive "a Tennessee. except
under tho influence Of strong passions.
ciouding reason. This il the affirmation
that It is wrong TO treat rebels az having
any claim to the protection Of our Com
s'Itution." IL is perhaps not strange that
men living in Nashville, where military
law IA administered, should be for the
lime unable to see why the Constitution
rs Worta anything in any other part of
the country. But such men ought MOTTO
forget that their circumstances are un.
favorable TO impartial judgment. The
constitution Is the law Of the land. and
the rebel and the loyal man are alike un-
der IT'S protection and under its penalties.
IL IS BY virtue 0ftho Constitution that we
wage this war, by the power Of the Com
shtution that Abraham Lincoln is Com.
mander-in-bhief Of our armies. bV force
Ant the Constitution that we punish rebel
Hon, Every man who falls on the bat.
fue-held before the Constitutional armies
81 a Republic falls by the power Of tho
Constitution. Ii is nonsense 10 waoc
war under 4 Constitution and tell fbe re-
bel that there is q Constitution for tbc
loyal but none foe him. If thore is any
fprinciplo Tor Americans TO cling Ia battie
Tor, and never surrender even 10 Inc bom
OF death, IL Is the principle that wherever
the power Of the Unitea States extends
on this continent, there the Constitution
OF The United States is the law 10 every
man, saint or sinner, criminal or bnnesi
rebel or loyal, and under il every man
must prosper or suffer. The madness of
conflict may indeed sometimes lead men
10 say That he who strikes against the
law is TO be treated without law. Tbe
passions which move unthinkinp men.
especially radical men, often induce thcm
TO abandon reason. hut these men are
not the true guides Of patriotism or az
loyalty Too often they become dislovaI
uhlutehuonalty, and justify by their ar
sunieu's ana iheir course the very re-
nSn'pn lhey are anxious to suppress.
Inc argument that a rebel has lost all
'!aim 70 treatment according TO the Con-
S~u'nlon IS the actual approval of the
rebel claim, that they can secedo from
Constitution. "
we nave so often shown these clear and
inu'sputable truths, that our readers up-
"e.slanp mem iulIy, and up to the pres