The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-09-12
10 he Editor af Die NaslUils Uniol ).

To tie Editor at DE NaslUiHs Dniol
The first requisite to The exercise of
the functions Of civil Cover m-nt by the
people Of Tennessee, is emancipation,
not oil the negro, but OF the white man,
from the thraldom OF leaders, and the
prtjudices and otipions Of other days.
1t is an old addage, that all is not gold
that glitters," and it is as true as old.
Appearances otter deoeives as, as we have
often FUND in the sad experience Of orr
lives, That there is much honest ankle
ty among us to return TO our place in the
American Union is nquestionably true,
yet it is equally true that much of the
profession on that subject iS deceitful,
hypocritical, and meroenary.
One man wants the State back into the
Union, and is anxious to restore civil
government, that trade may be opened
that he may import goods, and engage in
traffic. Another that courts may be re-
established, that he may resume the
practice of law. Another, the mesnest,
and most wicked Of any class that ever
became arebel, the hypOoritical quandam
preacher, that he may resume the sacer-
dotal position in society, which enables
the villain to corrupt and poison its very
sources. And still another, the heartless
demagOgue and Office seeker, that he may
enter again upon his heartless scramble
for Office, and position of influence again
Now these are the very men who brought
all these sad troubles upon US. These
arc the very scoundrels who, by false
hood and yiLainy plunged us into
the awful crime of rebellion--who
shut up our avenues of export
and import and thus destroyed our
cOmmerce-who abolished our courts
and left us a prey to the despotism
Of military government. These are the
hypocritical villains who desecrated the
sacred affairs Of religion, and prostituted
the pulpits into which they had crept,
to propagate treason, rebellion, murder,
andrapine- who used the profession they
falsely wore to poison society at its
source, in Che family circle, and who
ustd the offices of trust and emOlument
10 cheat and defraud too confiding
people. That restoration which would
bring these men back into power and
positions Of trust and confidence and
influence, instead Of being desired, is
most earnestly to be deprecated. You
will not find one in q thousand of these,
although the blood of innocence is drip
ping from their harpy fingers, and the
cries of widows aud orphans are crying
to heaven against them, that will ao-
knowledge that he has done any wrong.
Indeed he will tell you that he has done
nothing at all. How can men whose
moral sensibilities are so blunted as 10
see no wrong in what they have done, be
expected to change? Restored to power
and place, and their former pursuits of
influence, will they not be the same men
still? A restoration upon these condi-
tions would be no restoration at all. The
honest working masses would still be in
bondage; their victims still, whenever
they choose 90 offer them on the affairs of
their ayarioe, or ambition, or meaner
motives. Never until the power and in
iluence Of these men are broken and de-
stroyed, can Tennessee be prepared to
resume civil government in the Union.
You need not expect them to change. As
soon may the Ethiopian change his skin,
or the leopard his spots" That light
is breaking and the people rousing to
think and speak, am happy to believe.
Upon this topic, More ANON.