The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-02-14


The HEaury County Restoration
Meeting.
| EXTRACTS FROM THE SPEECH OF S. II. AR
MEL, ESQ.
IN rising before you, fellow citizens
the shadow of old memories crowd in and
Cypress ne. It ives from this same place
aad IN tbis same month, FsbruaTy-a
month that ought TO be sver-memorable
to Recommendations I had the
honor of defending before you what to
day, we desire to restore. Applause.
When l look around and see the alter
atoms that have been mRde-When I run
over in mind all the sad tumultuary his
tory extending from 81 to '64, an ire
peessible feeling Of sadness sfflicts me.
Two years, history written in the blood
and anguish Of two brave sectionsl and
for Us, = dark catalogue Of misfortune
yea, new "Iliad of Woes" more tragic
because more real than Honer's But
desire not TO up-lift the curtains of the
past, drApsd as they are with mourning
and funeral banners. Still less do I wish
to open old issues for instance, whether
this Rebellion was right or wrong
issues that long since have been dissipa-
ted in the glare and smoke of the battle
field. The Great Question, the slI ab.
sorbing issue is
WHAT SHALL We DO NOW
We sit amid the wrecks Of 3 tremen
dous Civil war that has uprOoted eli law
and order; that has removed old land
marks, and throw society INTO unutter-
able confusion. What can we do? arc
questions that now most immediately
concern us-questious of vital impor
lance 10 ourselves, TO QUE children, to
humanity.
wHERE ARE We?
The skilIfal physician first finds his
disease, and then bis remedy. Where
are we? How far ont have we drifted?
TIE entire occupation of Tennessee By
Federal arms is a patent fact and known
70 sll. East Tennessee, with its noun
tain fastnesses long held by the Confed-
crates and supposed to be impregnable,
has been attained. Through the bloody
passage. way of Stone River and Chic
amsuga,' they secured its possession.
and to-day hold it with their bayonetI.
The broad and fertile vallies Of Middle
and West TennessP, with their naviga-
bic streams, have, for months past, been /
under their sole dominion. Look where
We choose through our border, far or near,
east or west, We fnd every foot of it
occupied By Federal power. Orr very
towns bsistle with their cannon snd
steel, and q more significant fact sill,
thousands-of Tennesseans have vOlunta-
rily come forward and renewed their
allegiance by oath, to the National Gov
eminent in such numbers that I should
say from the minds of Tennesseana, at
least, the dream Of the Southern Con
federacy" had dissolved. Where are we?
Plainly under the guardianship of Mill
tsry powers. So far have we travelled
in two years.
WHAT SHALL WE DO?
This question has many difficulties.
Slavery is one of them. Now l do not
propose to discuss this topic. / am
heart sick of Slavery discussions Bern
on the soil Of Tennessee, 1 have all
southern prejudices in favor Of southern
institutions but / cannot resist tho evil
dences Of my senses In the matter. The
rude hands of war have unsettled the
institution. It is = small matter now
either in money or comfort to is owners.
It is q side issue.
The great question to-day, fellow
citizens, il not The future Of the southern
slave, Bat tie future Of the southern toaite
man This is the grand problem, and
and IL has but one solution. The imme-
6iste restoration of civil Government in
our midst Con you give me another, q
better? You cannot do It: there is
none other! To bind together the
broken bonds of society. to upresr the
barriers of law and order against the
coming tide Of destruction, end to say
to it's proud waves hitherto shall thou
come but no further" this alone can save
Us.
But there is another lion in the way"
the success Of the Confederacy. This
delusion has led many brave man into
q bloody grave. Let it not deceive US.
The success Of the Confsderscy Sup
pose we grant IL. Tell me what viii il
profit y0u, be IL ever so brilliant, unless il
comes qaicllyF Waiting for it, what
will you have when it come But IL
neJsr wiH cone. Applause. You have
lost "the negro; you have lost your
stock; the next thing lost viii be your
land! The success Of the Confederaey
Miserable delusion! Poor ConfedeEacY
that set up Cotton for King" the wait
ing servant Of Royalty, that ran 20 dill
gently after its gilded coach aud got its
hire in dust that get mp " the twenty
negro" satraps, and pulled them down
agai !, because it did not wish 70 favor
clsssesl Poor Confederacyl that wanted
TO found = nation whose cornerstone
was anarchy-"the right 70 secedel'
The bastard Of GoVeFnmeDtsl that stands
to-day chin deep in the blood Of our
brave boys and cries for nl0rei Compared
20 Mexico, and Mexico has been called
the "outlaW Of nations" there - no
comparison between the two. Mexico is
not the outlaw but the s0rrowful widow
that has the sTmpathias Of al mankind,
yea the worlds sympathy, IS she sis
cloud crowned upon her ty mountains.
with eternal summer about her feet and
famed By breezes that would revive any
but the dying, and even in d5sbg still
the proud and stately daughter Of the
Azleesi fApplause There il no con-
parison between the two. And / know
Of nothing to compare The Confederacy
with but the old god Saturn that every
year devoured one Of bis childrenl These
two lions, slavery and fear Of the Con
federatea, keep rs back. Well, slavery /
A. present il 2 very tame lion, and the |
Confederacy has It's tail between its |
legsl Laughter and applause
WHAT ARE We WAITING goa?
Are we waiting, fellow citizens, until |
the last ounce Of meal and the last pound /
Of meat is consumed? Until utter and 1
irrstfisvable ruin overtakes u.s. y this I
The psrt Of wise men2 aThs prudent /
mar foreseeth evil" If wo would have
any improvement, we must makeit. We
are the srehiiecis Of cur own fortune. /
The recent ProclamRtioBs Of Mr. Lincoln |
and Gov. Johnson, open Tho way. free
n accept 0em. I accept the Amnesty"
because see nothing degrading in f. Il
restores ns. first % citizsnshia and second |
to property IN The main; "teFms," AZ Ar. |
Ewing says, "quiis as good - q con-
qnered people can expect 70 obtain"