The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-12-28

states, not a summer soldier or sur
shine patriot
Mr.. Sumner have not read an
Onymous letters
Mr. COwan-Fhey are ANONYMOUS ;,
far as we are concerned, and / com
mend the Senator'S prudence in keen
ing the names Of their writers from tn,
public, because / have no doubt that /
their names we're known they would
not be considered Of much importance
| very much doubt whether there is 4
single man among them who has ever
welded any thing more than pen
during this rebellion. But 7 say that
We have the testimony Of men Of IN
exceptiOnable VeFacity We have the
testimony Of the President Of the
United States, who was a Union man.
and who was in favor Of the Union at a
time and place when there was some
merit in it / do not suppose there
was any great merit in being Union
man in Massachusetts, | suspect q
man would have been very likely 10 get a
lamp-post if he had been anything else
there. but the President Of the United
States was Union man in the very
thick and storm Of the battle he was
driven from his home; he was waylaid
on his way hither in order to attend to
his official duties in this body. He has
stood by the Constitution, by the Union,
sll the way through, steadily and firm
", and as a compliment to him the
great party to which belong, and to
which he did not belong, and never
pretended to belong conferred upon
him Office which, in the providence Of
God, has made him President Of the
United States
Now, sir, You are told here that this
man in his official communication 10
the Senate Of the United States, white
washes the condition Of things down
below. Yes, sir, "whitewish is tie
word. The honorable Senator says that
he will not accept the definition Of
"Whitewash' given by the SenatOr from
Connecticut or the Senator from Wis
consin, but he has not told as what he
means by the word ''whitewash. Ii is
not necessary that he should say what
he means by that word. Everybody IN
derstands it. IsuppOse even his cOlored
friends, in whom he takes 50 much in
terest, would know what the meaning
of the word "whitewash was Laugh
ter He says that this man, VINO stood
firm when everybody else faltered this
man, who stood almost alone in the
midst of an enraged population, and in
the very storm and strife Of the worst
civil war perhaps the world has ever
seen. comes here 70 'whitewash What
does he mean except that the President
of the United States in an official com
munication to this body comes here 10
lie; that is the plain English Of il
comes here either TO suppress the truth
or to suggest a falsehOod.
What does the President say will
read what he says as q sufficient an
sWer 10 what al. these people down
South report of the state Of affairs
there, and ] do not find IL necessary to
DENY thousands Of instances Of exceed /
ingly heretieal talk may have taken
place there, and of reasonable talk if
YOU please, and / have no doubt that
in state Of things unparalleled IN the
history Of the world heretofore, wrongs
and outrages innumerable happen
there; but that is not the question.
The question is, what is the condition
of the mass Of the people in the South,
what is their disposition and tendency,
not to love the North, not 10 love the
honorable Senator from Massachusetts
because I very much fear that that
will not be brought about soon, unless
there is q change in the temper Of
both parhes-not 70 have hearts over
flowing with love and gratitude 70 those
who they think persecute and hunt
them in their submission, who kick
and strike st them after they are
down, after they have cried enough
but the question is, what is their dis
position to obey the laws What
do we care about their hesrts Or
their dispositions, if they are O5edient
to the laws, and submit 10 the laws!
Now they nave submitted TO laws
which impose the heaviest penalty tot,
if they are traitors, the law imposes the
penalty Of death, and eonhscatiOn Of
estates by means Of tine.
will read what the President says
now of the condition Of that people,
from the information he has received
O. In that portion Of the Union lately
in rebellion, the aspect Of affairs Is
more promising than, in view Of all the
could well have been
expected / think there is no candid
man who will not indorse that senti-
ment The people throughout the
entire South evince q laudable desire
to renew their allegiance to the Govern
ment, and to repair the devsstations Of
war by pIOmpt and cheerful return 70
phaceful pursuits.
Why should they not To suppose
anything else is to suppose that they
are demented, that they have no kind
Of common sense left, that four years
Of the most terrible war, and the most
terrible punishments ever inflicted upon
a people. have been without their les
sons Ii cannot be, Mr. President il is
not in the nature Of things that it
should be
An abiding faith on the part Of this
man who suffered from these people,
who suffered from this war and the
doctrine Of secession, and the attempt
TO break the Union, he says An
abiding faith is entertained that their
actions viii conform 10 their profess
sions, and that in acknowledging the
supremacy Of the Constitution and the
laws of the United States, their loyaity
will be given to the Goyernmenbwhose
leniency they cannot fail to appreciate,
aud whose fostering care will soon re-
store them 10 a condition OF prosperity
And here, Mr. President, allow me
to ask when in the history Of this world
or OF the human family has it happen
ed that severity, curelty, persecution
refusal TO recognize common rights, has
reconciled a people and pacified dis
tracted country; and when has il hap
peued that clemeney leniencyr a. the
President expresses 10, has falled 70
produce beneficial results 10 Is not
necessary 70 90 very far back Tor IN
stances 10 show thia Look 81 the
treatment Of England towards Ireland
What has been the result there Of her
holdinE,that people in q species Of vas
salage7 A Fenian insurrectiOn upon
her hands nov after hundreds Of years
Of attempt to dominate over that PEG
pie. Look At Poland look every
where. And IL It be necessary 10 see
what clemeney, what lenieney and
Justice and trust and confidence can do
70 restore a people once In revolution,
take the conduct Of Hochs in Ia Ven
dee There BY the genius Of one man,
high enough to be above vulgar passion,
statesman enough 10 look 70 the future,
La Vendee was restored 20 France and
is there now part and parcel Of it, with
every recollection Of the Revolution ei-
faced
Says the President
"It is true that in some Of the States
the demoralizing effects Of war are to
be seen in occasional disorder"
These effects are 10 Be seen In the
North as well Is 10 the South
but these are local in character. not
frequent IN occurrence, and are rapidly
as the authority Of civil
law is extended and sustained Per
picking questions we're naturally 70 Be
expected from the great and sudden
change IN the relations between the two
raoes but systems are gradually deyel,
ping themselves uuder which the
freedman will receive the protection to
which he Is justly entitled, snd By
mean ~ h. Iahor raalra hfuraaIf q, r,-.