The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-06-07
s. G. MERCER, Editor.
SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE 7, 1868.
a significant Article.

Our readers will notice some signif-
cant points in the following paragraphs
from the Richmond Examiner. Perhaps
the most significant is the utter apathy
and indifference with which the East
Virginians regard their election. They
feel that their freedom is LOST, and that the
elections in the Confederacy are hollow
sham. While in the young free State OF
West Virginia, all is eagerness, life and
excitement; in Eastern Virginia reigns
the cold silence of death.
But again, we here see that the elev-
enth hour secessionists, like John Bell,
Neill s. Brown, and T. A. r Nelson, who
chung to the Union till late in the day,
are doomed toJe distrustea and desDised for
ever by the original rebels.
The Election in Eastern Virginia.
From the Richmond Examiner
Tomorrow the general election of this
Commonwealth occupies the town, the
camp, and the country. Governor, Con-
federate representatives., the Senators
and Delegates to the Assembly will be de-
signated by the same vote. Never since
elections were held has the approach Of
such period been regarded with
the like apathy. Yet no one can say
that this election imports little. The
men who will be chosen to morrow must
dispose of Virginia in the very crisis of
her fate. They must take care of her
interests at period when she may have
to dread her Southern friends and her
Northern foes. If she falls into the
hands of ignorant or incompe ent men,
Federalists, submissionists, consolida-
tionists, they may succeed one day in
placing her in such an attitude that the
virtue and courage, and wisdom, in
which is still, and will always be, in
Virginia, may not suffice TO extricate
her.
The Examiner, stating that this is an
election between mon, not between par
ties, adds:
It Is, however, impossible, even in this
election, to ignore every thing but the in
tellectual merits of the rival candidates.
Although there are, none of them, COM
mitted TO any distinct line of policy in
the future, yet many of them have dis
played such inclinations and developed
such political principles in past career, that
u is impossible to anticipate good from them
in the untried situations of the future.
Events precisely similar to the past will
never recur; hut events different in cir
cumstances, though essentially the same,
and involving the same causes and eff
fects, will sooner or later occupy public
attention, Can IL be doubled that tie WICK
hams, the BotelerS, the Bald,0ins, and Letch-
ers OW then erhibH the identical traits of
character and action, Uie same general rules
Of conduct and ideas Of State soueyeignty,
which nearly reduced Virginia to the
condition of Maryland.
There are not now either Unionists or
submissionists; at present, it is a capt.
tai crime, treason, TO be either. But
that they were both till they became as
illegal as murder is not to be denied.
That they denounced the Southern Con-
federacy, upheld the Government of Lin
coin, retained the State in the Federal
Union while they were able, and would
have kept her there forever if they could
Can we reasonably trust with confidence
to the future conduct of men who have
thus acted in the past? But for the
Wickhams, the Letchers and the Bald
wins, Fortress Monroe would be at this
hour be impregnable bulwark of Vir-
ginia. To them is due the credit of rem
dering it the key of her prison. Is this
a title to our gratitude?
We are willing to forget the rights and
the wrongs of the party squabbles be-
tween the Wings, Democrats, Hard
Shells, and Soft Shells of the defunct
Union; but neVer, neUer, ,ohilencnlory holds
her seat, or lOhile the human heart is capable
Of resentment, can the conduct of those men
l0ho degraded and ruined this State through
its late Convention by making her the
fOOtstool of Lincoln, even after war had
been actually begun, be forgotten or for
given-never
Need we enlarge on this, Oh, ye faint
hearted Union men, who writing for
ever on the brOiling gridiron of purga-
terisl conservatism, are in momentary
peril Of floundering over into the unmiti-