The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-01-16
DIsInteFestcd PatrIstIsm-The
Browns aud Smiths.


soar above the sordid snd calculating
masses around them. Yet il may be
doubted whether men 50 pure il. their IA
ture, ought to be considered safe p0liti-
cal guides; for governments are best
when best adapied to the people govern
ed. To manage the national admins
tration upon principles cOmprehended
only By the uaself5h few, might end
in disappointment such as would crown
the efforts of one who essays 10 furnish
4 popular hotel on vegetarian diet. As q
hungry traveller who calls for fat beef
steak, will not listen patiently 10 a lee
ture on disletics from him who denies /;
so people Of common mind, when injur-
edin what they consider sheir political
rights, viii not be edited bya discourse
on disinterestsd patriotism, especially
fit fall from the lips Of 5 Government
official This is doubtless the reason
why cunning statesmen in all ages have
shaped tseir administration rather by
the cookery book, which tells how 10
roast pig, than By "the shorter cate.
cbism," which informs US that mans
chief end is to gloriiy God"
During the progress Of this unhappy
civil strife, teachers Of greater or less
magnitude have arisen before the country
or before their own immediate neighboF-
hoods, who are hard TO be appreciated,
as they might be in q higher state of
existence. There is Brown, for example,
who has resided in Middle Tennessee
from bis infancy, and WAS here when
Isham Harris declared be would furnish
old Abe no troops 10 Invade the South"
but would soon have fifty thousand ready
TO oppose any such enterprise. Brown
was 3 man Of principle then, as be is
now. From his cradle be had learned
thSt the slavery of darkies was right;
that as a system il was not only indis-
pensable 10 the culture of cotton, sugar
and tobacco, but to the civilization and
christisnizatiOn Of barbarous, id0lGtrous
Africa. In short, it was 3 divine insti-
tuition. Brown was a prO-slavery man
from principle. True, be possessed .
few valuable slaves, whose yearly hire
brought him revenue sufficient for bic
snstensnce, and a little surplus, with
the accumulated savings of which he
shaved good paper. As the slavery sgi-
tstion progressed from one phase to an
other, he became more and more .
"Southern man )" for he was purely o
man of principle, and could sec nothing
in the forebodings Of timid old men like
George Washington, to deter him from
calling parties by geographical names.
There were not wanting, indeed, wiser
teachers than either Washington or
Franklin, who dealt in great principles
exclusively; and these teachers of
Browns party confirmed him in the be-
lief that nothing could protect the South
from Northern aggression, but the Union
of the Southern people as one man. As
matters grew threatening, Brown was a
Union man, be said, but "for the South"
When war was precipiiated, he went
with the South, and thought all true
men in the South would do the same.
Time rolled on, and rolled Brown
with it. Oar cOnqueriug armies demon
strsted the fact, that African slavery is
not an ordinance Of God; else how could
they overcome it? Brown admitted
what was proved by memorable logic.
He become . Union man. And like .
true man of principle, be event in."-
With = zeal like that of Mahom-
cts followers, he was for con-
version or tribute. To-day, Brown
is Of that opinion. 1t comes Of
bis being a man of principle. When
he was for slavery, be was for it on prin-
Ciple and was ready TO make everything
bend to that principle. If be then had
few slaves Of his own, they were not
considered; if they have all left him
now, neither is that considered. Thank
God, be has been able, uader monopoliss
arising from Mr.. Chsse's excellent Trea-
sury Regulations, to make fourfOld the
worth of his lost negroes. Virtue is its
own reward, and Brown has realized
that no man can fOrsske houses, lands,
etc, for the truths sake, Especially If
he has none) without resping q mani
fold reward. It lie no wonder, therefore,
that Brown cannot understand the slow
workings Of unprincipled, sordid minds
We may admire q man Of principle
thus rapidly sketohed, but nOtso heartily
as we should, till We contrast him with
selfish man Of calculation. Such q man
was smith-unfortuns,ely, there are
more Smiths than Browns. Smith was q
citizen Of Middle Tennessee-is an "a
hab1ant Of that demoralzsd section to-
day. Before the Southern heart was fir
ed and the Southern States were preeipi-
tated, Smith gave himself no great ankle
~ about political movements. When
asked Why be took so little interest in
the welfare of his country, he would cay,
if be thought the country had half so
much 10 do with public discussions as
certain parties, be should perhaps take
an interest. When approached on the
negro question, he would not let the Sub
jsct excite him, though be had sc6Te Of
slaves, because, as be said, his lands and
other property were Of more importance
than The Everlasting Niger" Il fact,
he had sold or freed all his negroes except
one or two house servants before the war
began. Attic commsncemsn Of our trou-
bles, be persisted in beinga Union man.
Having no conception Of great principles,
be said, with a heartless coolness. there
was nothing - fght about When come