The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-08-20

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Why are we Abolitionists? IwaRt them
20 tell me how they know l am an Abo-
litionist. | have never made a speech
until yesterday since the war COM
menced, except once, when | spoke a
short time TO get recruits have never
made a speech since | have been in the
army Of any kind that could be called a
| politoil speech. How do they know we
are Abolitionists? Did we tell them
so! Did we say so? Why is it that
! they consider us all Abolitionists? Why,
| will tell you the reason. II is because
we are in the army and Abraham Lin
coin is President That is the reason.
These men don't know enough, or don't
want TO know, that Abraham Lincoln,
because he is President, don't own the
Government This is our Government
This war amt fighting for Mr. Lincoln.
1t is fighting for the Union, for the Gov
ernment. / suppose that when n man
went to Mexico as \ United States SOL
der IL didn't make hiu1 an Abolitionist
Ii fighting under Abe Lincoln makes
every one an AholitiOnist, suppose that
| lighting under Polk made everybody a
Democrat ltmsy be true; but when they
came home, If you recollect, they elected
Gen. Taylor, who was a Whig don't
care cent what they cali me. All
have TO say to any man who calls me an
Abolitionist is ths. . rose By any other
name would smell as sweet" and that
they can call mo any name they please.
If fighting for the union of these States,
with The old flag over my head, fighting
for our Government, against rebels and
traitors, il that makes me an Abolition
ist, all right. / only wish there was
million more of them than there are,
| Applause. II that makes a man an
Abolitionist, let me warn these gentlemen
that there will be a great many of them
| Ii loving the Government of our fathers,
reVering the Constitution, fighting for the
same Government and the same cause, is
sufficient inducement 20 these men TO call
such names, let them do it We have no
objection. We don't care. We laugh at
it. IL is only fun Tor us TO be called
such names. We care nothing about it.
We know, that the country knows what
we are doing, and God in heaven, who
views the hearts of ell men, knows we
are honest and true to our country
Would TO God these gentlemen could say
the same Applause. No, my friends,
it makes q man a patriot, nothing more,
nothing less, % fight for his country. It
does not make him Democrat, or Re
publican, or an Abolitionist Whenever
! this wsr is over this is a free country
If we want politics then we will have
them. That's all. If we don't, nobody
need get mad abouti it. They had better
let us alone, and not call us hickman %
before we get home. Let US alone until
we get back, gentlemen, if you ple.se.
We will be the most peaceabe and quiet
men in the world. We will be per-
fectly we'll educated in ell the fine
arts and sciences and good man.
ners. We will show these gentle.
men some of the politeness we have
learned in the army. We will treat one
another kindly and respectfully, and if
we get little mad about anything, we
will just settle it right there. Laugh
ter. But suppose folks are Joking who
say these things. They don't intend
anything wrong. do ask them to Just
let the boys alone and let the people
alone If they don't want TO be for tie
Government, let people alone who are for
it II they do that there will be peace
at home. We don't think il makes us
Abolitionists to fight for our country
We don't think it makes US Abolition
lists because niggers run away. just
here let me Il these gentl men who
talk &c much about Abolitionists and
nigger stealing, that all the prayers that
can be sent up (it makes no difference,
outside of proclamation or anything
elsr), that machine is gone up, played
out. II will never do a days good again.
I Applause There is no doubt Of thai,
and the people Of the North are not re-
/ sponsible. The Southern gentlemen
have done il themselves. Nobody is re
{ sponsible but themselves for the loss ol
{ their slaves, Let us say 70 these men
now, who have such great sympathy for
the people OF the South and are crying
out against sOdiers--l tell them thai
I these men in the South lost more niggers
/ IN thirty days after the rebellion com
menoed than they would have lost In
! many years by all the Abpltionists In
the United States. | told yOu that the
{ army which was in front Of US stol'
: every thing they could lay their hands
D on. The rebels steal every nigger they
D see, and take them 10 some State wher'
i they think we are not likely go. They
D are afraid the Yankees will steal them
These are positive facts. The rebt
Q soldiers, men who never owned nigge
IN their lives steal them and run then
| IF, and sell them for two or three hun
; dred dollars apiece. They say that tn
a institution is gone, and they don't thinl
D IL will ever amount 20 anything again
a They Just want 10 be independent of ul
. That's all they are fighting for
!. THE ARMY OUGHT TO BE IECREAsED.
Now, fellow citizens, want to talk {
, you about something else. In talhn
= about that, | want TO encourage you
= that you may enroll the names Of all tn
3 men in this county under the cOnsorip
tion act, that we may increase our army
q can give you reason for it. be
: lieye to-day, believe it honestly, tina
y it the people Of the North We're united
Il and all stood upon one platform, as "
- do in the army, that this rebellion woul
!, be crushed in ninety days. Our plat
form is this: We are for our Govern
m ment, right or wrong. We are Tor re
n storing that Government. We are nc
- for the Union as IL was and the Constr
~ tuition AZ il is" We are Tor the Onio
~ any how, any way we can get It; an
!. get il we will in some shape or othe
: / want TO show you to reason why MOI