The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-06-27
a Tennessoan ON thc Rebellion and
Slavery.


The Cincinnati Gazette publishes a re-
port of an address made before the Ma
tiOnal Union Association of that city,
by DR.. Bowen Of Smith couaty. DE-.
Bowen is a gentleman Of high social po-
sition, 5 slave-holder, and uniyefsally es-
tcemed, and we are sure that thousands
Of his friends viii be gratiiios to read
his plain but fervent words, while all
may peruse them with profit We hope
DR.. Bowen win present his views to
many audiences in the Northwest
Mr.. Bowen of Tennessee, refugee,
who was introduced to the Association
by Mr. s. s. Davis, made a powerful
speech. He remarked that il was with
extraordinary and strange emotions that
he finds himself here-for the first time
in his life in Cincinnati. He is a native
of Tennessee, and finds himself a stran-
ger here, and somewhat debilitated from
sickness, but would, although an humble
man, OF no pretentions, yield to the earn
est request made, and advert to the re-
bellion which makes him an exile from
his home, and the Government of his fa-
thers in desperate struggle with wick
ed conspirators. My heart is penetrated
with profound sorrow, emotions too deep
for utterance are stirred within me, at
recital of an Ohio soldier, so tfuthfully
painting in eloquent words the desola-
tiOn that has swept over my native State
- a State where | and my father were
born, and where repose the remains Of
that honOred parent-that truly loyal
soul ..s
Painful is Ito me TO recognize the fact
that my loved land is made waste; but
two short years ago, had a comfortable
home in East Tennessee home not
valuable merely for its title deeds, but
such in the treasures of the heart. There
the affections were shrined-there en-
throned in the family circle-but the re-
bellion broke out. Long since that para
disc has become a desolation. The sad
and sorrowful experience through which
such men as loyal Ten1esseans have en- :
dured, cannot be recited TO you. You
cannot appreciate the bitter experience
and sorrowful desolatiOn which has re-
suited from this giant rebellion against
the Government of our fathers.
You, know, have made great sacli-
6ce. You have given your sons TO the
Union army. Your boys and brothers
may have fallen in battle or by disease,
far away from homes of affection, bat
Ting for patriotic cause. Your hearts,
no doubt, have sorrowed from such be-
reavements but there are things thou
sand times worse than death that could
happen TO your boy. To have had him
dishonOred; 10 have had him dishonor
you and your family, would sting yor
worse than death. But with all your
reading, all your sorrows, aud sacrifices,
you can yet have no personal experience
of the terrible effects of the rebellion.
AS a stranger, / know nothing Of your
local politics, nor do wish q; wanted
to come to the loyal States of the North,
TO the free North, which | did within q
week past, for the first time, while re
gaining my health; also, TO see for my
self the operation and moving Of society
among you--of free society y--of a society
OF free laborers. overlook entirely
your local politics your subordinate is.
sues. We people Of the loyal South
and we beg TO assure You that we have
in the South true loyal men TO the Gov
ernment, Union men who despise all adj
versities, are really so- Union men and
nothing else, with no side issues.
Men who are for the Government OF the
United States; Tor its exercise Of Au-
thority everywhere, from the lakes Of the
North TO the Gulf and the Rio Granda;
against everything, against everybody
who are against that Government; this
is our loyal Tennessee creed. We have
only one way. You lose time; you waste
words; you do yourself a wrong in
speaking Of Offering terms of peace with
hope Of securing IT, Take no trouble
about peace measures, for the rebels and
the rebel authorities have no disposition
to make peace, but on the contrary, de-
termined that they will submit TO no
terms Of peace but those they dictate
They will have no union with %. They
spurn us.
II is an utter waste OF words then, 10
tai of compromises propositions Of
peAcl. IL is true that thousands Of men
Inere, not active in the war, are sick and
tired Of the rebellion, who w0uld yield
10 the United States--wOuld gladly give
up; but they are powerless TO do or 20
say. They are in the power of the
military authorities; they dare not ex-
press their loyal views; and hence IL Is
idle TO attempt to conciliate the rebel
lion.
They don't recognize your differences.
They treat you in the North as one
p)ople. They make no distinction be-
tween you. And it 10 the strangest thing
10 me, and other loyal Southern men
who come among you. IL amounts to
being ludicrOus. IL is astonishing that
in the North there is any body who calls
some one else an Abolitionist IL IS
ludicrous in the extreme; il is absurd.
The rebels call you all Abolitiopists;
they call me one--a Lincolnite, a tory, q
negro worshipper They denounce US
all, and 80 have done from the COM
ment emsnt.
All these party 1ings are worse than
children's talk. These differences cree
ated by partisans should not be, The
rebels look upon all who are for sustain-
ing the u. s. uoyornment as Abolition
ists. This war conducted by the South
against the Government of our fathers.
is upon one idea-it is an elementary one,
bedded on one foundation, African negro
Slavery. They are bending their united