The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-23

- 'Ai' N'N"NNiO' Ac II itDei1 mdfheu
50 by nature, and retouched By his own
bad habits. lie is proaigato, afllibus-
ter, and a rebel as chance offers lie
would be an outlaw anywhere. II is easy
to see that the Governor allows him 10
take the oath of allegiance more through
compassion for his father, a heart broken
and despairing old man, than from any
great confidence he places in the son.
And here is party Of persons Of va
rious ages arrested and brought in for
serving in the rebel army. One Of them
frankly says that he was deceived into
il by older persons, in whom he had IN
bounded confidence, but his eyes are now
opened and he confesses his folly. An
other, sad-faced man Of more advanced
years, declares, with faltering voice, that
he was loyal, but that he was thrown out
Of work and driven into the army TO keep
his family from starvation. Another
that he went into the ranks from mere
love Of rowing life, and not from any
principle. lie would be a pirate on the
South Sea, Slave trader on the coast Of
Africa, a pick pocket in London,
burglar in New York, an assassin in Ven
ice. cut throat in Madrid a murderer
in Yicksburg, a black-leg in New Or
leans, a highwayman in the West, but
not being in any Of these places, he lump
ed all the vices Of these characters into
one and turned traitor to his country, the
robber Of her prosperity and the murder
err Of her peace. lie is perfectly willing
to take the oath, and would like to join
a regiment in the Federal army in which
thieying was popular.
All, here is company who come like
the Gibeonites of old to Joshua, with
ancient garments and clouted shoes on
their feet, evidently from some distant
region where Uncle Sans commercial
benefits have not extended Secession
has drained the stores dry, and goods
have not been seen in that vicinity for a
long twelve month, Haven't done MOTH
in, GUNNER" Only iined the JEFF.
DAVIS Home Guards, but never fout nary
time" Three or four speak at once, and
each one seems bent on making as long an
explanation as was made by the incorri-
gible witness in the celebrated case of
Cousin Sally billiard Their story bids
fair to consume the whole forenoon, when
the Governor, whose time is too valuable
to be spent in listening to long stories, by
few peremptory questions succeeds, at
last, in finding out that one wants a
quarters, worth of coffee, another few
pounds Of nails, and the third, and larg-
est purchaser, two bushels of salt! OF
course theirrequcst is granted with look
of mingled amusement and vexation,
which fits like shadow over the face of
the Governor, when another parsonage
walks forward for an interview. He is a
we'll dressed, well-fed, rubicund gentle
man, whose name is coupled with various
transactions which have a most unsavory
odor in the nostris of loyalty. He APP
pears surprised that he has been sum-
moned to appear here and asks the rea-
son. He is told that he is suspected of
being disloyal and is required TO take
the oath of allegiance. He seems aston
ished, and says that he is willing to be a
iaw-abiding citizen but has conscientious
soyuples about taking the oath The
Governor hints that such conscien-
tious scruplos are like conscientious
scruplcs about being honest, and that a
man whose conscience does not reproact
him for acts of treason, ought not to pro-
fess to entertain scruples about taking
the oath of loyalty. However, anything
to oblige our portly, well fed friend, so fol
fear conscience of so exquisitely mic,
a texture, might be blown TO pieces by 8
zephyr some summer evening, he is con
yeyad by an officer TO a certain spacious
ediGco west of the Capitol, withil
whose secluded cloisters, shut out from
the contamination OF the wicked world
the happy pOssessor of the aforesaid con
science, may spend his days in sirtin
points Of casuisty. Such conscience
as his are far too frequently met with il
these degenerate days of this Republic
when the moral vision of many seem
purbIind, and Right and Wrong, Honor an
Dishonor are strangely perverted terms
We look upon the multitude, who smitte
with fearful frenzy dcsecrate TO the alta
Of patriotism and ask in amazement /
loyalty is an empty delusion and vic
and virtue mere phantoms Of the brain
Enough of moralizing, for into the cham
Dor walks a slave, the evil genius VIII
ioiiUws the footsteps OF our country wit
an aspect Of mingled foreboding and sor
row. now waiiing sadly as though bearin
in his hos ON an unutterable sorrow, an
now striding menaciugly along like III
fearful spectre of Dionysius. The slave
No other nation that ever lived know
the meaning Of that terrible word as d
we the children Of the struggling, bleed
ing, betrayed Republic Of the West II
casts a fearful shadow over the land a
he walks along, and filings a gloom Lib
that of an eclipse across the brighte'
portion Of the western nation, He CONS