The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-12-04
The Future Southern Feeling towards
the Union.


Il has frequently been asserted by
the enemies of the Union that even
the breaking up Of the large armies of
the rebels would leave q population in
the South exceedingly embittered
against the Government, who could not
be subdued for many years. We be
lieve there is much less force in this
objection TO our military plans than APP
pear on the surface.
The rebel army is made up Of many
different sorts Of persons, who have
joined it from various motives Only q
small proportion, probably, are fanatics
in cause 30 palpably baseless az is that
Of the rebellion. These men will, no
doubt, fight 70 the last ditch" But
the great majority, as in all similar
struggles, are persons who have follow
ed their neighbors, OF have been led by
-ympathy, or by a mistaken notion of
duty TO their STATE, or Of honor to their
section Of the Union Thy will act
just as honorable as mistaken men in
the North would act in a desperate
cause We, in similar circumstance,
would consider it base to desert our
comrades; we should fight as long as
our organization held together; but the
moment the armies were broken up,
we should feel absolved from duty, and
really should welcome in our heart the
couquerors' that liberated US. The
Southerners, like other men, love their
homes, their peaceful lives, their wives
and children, and are by no means in
different to the prospect of wealth
which peaceful ayocations at the South
now hold out Many Of them never
really approved of secession, and still
more are now thoroughly sick of it.
They have done enough for honor
enough to make their mistake any thing
but ridiculous in the eyes of the world
on the contrary, trsglcaily terrible.
such will welcome, we are convinced,
the offer of an honorable peace, after
All supposed chances Of the Confede
raey are at an end.
But beside these are large numbers
Of persons who detest and hate the
'oDfederacy; who dread the military
despotism Of JEFF Davis, and would
gladly receive once again the settled
protection of the Union. We hear
rom our returned prisoners that even
in South Carolina many of these Silent
loyslists are to be found, who will in
deed do nothing till q permanent VIC
tory is gained by our forces, but who
then will be vigorous supporters of the
old Government
It must be borne in mind that such
loyalists cannot show themselves, wheth-
er they are civilians or soldiers. If the
former, they only incur, by premature
exhibition of their loyalty, the dangers
of assassination, or of the entire loss of
their property and their Punishment |
If in the army, they are kept from |
desertion by the fearful consequences |
to their families, who are deprived of |
all the advantages they might derive |
from the supply Associations" which,
in every Southern village, feed the SOL
diers' families, and are liable to perse-
cution and brutal treatment by their
IL may be judged how these unfortu1
nate persons are dragged into the rebel
army, when we mention that our pris
oners in South Carolina have seen gangs
of conscripts brought ip from the rural
districts in chains, and forwarded to the
front again, chained hand in hand.
It is singular and terrible instance
Of providential retribution, that many
Of the conscripts have fled from the
villages to the swamps, as the runa-
way slaves used to do, have been hunted
out by negroes, using the blood hounds
that once chased the unfortunate
slaves Such is the cup which the
South has presented to its own hpsl
When once Lees and Hoods armies
are broken up, and their leaders cap
tured or banished, We FIRMLY believe
that the most of the Southern people,
once soldiers or not, will well
come the restored Union-the govern
ment Of Law. Peace and Liberty--with
such shout Of jubilee as only a people
can raise, who a g freed both from des-
Dotism and from internal anarchy and
and who return from pow
erty and suffering and slavery, to
wealth and comfort and lawful liberty.
N y Tribuns