The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-19
Taking the Back Track.
From tho Richmond Dispatch, February

hFum ANo hlChmunu DNphtcht lebruary Y,
The London Times, few weeks ago.
undertook TO defend the institution of
Slavery upon Scriptural grounds. This
indiscretion 80 reused the ire of Exeter
Hall that the thunderer fastened TO UNI
do the mischief it had done by the de-
Tense in question. 1t now processes to be
greatly Mortified at President Davis's
threat OF retaliation for the cold-blood-
ed murders that have been perpetrated
upon our people, and lectures the South
10 the following strain:
"The South should remember that they
were the first 10 draw the sword in this
quarrel; that they rose against an es-
tablished Government in the exercise Of
its legal functions; that they obtained by
the agency of traitors In that Govern
ment considerable supply Of arms and
money; and that that Union which they
seek to dissolve is as events have proved,
the dearest wish Of every American
hearth rre=raU
Had we never heard of The London
Times before, we should certainly have
attributed this paragraph 10 some Yam
kee, allowed, for the time, 10 take his
seat upon the tripod. We should have
believed it impossible for anybody but
scion Of that Ingenious nation 10 have
manufactured such a compound Of false
hood, malignity and absurdity. Bat we
are we'll acquainted with The Times, and
long accustomed TO its habit Of eating hum
BE pie, whenever il finds that IL has made
false calculation. The great "Thun-
derer" is as fearful Of expressing an un-
popular opinion, and as ready 10 recant
IL when once expressed, as any little VIII
lage sheet that lives upon the smiles and
subscriptions Of few score OF patrons.
This wholesale recantation Of all il has
said in niDe months takes as not, there
fore, by surprise.
The lordly air with which the recan-
tation Is made is, nevertheless, quite
edifyiDg. II takes all the points in dis
puie, gives the Yankee view Of the case,
aud then boldly asserts that zoe have all
along admitted that Yankee view TO be
the correct view. II is very easy 10 set
Tie a dispute by begging the whole ques-
ton, If the party upon whom this meth
cd Of arguing is prActioed is willing TO
submit. This Is not exactly The humor
Of the South in the present instance.
For example, the South does not "re-
member that IL was the first 10 draw The
sword in this quarrel" No man can ere
member" what he never knew. No man
can tax his memory with a truth which
never had any existence. The South does
not remember that ut rose against an es-
tablished Government in the exercise of
its legal functions" because II never did
any such thing. II withdrew from'a Union
which sought 10 Cypress Il, as Il had a
perfect right 10 do--some Of the States
Virginia especially having reserved the
right 10 Withdraw at their own pleasure
before joining il, aud having been re-
ceiyed notwithstanding such reservation.
II rose against 3 Government which
was exercising, not its legal powers, bat
powers that were not only not granted
by the Constitution, bat were never
dreamed Of by those who framed that
Constitution. The South did not obtain,
By means Of traitors in shat Govern
ment, arms, money, &c The letter Of
ex.Preddent Buchanan settles that matter.
lie says the South did not get all the
arms they were entitled 10. The South
do not know that "tho Union which they
are seeking 10 dissolve Is still the dearest
wish Of every American heart" They
know that IL il were 30 nobody would be
now seeking to dissolve il, taking it for
granted, as 1hs Times does, that II still