The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-09-03
she nay Of Free speeoh-Ths AbO.

1
many a home, the shedding Of the blood
Of many citizens, both patriots and
traitors But the liberty of speech, the
breaking of the chains which so long
bound, not the bodies, but the very |
souls, of her white Lcitizens, have been
cheaply purchased, by what would be
for any other worldly good too heavy an
outlay, Prior to the breaking out Of
the rebellion did free speech and free
press, really exist in this State! Did
candidates for office high or low dare to
say 81 doubt the policy, justice and
economy Of slavery, and would like to
SEQ it removed from our midst" No
man could have carried a single county
in the State who should have ventured
sentiment so frightfully radical" 1t
would have sealed his political death
warrant Mechanics, tradesmen, pro-
fcssi3nbl men, teachers, and laboring
men were permitted to say, with impu-
! nifty: ~ think the steam engine is a
curse. / regard the threshing- machine
and the subsuil plough as nuisaDces. l
/ don't believe in railroads. | think re-
| lipion is 4 humbug. | believe the Wing
party or the Democratic party are hot
beds Of corruption. think it would be
blessing if all the churches were
pulled to the ground. believe colleges
and female academies are unmitigated
/ evils" And so one could 60 on railing
abusing and vilifying every law,
system, institution and custom Of
the Commonwealth saving and except
ing always the system of NEGRO
SLAVERY. People might take exceptions
to ones views and attempt to controvert
them, but still, any one, or all Of these
views, could be expressed in Tennessee
and their holder live unmolested But
name slavery in like manner and a thou
sand eyes in an instant are blazed at the
daring speaker with malignant fire, and
lynch law usually terminated the auda-
ciJus utterance. No man was suffered
to attack slavery, although only one man
in thirty owned slaves Discussion OF
this subject was forbidden thing. II
was to be accepted by every one as hum
bly, as if it bad been gift from heaven
While none were permitted to speak OF
write against slavery, orators and news
papers all over the State were making
inAsmmatory speeches in its behalf
Slavery, strange to tell, claimed and ex'
erciaed the right to agitate tie State, anC
AZ the same time, with the voice of
tyrant, commanded the State on its peri
not to 0gitate slavey! Slavery was high
err than the State Slavery was the ty
rant, dcspot, unquestioned, uncontrolled
dictator of the State! 1t ruled tn
cottage it ruled the pulpit; it ruled tn
counting room; yea, it ruled the hum
blest workshop like bloody minded
Nero, resolved to rule without a rival
Do we exaggerate? We do not we hav
fallen short Of rather than gone beyont
the truth.
What was the consequence of all thi
insolent despotsm, which bridlod ever,
mouth and every newspaper in the State
Why the non Shareholders were afraid {
allow themselves the luxury of a mo
mcnts independent thought. They trem
bled like Persian slaves at the nod O
the morciless master who reigned owe
them. Infdel clubs were tolerated
books snd pamphlets in defence of atho
ism, mormonism, mesmerism, spirit-rap
pings, were circulated openly; jew
3 Gentiles, MohOmedans and She thousan
and one sects of Christianity could a
proclaim their own views and denounc
those Of ell other people, but the non
STAKEHOLDER dared not open his lip
against slavery. This is no exaggera
. tion, no eXtrAvagant picture; it is plail
unvarnished truth. The limbs, the bone
and muscles of the negro were enslavet
but bondage more CALLING than oorpC
raj bondage enslaved the white citizen
of this Commonwealth. The white ma
was only free in name, while in fact !
was the slave of worse bondage tina
negro slavery. The slavery of the soul
worse than that Of the body, 1t is moi
degrading, moro oppressive, and hard,
TO throw off. 1t follows its unhapp
y victim everywhere, sleeping and wakin
in public and in private, in church, ma
u ket, and farm. What are the paii
- Of the oyerseer's lash to the sense of HI
'' initiation, of the loss Of manhood, whic
y he must feel who is the victim of ment
N slavery?
. Nom shareholders, surely you feel th
!, this white slavery has lasted Lon
E.; enough, and that this is most DIT,
Pitious time to throw on the letters viii,
y, have 80 long enthralled not your bod
~, but Your very souls. Dare 10 act Al
~ think for yourselves henceforward. II,
the STAKEHOLDER that you are his equal
- sll respects, and that you will discu
80 and investigate freely every questi
" which he investigates and discuss,
Proclaim your freedom openly. Tell I
" deapots who have so long subjugated y
that you will be- free forever.