The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-11-12
Ihen. on the CunIest.

adherence OF Jut Ciiulo VI IebNiiiVh III
the minds Of the American people. II is
wonderful how readily our Union men
and women pardon those engaged in this
terrible cause. 1t is still more wonder
fiI how little of the sentiment Of ven
gesnee belongs to the soldiers Of the
Union. In no civil war was there ever
Inhibited such a disposition TO forgive
a1d forget. This characteristic is pc
cIliar to the people Of the loyal Statee'
Having suffered 30 much; having bu-
red 80 many of their sons in this wicked
war, il is remarkable that an utter ab-
sance of any vindichveness is shown
Tley have been asssiled by the MURDER
Gus guerrilla at every step aud lost some
o. their most precious blood from tie
mere wantonness of these malignant ioef'
Why is there SO great difference On
the one side, you see great people
moved by the one great idea of nation
atty; by the solemn reverence they
have 70, the nations dignity. There is
an uiter absence Of all personal consid-
o.aions. They have assembled to the
siblime position of universal truths.
Out of the region Of the perishable they
ascend nobly to the imperishable. They
contend now for ideas, not for property.
nor for personal resentment and selfish
pride. They contend for 4 nations life,
whole peoples dignity, the rights OF
human nature. Nothing but the influence
of the free institutions of the free
States could have produced such PEG
PIE. Nothing but the independence and
bsnevolence growing from the principle
of liberty. How readily these people
turn every thing towards the amelioration
of the social condition of humanity
They live in the atmosphere of love and
illustrate the great principles of Chris
tiSn civilization. 1t is not surprising
then that they should readily forgive their
enemies.
~ The case is very different with the in
surgents. They are impelled by spirit
of mAlignity and personal malice. The
yilest crimes are perpetrated without re.
morse. Murders are daily committed
from mere wantonness, without the re.
hottest object Of accomplishing any pos
sible good. On their side there is no idea
in the contest. The highest thought they
have invested is that of property and
property in human beings. AT best it is
but acquisitiveness. There could nc
more be a triumph of the cause of The
rebels than change in the laws Of
gtavitation. The utter absence of = sense
of criminalitY or shame is the darkest
feature of those misguided men. Witness
the climax of barbsrism in this age, the
sacking of Lawrence by the remOrseless
barbarians under Confederate leader
and tell whe Their human depravity can
find lower depth.
Many men think as little of an excur-
sion of brother or a neighbOr in one OF
those marauding forays as he would OF
hunting or fishing party. To muir
der Union soldiers or Union men is 3
matter of as little concern as 10 shoot
partridges. Men RET urn from Che sport
Of numbering their brothers with as lit.
tle apparent sense Of guilt as if they had
returned from a fox chase. And good
people think they have done no wrong
What has caused this difference in the
combatantl? What cause has evoked on
the one hand benevolence, and on the
other passion
The answer is at hand In one place
the people have bowed with reverence al
the altar Of human rights. They have
felt and admitted that man has been en-.
dOwed by his Creator with inslienable
rights In the other there has been a to-
tai denial of all inherent rights in man,
Man, by virtue of his humanity, is not
exempt from the condition of the brute
He may be bought and sold at the plea
sure of the ruler. Society may righteous
ly organize on any basis that the ruling
class may prescribe.
This denial Of the sanctity Of the hu-
man person and human soul has let
loose passion, and blunted the moral
sentiments Of the ruling class. The
dawn of new life breaks upon as. The
degraded are marShalling under the ban
ner of liberty