The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-16
The Sacrifices of war.

Some persons insist that the Govern
ment should adopt no measure TO sup
press the rebellion by which some limo
cent persons may suffer, with the guilty
They declare that unless loyal persons
can be wholly exempted from the injuries
resulting from any particular measure
which is designed TO weaken and cripple
the rebellion, it would be infinitely bet
ter 10 let that measure alone, This rule,
IL carried out by the Government, would
put stop to the war against treason and
rebellion Immediately. The debt in
Cured, already, by carrying on the war,
amounts TO s64O0O00OO, and must ne :
cessarily be increased, aud the taxes
required TO pay this debt must fall far
more heavily upon the loyal than upon
the disloyal; and yetno loyal man in his
senses would say that this oppressive tax
must not be levied. The purses of over
twentyniillions of patriotic people, inhab-
iting twenty seven States, must be severe
ly taxed for years, while, for some time at
least, the rebels will be exempt in great
measure from this burden. The prosecu-
ton of active warfare, in itself, involves
the serious injury of hundreds of thou
sands of the most devoted, and unhinch-
ing patriots in the land. Loyal merchants
have their business arrested by block
AIDES loyal steamboat and ship owners,
have their trade stopped: loyal citizens
have their farms occupied by armies
which lay waste everything, and have
their very houses dismantled for the con-
struction of Notifications; and during an
engagement, the barns, the stables, and
the residences of men and women whose
morning and evening prayers to Heaven,
are for the Union, are often destroyed by
the bursting of shells, by fire, and by can
non balls. In The fortunes of war the good
are continually liable TO be injured
with the bad, just as the falling thunder
bolt, or the arrows of pestilence, fall upon
the vicious and the virtuous alike, The
rule which we have referred TO, that no
measure should be adopted to harm
traitors, which may do any injury TO
loyal persons, is one which it is impos-
siblc to apply; its application would
arrest Immediately all the war measures
which the Government is carrying out.
Not only the property Of many loyal
persons must necessarily be sacrificed
TO the memorable demands of war, but
even the lives of multitudes Of our best
patriots must BE- lost in this mighty
struggle. The pride and flower of our
country have already been nipped by
the frost of death. BAKER, LYON, MANS
FIELD, JACKSON, PoPE, and thousands of
men, in the ranks, equally as noble
hearted as their fallen chiefs, have al
ready persisted. But shall we cease to
bear still onward the flag of our count
ry ? God forbid. The highest and last
duty which patriot can discharge TO
his country, is to lay upon its altar, as
did WASHINGTON and JEFFERSON, his life,
his fortune, and his sacred honor, No
species of property is more sacred than
another or has any claim whatever to be
exempted from the demands of the coun-
try. Whatever it may be necessary for
us TO sacrifice, to destroy rebellion, and
remove its cause, let us make the sacri-
flee chcerfully. No genuine patriot will
shrink from the stern requirement, for
with such one the salvation of his
country is above all price, and her liber-
ties a jewel of inestimablc value.