The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-12-29
The Praffersa Amnessr.


in Tennessee should sgree IS 70 q mat
Ter Of prime imp oriance--ths re-estab
Iishment Of civil government within ID
lmits Of IBIS sts'e. or within 50 mueI
: Of these limits, At least, asmsy be con
sidered permahently undsr the prOsso
ticn Of the national army. Our fellow
citizens might waste months Of yaluabl'
time IL cOatsRtions about the cause o
sksir present distress but if they vii
5ast sefect shst We are in . drowning
condition. and that an offer is made, By
accepting which we may get out Of deer
water, discussions viii hardly be cOnsi-
dsred ussful Or entertaining. We may dr.
fsrinihis, that some think one party
pushed rs IN, and some think another
and in this also. that some may regard
the Prssident'ss of amnesty as moi
only just but liberal, while others regard
It IS unipst and illiberal; yet The ques-
tipR pertinent fer each citizen to ask
himself is, Would we not better accept
an cffer. Of civil governments, whether
made erAciOusiy or ungrsciousIy, than
remain in anarchy ngsh lisi ea
Reader, Be candid with yourself,
and answer Us one or two questions
In your own mind. Perhaps you
believe slavery is divine ins'i-
tution. Perhaps goa believe SAmbO
is an ebony divinity. Perhaps, with
us. you believe eitherproposition. But
tell Us, would you not be willing to vote
on tomorrow, IL By doing so yen could
have but > 6 lsrable state Of civil govern
ment established, that every "unbleach.
ed American" With his wife Cor wives
and bis little ones, and the cattle and
mules be has pressed, might go three
dsys's journey into the wilderness, and
neYsrreturng Would you not be willing
10 lend them little Of your jewelry
knowing IL would never be returned
Are the fertile lands, the beautiful
streams, Che rich mines, and the fine for
Z eats Of Tennessee, not TO be compared
with this domestic biped? Yet none Of
the former are safe Investments, or likely
to be profitable, till you have delivered
yourself from the irrepressible conflict
about the latter, by saying TO him, $50
free" Do you want she negroes TO work
for you? You viii find it much cheaper
to hire them. We believed it would
have been cheaper before this cruel war
began. Perhaps you differed. We shall
At least agree, it would be cheaper now.
But you think they would be $50 sAucy,p
$40 stuck up.2 Don't alarm your
self. When they get nearly naked,
and half starvsd-when contrAband as
rociAtions have run their course
they will be glad 70 work for
moderate wages. And you will End
perturbtd madam, that your house maid,
Betty, win stand in greater terror Of
Losing her snug situation in > respectable
family, Of good livsrp, than before the
war che stood of being sold South
Yen win fad that competition for tbs
beet places Will work greater advance
ment in thrifty habits than the eoWhide
You, too, sir, with your cOuntenance
heightened, because you-cannot recover
that fine farm hand, for whom you paid
fifteen hundred dollars when currency
was ss good as gold, will find, when the
sword fives place to the pillow. share,
that HSm's stalwArt son will till your
land better, and stop the hOg-hOles in
your fence mere carefully, when he sees
HE colOfed nsigbeOr banging about you,
snspplicsnt for his place. Then, You
have not forgotten, that even before the
war, though some folks said Is niger
wont sieal,s there were many "oOlored
persens" addicted TO picking up little
things. Butmark you, If you give up
slavery, and ct the same time get the
civil law upon its feet, the light affection
Of thirty nine Iashss viii be commuted
into two, three, OF ten, years cOnhne-
msnt in the State prison, ct hard labor,
on wearisOms diet, and away from DinAh.
Furthermore, when your servant dies,
you may shed Gear athis grave, if you
like, bat there, viii not be thousand
dollars Of your money in the coffin. or
course, you never took this into account
when you buried : faithful slave; bus as
these times are eminendy practical il
may be well to give il thought
From the tenor Of these lines, the
reader viii suspect Us Of an opinion, that
Tsnnesseans might as well make merit
Of necessity, and voluntarily give Up
she institation." That's cur present
conviction with the lights before US;
though We are not disposed TO damn evs-
rybody foE q rebel synpalhizer or cop
Perhead, who eaa't think as VIC think.
And from our reading Of Uncle Abs's
propositions, we are persuaded, be ar
dsntly desires US 10 unwind our afeo-
lions from the system Of slavery. Would
you not like, above sll things, when re-
stored 10 your position, as a citizen Of
State no longer counted under iusurrec-
tiOn--And consequently no longer under
Ar. ohsss's One-man lsgislation-to have
all your rights in The territories? To
have all these was che chief anxiety Of
many, just before the rebellion was in
sagasated; and dsnsgogees took adj
vantage Of such lohcituds, t. draw You
into trouble. and lose your righvs in the
States By preaching "a uaitsd South
Now, IL you meet together in calm coun-
ell, and resolving TO sserifcs an old pre-
ference t'r ths pablo good, voluntarily
take steps for dispensing with all your
slaves, you will have as many rights in
shstsrritOrles as any body. Don't get