Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1865-09-08
CONVENTION or EDITORS.

snortiy, 10 DISCUSS sucn measures As may teno 70
restore the old freedom Of the press. The removal
Of these trammels that now fetter free and out
spoken utterance of the Southern mind, Is q
consummation most devontedly to be wished"
Why we cannot now write upon any topic
without suddenly and violently refining mp our dis
cursve thought before the apparition of the de-
fhnct "Confederaey," with one forehnger pressed
to her bloodless lip in warning silence, and the
other pointing to gibbets, bastiles, Dry Tortugas
&c. We cannot touch upon the claims Of any
candidate for our political sufrages, without an
Exceeding iender-footedness, when such claims are
based upon opposition to the "powcrs that be-"
We cannot express sense Of the injustice Of an
Oppressive legislature, without being suspected Of
a Iukewarm loyalty we must be extremely mod
crate even in the poor tribute of fearful regret to-
the fallen Rebel soldier and friend lest the altar
upon which he sacrificed his life, rather than the
warmth of friendship be deeped the usurpation Of
our homage. We cannot even protect with our
pen the noble women of the South, from the foul
ISLANDERS and nspersions Of sectional rancor and
| injustice. II would, indeed, be pleasure, to be
coveted, to lift the veil of Misrepresentation, be-
the Northern eye. Thus lifted, the sternest re-
venge could not but weep TO those angel faces,
index's Of all that is sweetest and purcst in
womanhood, wearing the anguished expression of
hearts broken, with the unutterable agony of
sacrifice, the sublimest the world ever saw made in
vain. as at.
| The South is charged with indifference 20 the
I 1T
would be permitted now TO plead for his once
chosen leader. No matter " no might yearn to say
that the fearless heroism and signal ability, with
which he upheld the flag of calamity struggling
but doomed people, before the surging hosts of its
foes, plead eoquenty to the manifest sympathies of
his heart for the agony Of an intrepid spirit
crushed and captive; or to say that dauntless
sonl overwhelmed by misfortune was a spectacle ia
life's sad drama, over which the Gods themselves
do weep-te had better not say any such thing if
he don't desire an admonition may be in the shape
Of arrest that bis portrait of so notorious Rebel
as Mr.. Davis, is altogether two lattering. So
don't understand, gentlemen, that the foregoing
outlines Of Mr.. Davis likeness are from our pencil
We wouldn't utter such sentiments to a brick wall,
In fact we may say that we utterly disgust Mr..
Davis, and wouldn't abuse dog with so vile a
name rs jeff. We only suggest his preference to
show what glowing paragraphs we could indite, IL
we were only "let alone" as he wished to be, but
4 wasn't very much.
The editors vocation is ever irksome drudgery
to an elastic intellect or fancy, but envroned as
20 ~, tha bx.c eotto
one might as pleasantly tug stone up and down
hill, like Sysiphus of old, as plod up and down
the weary columns of his paper. Even in local
) sketchings we must keep our humor we'll in hand,
lest it tresspass upon forbidden ground. We can't
make free of anybody now but Rebels-so watch
out, you poor rebs We shall have the satisfaction
Of the irate wife, that give her dog HI, IL she
couldn't whip that bigger dog-her husband.
We do hope, after while, that we may be
allowed to express our opinion of all men and
measures whether they be loyal or disloyal, and
may be, after long probation of good behavior
VIC can say negro is not so enormously superior
10 the white man after all To our poor compre.
tensions it seems the most utter and complete OF
all subugations to chain the expression of peo-
, mandate Of mistaken policy warns back our ear.
nest thought from any outbreak into sincere and
manly utterance. Why should this be so? In
craving full freedom for the Southern Press we Dc
not desire any latitude beyond the limits of the
u Constitution. Let us learn to love the Govern.
u ment TO which we have been forced to submit, by
: the time hallowed Republican prrrogatve Of
openly opposing what we deem unfair and unwis,
legislation. So long as we are loyal to the Gov.
II crnment why not let US oppose the acts of thos,
Of its agents, whom we contemn2 For God and
llumanity's sake Messrs. Aulhontus, let us South
ern editors, at least, say what we feel and thinl
upon any and all topics, so that our papers can b,
made readable.
We promise, for ourselves, personally severa
o gratnitous pufis of our worthy "Uncle SAM" i
&c he will only let US d--n some of his mear
n nephews to our hearts content If he won't le
Y US denornce those who have always been loyal
whenever we think they deserve it let u.s. at least
cuss and discus those guardian Rebels, who hav,
/ orsaken the South, in her hour of trial and suf
" fering. How refreshing it would be, if we wer
permitted to do So that such men as Henry S
e Foote who now councils the South to advocat
negro suffrage and equality, from the base hope o
d a personal pardon, and, perhaps future politica
is favor with the dominant party deserve to be mad
perpetual synOnymes for whatever is vilest in hu
man nature IL their abilities were not too uttcrl
y, " contemplate, ever TO merit an immortality 0
A infamy.
lie We do hope this Convention of Southern Editors
CT If il ever cOnVenes may accomplish solnethni
~ towards interfering the press, and SO we hearth
II bid it God speed.
es - -
N THE region around Canton, Mississippi is said Il
90 be infected with horse thieves and cotton thieves
n. that lie down at night assured of tn
r. security Of his property The thieves are general
s. y men from distant States left behind on the dis
r. bandmcnt of the armies. force is about bein
organized TO meet this evil.