Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-04-02
The Preservation Of our Nationality.


The preservation Of our nationality is the
great question Of questions. Beside it all
others sink into utter nothingness. The
National Government, on the one side, and
the rebel government on the other, are the
broad unmistallcabc issues. He that is
sincerely for the Union is also in favor Of
using all the power Of the Union to destroy
the rebellion 70 be for the Union implies
also the idea of the use Of all the means Of
preserving the Union He, therefore, that
processes to be for the Union, and yet hest
tates to use all the Legitimate means that
are necessary to preserve it, is for the re
bclion. and is Il traitor. He that uses his
influence to weaken the government, and
cripple its military measures, if not in de-
sign traitor, performs the work of trail
tor. lie that gives aid and comfort to the
enemy, by counsclmg peace and by with
holding his aid to the government, is q trail
tor at heart. All who are for the Union
will support the national authorities in all
necessary measures for the suppression Of
the rebellion.
In this great contest we unrcScrvcdly
declare for the government and against the
rebellion. We are tor the injon dS il WdS,
or as il u.s. or as 1t may BE- bit still for the
Union Any way, and under any changes,
it will be better than the rebel government,
If old things are passing away, and new
things are appearing, this is the fruit OF re-
bellion. If our laws arc silent if all civil
proceedings are suspended, if we have no
voice in Congress, if the armies in our
midst maIt~cat our citizens, if we are under
the dominion Of muskcts, if many of our
rights are denied or forgotten in the glare
Of military pomp and power, and if loyal
men are treated by their loyal brethren as
enemies, before the word OF complaint passes
from our lips, let us recolcct that none of
these things would be, if it had not been
for this accused rebellion. Let your wrath
and your blows be turned upon the heads
of the guilty. The rebels have caused your
houses to he burned, your property destroy
ed. your life to be insecure, and your son or
husband to be murdered. THEY were the
first great cause of all your suilcrincs If
You are losing your slaves, if You curse any
one. curse with all your heart the traitors
who broke the bond and the covenant by
which YOU held them. IHcy struck the
shacklcs from your slaves They brought
the Northern army into your midst to eat
ont your substance, pcrchancc TO wantonly
rob YOU. IHcy lifted their wicked hands,
in defiance, and red with blood, against the
government. and provoked the contest of
arms All this is. their work. But for them
and their wicked acts, none of these things
would exist We must therefore hold them
accountable for all we suffer and endure.
Let loyal men remember that their only
hope of protection and social equality is in
/ the Union. Under the so-callcd Conicdc-
racy they would receive only rcprcachcs,
/ shame and eternal ostracism. lniamy and
/ degradation would he their portion, and
their chidrcn's portion for centuries to
come No act or word or decd. or prayer,
can, in the estimation of these traitors,
wipe out the disgrace of being for your
country. All Union men have passed the
fatal rubicon. and there is no retreat. We
must move forward One government or
the other must perish We state the issue
broadly but not broader than the fact lie
that is Tor the Union is for the use of all the
power and means necessary to put down
the rebellion. He that is not for their use,
is, whatever his professions, for the rebel
lion