The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-04-03
AFalse Prophet.

On the 1lth day of last December one
RICHARD MERRITT made a speech before
the Young Mems Democratic Club, of
Chicago, which was so well liked by his
auditors, that they scattered copies of it
by thousands over the country and sent
multitudes of them TO the Armies of the
Mississippi and the Cumberland. In
that speech Mr.. MERRITT makes the fol-
lowing bold prediction in reference to
the Emancipation Proclamation:
Men of Illinois, on the frat day of
January, If the President, accomplishing
the act which is to give effective opera
ton to this decree, designates the States
in which II shall apply, there is not man
t0itltR those States iolo OW not M to arms.
Mothers niH give up their children 10 the bat
tie, and he cold blood Of ,oorn out age, fred6y
his mast aceursed measure, t0iH foic again
t0M The restless aroo1' Of youth, and the le-
gions Of the rebellion will advance a
power you cannot subdue, except at the
cost Of your own and your country's
ruin. With the objects announced In
this proclamation as the avowed pur-
poses Of the war the S0uh cannot be suJdued.
and ought not to Ge subiued.
This prediction was rc-echoed and re-.
affirmed by the conservative press gener-
ally. The proclamation they all agreed
would make the South ga unit against
the Government" Three months have
elapsed since the publication of the proc
lsmation, aud what has been the result /?
Has not ME-, MERRITT's prophecy failed
signAlly? Have not the similar predic.
tions of the Louisville Journal and It's
conireres been most signally falsifed ?
We 30 not know of one loyal man in
Nashville whose fidelity TO the cause of
the Union has been shaken ia conse-
quence Of the proclamation. We do
not believe that there is one instance
among us Of a Union man having Joined
the enemy since the lst of January. We
have not seen or beard the slightest
evidence that the rebels throughout the
whole South have gained a single con-
vert. On the contrary, we have been as
sured by many Intelligent, loyal refugees,
Shareholders themselves, who have es-
capped from Georgia, Alabama, and those
portions OF this State which are within
the rebel lines, that not one loyal man of
their acquaintance has wavered in his
faith. The prediction of Mr. MERRITr, ia
thcred no doubt by swish, has been sig
nally falsited, and we may add, disap-
pointed We have heard many intelligent
Shareholders, refugees from various coun-
tissinEsst and Middle Tennessee express
deep regret that the State was exempted
In the proclamation. The loyalty Of the
Union men Of the South is made ofnobler
stun than such men as MERRITT suppose,
VINO act and speak ON the supposition
that the patriotism Of the Southern
Unio0is's will last until their propertv
Is touched, and no longer We tell these
Northern Copperheads that we love the
Union for it's free, enlightened, and pro.
grsssive institutions. We had rather be-
queath good and stable government TO
our children than leave them the inhcri.
tors of all tho splendid plantations of
Middle Tennessee, with all its negroes
for their bondsmen. We eight for free
dom We eight FOE nationality. We
light Tor Justice and humanity If other
patriots can afford to give up their sons
as sacrifice to the Union, the loyal men
Of hs South can afford to give up their
negroes.