The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-01-14
Sla6arillG &laiOu
w. OAAEBoN ; co.. PabllshaFs.
SATURDAY, JANUARY Il, 1885
Rr. Ilneoln,s Re.Eleellon.


FRENCH OPINION OF TIE POLICY OF TIL
PRESIDENT.
From the Revue des Deux Mondes, Dec. Is 8
The first words which fell from the
lips of the President after the re cleo
ton were words of peace and conciIia-
ton. General Butler, in a speech which
he made before leaving New York, also
gave it TO be understood that pacific
proposals would soon be made to the
Southern States. The misfortunes and
the emotions of the war have not
aroused any sentiment of vengeance OF
of hatred in the hearts of the inhabi.
tants of the North. They are ready to
restore TO the Southern States all their
constitutional rights, TO cover evervbod Y
with generous amnesty, to consider al
the DEGREES of confiscatiou a dead let
{ r They merely ask of the South the
Remuneration Of an Institution hence
forth considered Incompatible with the
Union, Never since the commence
N mt of the war has the North felt itself
s , powerful, so united, so confident; all
doubt, all hesitation has disappeared /;
tle war has henceforth its definite
meaning; all the forces of the nation
have found common object. This I'M
conscious purpose, pervading thousands
Of individual minds, has at last become
aware of its own existence. As the
price of so much bloodshed, of so many
tears, exertions, and troubles, it asks
one thing only, the Union without
slavery The popular verdict has a.
ready excited deep agitation in the
Confederate ranks. Mr.. jefferson Dav 8
and his friends hoped that the demo-
cratic party would obtain the victory
they believed the North exhausted,
discouraged, divided, and even if Mr..
Lincoln were elected they at least ex.
pected that his majority would be too
small to assure his moral authority. If
a new civil war grew out of the existing
civil war, if the factions armed against
each other in the towns and in the
States of the North, if party spirit pen
etrated even the ranks of the army, the
rebellion regained in g moment all it
had lost A single day has annihilated
these vain hopes the Southern Cons
f.deracy stands face to face with tt Q
gloomy reality; it sees its army deci-
mated, half its original territory lost
forever, its last remaining cities threat
ened, its treasury empty, its credit
exhausted. No free voice can make
itself heard in those States subject to
the military government; out the ao-
counts of prisoners and refugees, the
tone of the few Southern journals In
which regret and WEAKNESS may be dis
ceFned under an assurance Of enforced
enthusiasm, the speeches recently de
liyered in Georgia by Mr. Davis himself,
the messages of several governors OF
rebel States, the disgrace of the Vice
President, Mr.. Stephens, who formerly
made great efforts 70 prevent the geces
sion movement, all lead TO the belief
that the confederation is at this mo
ment being slowly torn asundeT A siI
lent struggle has commenced betWet n
those who, satisfied with having yinCI-
Gated military honor, have no wish 20
plunge their country III greater diss5-
Iers, and those who, despairiug Of VIC
tory, wish 1T least TO surrender merely
z solitude to their enemies. This might
have been foreseen from the commence
ment OF the rebellion the new con-
federacy contained within it two germs
OF death, slavery and the very principle
of secession. The South rose against
the North because it believed its favor
tie institution threatened and now, at
the end Of four years of contest, people
begin TO talk at Richmond Of giving
arms to the negroes, and Of Offering
them liberty as the price Of their aII-
ance. The slaYe-owners took up arms
in the name of the sovereignty Of the
States, and now the Governor Of GeOr-
gia plays off that sovereignty against
the despotism of Richmond, and gives
it to be understood that each OF the
Confederate States can separately make
peace with the North. Never mas the
logic which flows beneath the events Of
history been more imperious or more
visible; nothing has been able 70 retsrd
its DEGREES, neither the courage Of the
Southern armies nor the hrmnes5 OF
that soldier President, 81 once military
and civil organizer, around whom there
is something Of tragic grandeur 10
which even the most r-sOluJe enemies
Of his cause cannot remain insensibie.
If the war in the United States had
been an ordinary war that commanding
figure might perhaps have secured the
faYors of fortune; but this great con
test is in reality revolution, and in
the struggle OF principles at stake the
victory Will rest with the citizen Presi-
dant