The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-11-24
Editorial correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Nov. I6, 1863


The people are fully determined to sup
port the radical policy of the Admins
tratiOn, including the Emancipation Pro
clamation, the cOnfscation act, and tn
enlistment of colOred troops. To this
have strong hopes will be added the DIS
frazcEisement Of rebels by the next Ma
tional Congress-tempOrarily at least. Ii
my second letter spoke of the calm conf
dsnce of the Government in the prosecu
ton of ali its ordinary business; there i
no stoppsge, no baking, no interruption
Of its functions. To-day the business
Of all the loyal States is highly prosper
Gus and fiourishing, and nobody is goiDl
in debt except the Government. Larg,
as this debt IL, its interest is promptly
paid in gold, and the Government bondr
rate highest in the market. Should am
hindrance occur in the future the Govern.
meRt will only have to take possession o
tae gold and silver regions of Nevada anC
ArizonS, and pay off its whole debt il
precious metal BY '0orLing its Olvn mines
Looking attentiVely at the extent anC
/ diversity of the resources of the Federal
Union, and watching the clOek-hke regu.
larity Of its gigantic but beautiful GEN.
trad machinery, lay my hand upon my
breast and say with Webster: "Thank
God, / sm an American citizenw
Ia striking contrast with this picture
Of sublime strength is the deeAying
regime of Richmond. An absurd canard
was set s6Oat few weeks ago by some
army letter-writer TO the effect that q
commissary's paper, picked up in Lees
old camp ground, showed that the rebels
have an abundance of cheap sugar, meat,
bread and other provisions. If such q
paper was found it was certainly dropped
by some rebel for effect, for we kno W
that the rebels are on the verge of famine
in their own capital Some ten days ago
about three hundred Federal prisoners
were sent from Richmond to Annapolis,
who were in q most shocking condition.
Their hollow eyes, lank cheeks, skinny
arms, emaciated hands, and fleshless ribs,
hardly concealed from the eye by ragged
garments, smeared with the filth of Belle
Island prison, told narrowing story OF
starvation and suffering. Ninety of them
died shortly after their arrival. The
others were so exhausted that great eau
ton was necessary in giving them food.
Thousands of Federal prisoners are pi-
ningin Libby Prison for the want Of food,
and when our Government demonstrates
with the Confederacy for starving our
officers and soldiers, the reply is, that it
is impossible for the Confederate authori-
ties TO give them a sufficient supply of
food, because they have not got the food
to give, even to their own people and
soldiersi
Now remember that the Confederacy
5 IS an agricultural country Exclusively and
that breadsIuffs aud meat sho,,Il - = g
abundant and cheaper IN the months OF
Autumn and Winter than at any other
time. But sitter q war of over
two years, during which the attention of
the rebel government and people has
been devoted to raising and accumuls-
ting supplies of food and clothing, the
result, briefly stated by the rebel gov
eminent at Richmond, is Destitationl This
then is their boosted strength and wealth.
Theslave aristocracy has neither bread
for its belly nor rags to cover its naked
ness. Well, let the wretches starve, and
better raen viii take their places.
"Mourn not for Richmendl-though her fall
BE awful as & oceans
Swept 0 er her, she deserved 10 all,
And Justice trumphs DER her grave.
50 perish every KING and S tate
Which runs the guilty race she ran.
Strong IN her guilt, and only great
In outrage against God and man."
Strange to tell, the vessel sent by the
Government with rations for ITS unfortu-
nate citizens in prison at Richmond, has
been sent back by the rebels! The traitors
will neither feed their prisoners nor let
the Federal Government feed them. No
doubt their purpose is TO starve them to
death, while the many thousand rebel
prisoners st Camp Chase, JohnsOn's
Island, and the Old Capitol prison in this
eity,1re supplied with abundant whole
some food, and Comfortably provided for
in every way. Although we hold an ex-
cess of many thousands, the rebels re-
fuse TO exchange. So they can wreak
their vengeance on our unhappy fellow
citizens, they are Indifferent 20 the fate
of their own men who are in our power.
Davis values the lives Of his subjects
IS little as he does the lives of bis mules
aud horses. Perhaps he feels confident
that the humane, generous and high
souled Commander-in-C Chief of the Uni
tso STATES Army IS too magnanimous
and merciful TO retaliate. Very we'll;
the march of this Government TO its final
goal cannot all be over green pastures
hOwery meadows, and by gently muir
ing waters. When Bunyan's Pilgrim set |
ont on his journey to the Celestial CITY.
he had 10 wade the Slough of Despond |
climb the Hill of Difficulty, pass by the |
mouths of angry lions, and even look |
the iBnumerhble terrors of the Valley of
the Shadow Of Death full in the face,
before be tasted the golden fruits of Beu-
lab, and looked from the shining noun
tains Of the Shepherds into the everlast-
ing happiness and rest Of the Eternal
City. So must it be with us. This great
and holy war cannot be managed like
merry masquerade, or fastened to . con-
clusion. There are grand principles af-
fecting the whole human race, which
must be established and cemented with