The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-03-09

If In these columns We sometimes
point to the past acts and sayings Of
/ gentlemen. with reference 10 our ma
tional troubles, it IS not because we de-
sire to set up n censorship OF self-right-
eousness. Very far from it There
were tho6sands of men in the Southern
/ states, who were seduced into the re-
belIion by Circumstances scarcely to be
resisted, except by the spirit Of martyr
dom. Many moro thousands had been
SO thoroughly indoctrinated by political
evangelists, urging them year after year
to a union ofSouthern men against the
North, that they verify believed them
selves sufferers from oppression, taking
up arms for their rights. Though none
Of the guilt which hangs upon their
false teachers, encumbers our con-
science, we nevertheless regard such
men with more Of grief than Of
anger When they turn from their
error, we have for them'a hearty grasp
Of the hand, and a welcome in which
there Turks no hypocrisy. When we
reflect upon their conduct, and upon
our own, it Is not to calculate thanks,
with the Pharisee, that we are better
than they-for il truth we have no
such selfestimation. 1t is TO be thank
full that we have been more fortunate
that il so happened, IN the allotments
OF destiny, we were shielded from the
temptations which oyercame honest
men, perhaps in all respects our supe-
riors. and who are now our neighbors,
whatever may have been their position
in time past
Only when gentlemen connect them
selves with combinations assuming the
right to make creeds for the loyal, or to
dictate the political practice of all who
wish to support the Government, do
we feel inclined TO recall their seeming
or real departures from loyalty in the
past And to this we think no valid
objection can be made. If gentle
men essay TO measure our corn in
their bushel, we surely have a
right to show that their measure
viii not always hold out when tested
by the standard Of consistency In
other words, we would appeal to the
public from their decision, by producing
evidence Of their fallibility Whose
cannot endure this method of reply,
should never call in question the sound
ness of his neighbor's opinions; and
whosoeVer becomes the chosen eandi-
date of junta setting up themselves
as the orthodox, and proelaiming others
heretics who profess TO love the Gov
eminent as much as they, should ex-
anime himself, and be sure he can sit
in safety with those arrogating such
perfection. There is nothing like
spiritual regeneration in political con-
version and be who has erred once may
err again. 1t is well, therefore, that
none of Us should be high-minded All |
Of US may learn much, if we keep the
mist Of intolerance from before our
eyes If all the political knowledge |
to-day possessed by all the wisest men
in the world, were condensed in the
brain Of one individual, with a physical
frame able TO support it, we suspect he
would know but an infnitesinal por-
ton Of what is to be learned, ere this
ball Of earth and water shall cease to /
whirl upon its axis. The man in the
moon may well place his thumb to his
nose, and wag his fingers in mirthful
contempt, at our intolerant disputa-
tons
Seest thou a man wise in his own con-
oeit? THERE'S more hope Of q fool than
Of him And when we see gentlemen
running about the streets asserting,
10, here is true loyalty p or 40
there !" and that it is nowhere else, we
greatly fear their zeal will never con-
tribute much towards repairing the
rents which demagogues and traitors
have made in the mantle of our God
dess Of Liberty They breathe not the
spirit which brought the Pilgrims to
the Plymouth Rock, but the spirit which
drove them thither