Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-05-24
Inc netroit Prinoners.

ment Of the Detroit Buchanan-Rebel
paper, that Barrow, Harding and Guild
had protested repentance for their trea-
son, and adds, by way Of comment;
In this case we hope that these pris-
oners may soon have the opportunity
afforded them TO return home, and help
Gov. johnson pacifcate Tennessee. We
do not know two Of these gentlemen I;
but we do know Washington Barrow,
and a kinder man never lived and we
know. also, that down to the very last
moment, he was exerting himself on the
Union side. II is evidently by means
of men Of this disposition that the high
est service can now be rendered, if they
are convinced Of their error, and are
ready to devote themselves to the noble
old cause
The Posi-, like some other "conserva-
tive" newspapers, evidently relishes
the plan Of lulling the Rebellion to sleep
instead of knocking it in the head. Had
we any confidence in the sincerity of
the repentance Of these big Rebels, no
one would rejoice more heartily than
ourselves But we call the attention of
the Post to the important fact that these
Rebels Of ours deny that they ever pro-
fessed repentance. In proof Of this, we
quote the following passage from the
Detroit Tribune, of the 18th instant;
The Nashville Union, referring to the
statement of the Detroit organ of traitor
Gus Democratic Leaders, of the CONVEX
sation of Messrs Barrow, Harding and
Guild, three rebel prisoners for some time
boarding at the Michigan Exchange,
says;
'The Free Press, Democratic organ,
and not wholly free from.suspiciOn of Sc
cession sympathies, says:
awe understand these people have
conversed very freely with many of the
prominent men of both political parties
here, and cypress much surprise 10 find public
opinion so sound, so conservative and Just upon
he contest non raging They do not hest
tate to say that had the South understood
the real opinions of the North before, this
war would end at once.
But, the statement of the Secession SyDlpa-
ttizinq Free Press, Democratic organ" Is
NOT TRUE. Neither Barrow, Harding
nor Guild made any such Confession
On the contrary, we have the authority
of the officer who came on here with
them, and had them in charge until they
were taken to Fort Mackinaw, On Tues
day last, that Barrow and Harding were
very much incensed at the Free PreSs's
report about them-that nothing the
newspapers had said of them, anywhere,
since their arrest, had annoyed them al
all, comparatively, until that article APP
peared--that, so far from relenting, they
held to the same opinions and purposes
they had held from the beginning, that
il was an insult to their intelligence, and
the intelligence of their Tennessee friends
to claim that they did not know as much
| about Northern sentiment before being
brought here as prisoners as afterwards
that their Tennessee friends know that
they had all repeatedly travelled over the
North, and that they did not like to have
the story about them go back to Nashville
and their intimate friends, that they had
changed or repented, as the Free PreSSre-
ported.
The falsehood of the Free Press a0a,
manufactured for political b'ncomJe, to ins-
pose upon the people Of Michigan and th,
North, and to attest to the rebels IN the South
its sympathy for their brethren here aspri0O-
ners.
We claim TO know the temper and
feelings of the rebel leaders in this re-
giOn at least, good deal better ever
than our older and distinguished contem-
porary of the Boston Post and with al
respect we assure that able journal that
it will render far more effective service
TO the Southern Union men than it is nov
doing by ceOsing its plea for indulgence
and lenity to active and violent traitors
and by urging a vigorous prosecution O
the war, and total crushing out of every
rebel element. So far as the masses o
the people are concerned, who have beer
and are implicated in the rebellion, W,
trust we understand the Importance o
lenity as we'll as the Post but we hav,
already reaped the bitter fruits of indul-
genCe to intelligent and cOnsc, us trail
tors" let us not repeat the foolish ex
pertinent of throwing grass at old ant
hardened offenders.
We learn that Col. S. w. PMoE, of Lex
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