The Placer herald., 1865-12-23
TENNESSEE AND THE WAR.

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Y. Post, goes over the war from its inception
to the end, and comes to the following con-
clusions:
Of the Southern soldier, first it is said:
INSPIRED by the same love Of country, the
same spirit Of patriotism, the same sincerity
and hope, which inspired thousands Of the
other side, he joined the army, and be served
four years to the end. They were four fear
ful years. The last two years passed with
out tents, without food, without pay and
clothing, and in the face Of constant re,rea,
and fiightful havoc. Talk of Andersonvle,
Salisbury, and the Libby-they were hardly
worse than the life Of the Confederate sol
dier in the field, sleeping in the open air
through dreary winters, Aly clad, and shoe.
less and half starved. DO you think that a
man was not sincere. brave and patriotic,
combining all the elements of hero9
Well, he fought the fight to the end, and
he lost-in addition to his sutferngs, he lost.
lie came home, not as he expected TO come,
crowned with Iaurels, but ragged, care.worn,
and ruined, his means gone, his hopes crush
ed, his circle Of friends decimated, and his
sweetheart, perhaps. if he had one, married
to quarter masters clerk in the winning
service. Rather tough this, but true.
lie falls into a brown study, and is half a
mind to curse the world, the flesh, and the
devil, and 90 into monastery, or Mexico.
lie says to himself, IL have done no murder,
cheated no man, stolen nothing from INV
neighbor; have fought the best could;
have lost my cause and my fortune; and
now all want is work, a chance to get even
with the world; and if you ever catch me r
any more revolutions. may be damn'd."-
He goes to work. He is steady, sober an,
honest. All his original prophecies abou
disunion have come true, and his early opin
ions and professions prevail. He become
used to seeing the stars and stripes one
more. The music Of tho Union again be
comes familiar to him. lie cannot fee
ashamed Of what he has done, but he is sor
rv, and he has made up his mind to live aul
let live. to labor and to try and forget.
Such very briefly and roughly run over
is abou! the case of fourtilhs Of the soldiers
of Tennessee, who fought in the armies OF
the South, and express their opinions and
sentiments, when unexcited by the abuse and
violence Of those who talk Appauty of ex'
termination, and would concede to rebels
bot two rights, "the right to be hanged, and
the right TO he damned"
Does anybody fear another rebellion? Is
il possible that ever so much leniency to the
defeated, divided and ruined elements OF
Southern politics can enable the South to
organize second Confe,leracy? when the
first, aided 10y all the undoubled sources of
strength with which she set out four years
ago, failed so sgna|ly of success? In South
Carolina everybody votes. 10 Mississippi
everybody votes. In Alabama everybody
votes. Why such discrimination in Tepnes,
see, last to 90 out of the Union and first to
return?
The South to day has greater need Of the
Union than it ever had; it has kept back no
part of the price; it has suffered f-arfuIly.
and paid three'fold the penalties of error;
there was much wrong done on both sides;
it was manifestly impossible for any fair
minded man to endorse the ertire acts OF
either; the war is now over; the resources in
the country need developmeni; the people
n. ed rest from agitation; right minded men
everywhere are ready TO unite, to combine
and to labor; and all that is required to set
us up again, is total erasure of everything
like elimination and recrimination, and n
Christian resolve to let bygones be by cones
and to live for the present and the future.
Gentlemen Of the North, we have as many
as you to mourn over, and the fortune o
battle has denied us the blessed privilege ant
satisfaction Of those burial righ, and honors
which should he paid to heroes of every land
and cause, and people. You must not asl
us to be penilent, or to crawl upon our bel
lies. That is not the spirit of freedom ant
seldom meets sincerity. We are honest, AM
we mean what we say in good faith. Yo
will have both to trust and respect US in an.
event involving combined action; becaus
upon no other foundation can any peace O
security be given to Republican institutions
and popular forms. Remember the words
Of one OF your own greatest and purest o.
poets:
"You cannot chain the gle,
And you dare not harm the dove;
But every gate you bar to hate,
Will open wide to love-