The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-04-16
s. q. EdltOr.
THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL lC, 'Ga.
The Deslruetlorl d tho nebenlon

B.
The Destruction OF the Rebellion.
Iii il be true that this rebellionis based
upon an idea-tho idea Of negro slavery
lit is necessary TO destroy the idea, or,
II we may use the expression, the basis
Of the idea, before we can destroy the re-
bellion. We talk freely of "crushing out"
destroying" " exiermina'ing," aud can
initiating" the rebellion. How? What
measures are requisite TO effect this
Some say that The mere aef:ut and dispersion
Of The rebel armies will destroy The rebellion,
Kill, capture, and scatter a given number
of rebels, and the rebellion will DO dead,
according to this view, which looks upon
the present civil war as a huge prize
fight. We cannot but think that this
is = wild delusion. This civil war is far
more han a personal or individual con-
test for mastery. II is a war Of princi-
pie, it is a death-strugsl between the
idea of freedom and the idea of slavery,
oontending for the possession OF the Cow
eminent. If it were not so, this wicked
rebellion never could have raised an
army, or cut one State, even South Caro-
lima, loose from its mooriDgs. The war
of 1776 was not more a war OF ideas than
the war of 1861; both will be recorded
In history as collisions between W prin-
oiples, between which there exists a hos
fifty as implacable and eternal as the
enmity between heaven and hell. Now,
II such be the fact, and the philosophy of
the rebellion, it is evident that we must
destroy the source of the rebellion as
well as the armed force of the rebellion.
So long as the Federal Government disre-
CARDS this great truth, its eeorls to crush
treason will be as unayailing as the efforts
of Hercules TO kill the hydra, whose seven
heads grew out as fast as the hero cut
them of. Not until Hercules scared the
necks of the dragon, did its heads cease
TO grow out again and not until the Gov.
eminent shall scar tho bleeding neck o
rebellion, will its armies cease TO muster
again. 1t may conquer and disperse IT
armies, until not a hostile flag waves a
all the South. Phe lapse of ten, fifteen
or twenty years will renew the struggle
the cost, tho sorrow, and b%loodshed, an,
rebellion stirred up by its ever-restles
idea, for ideas never rest, will be as ma
lignant and more dangerous than eve
Can the nation afford to renew this civ.
war every decade, or double decade, Q
eveh generation? And then the inferno
diate peace or rather aTmisiiCes, betwee
these outbreaks, like lulls between storms
would debauch the loyal States, and b
no less ruinous than war itself. Takin
the spirit manifested by the WOODS, SEY
MoURs, and other political prostitutes, a
an index, we can easily ~foresee whS
would be the effect of the association {
unprincipled ofice-hunters of the Mort
with the cOnspiralors of the slave States
What would be the consequence il I'll
Government should again pass into th
hands of the conservative copperhea
Democracy, Of the n. Y. Journal Of Com
msree, aud Louisville Journal schoo
with the politicians Of the Rich
mOnd dynasty? It would pIac
the nation in a far worse condi
ton than il was left by JAMES BUcuAN
AN and his Southern Democratic Junt,
II would inevitably destroy the Unior
Better 'let the Union slide" at once, tina
respite it, for a death more ignominiou
than that of the scalTold.
Every consideration Of sound states
mAnship imperiously demands that th
nation shall destroy the idea and basis Q
the rebellion, rs well as the armies OF th
rebellion. The authors of this rebellio
are fighting for the ascendency Of thei
idea of Government; we must meet thoI
by fighting for the a~scendenoy Of the Op
posing idea. We must take somethin
better vantage ground than q merel
negative position; we must take a pos
tive position, and fight for a principle
We expect TO gain the victory.
How does the church fight sin but b
prOclaimipg the principles oil religion
How does philosophy overthrow errC
except by teaching truth The oppos
ing parties in all great controversial
each cOntend for some principle, and Ii
present tremendous controversy, whic
now cOnvulses this nation, cannot forl
IN exception. We must stand on prin
siple before wa can hope for a complst
victory.
A Constitutional Democratic. Conserv
tive opperhead paper in Kentucky ask