The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-15
The South and slavery.

A good many writers, either from appre-
tensions really entertained or with come
special purpose. represent the South as
seeking, by steRlthy means, the restoration
Of slavery We have constant statements
70 this effect. Every instance Of individual
discomfort with the present state Of things
is cited aud exaggerated for the purpose Of
ests bhshing this belief in the public mind.
We confess We do not see the evidences Of
il. So far as We can judge from the relia-
bic indications Of Southern feeling, the great
mass Of the Southern people accept emanri-
patton as q fixed iucI-aH fair GccompH-
and have no more thought or wish 10 re-
store il than they have TO bring back the
old era Of stage-cOAches, or the state of co
lonial yassalsge 20 England. Indeed, the
leading minds all through the South breathe
treer and deeper, now that slavery is abol-
ished. They have always regarded it as an
incubus upon their industry and prosperity,
but one o. which they could not rid them
selves Now that the war has relieved
them Of il, they rejoice in the result.
Take the following extract Of a recent
letter from Henry A. Wise 10 Cen Grant as
a sample Of the sentiments Of Southerners /:
$50 fer from my being opposed to
| the name freedmen, rs indicating the con
/ dition of slaves freed by the war, the chief
i W. aAAAAANA A AAuNN u tAAt AEhAAA OF the war
/ is that slavery is forever abolished; that.not
only the slaves are, in fact, at last freed from
! bondage, but that l am freed from them
| IL ng before the war ended, had definitely
/ made up my mind actively to advocate
| emancipation throughout the south I had
I determined, if could help il, my descend
! ants should never be subject 10 the humilia-
| ton ! have been subject to by the weak
ness, if not the wickedness, Of slavery; and
| while / cannot recognize as lawful and hu-
msne the violent and shocking mode in
which il has been abolished, vet I aceept
the fact most heartily as 90 accomplished
one, and am determined not only 10 abide
by it and acquiesce in it, but TO strive by an
the means in my power 20 make it beuef
cient 10 both races and blessing especiallv
% our country. unieignedly rejoice al he
fact, and am reconci!ed TO many 1.-THE worst
calsmities of the war, because | am now
convinced that the war was a special provi-
dence OF God, unavoidable by the nations al
either extreme, 10 tear loose from us a black
Idol from which we could never have been
separated by any other means than those of
fire snd blood. sword and sscrifce."
Many who recall the frantic violence with
which Henry A. Wise used 20 sustain the
claims and pretensions Of slavery, will
sneer at this as hypOetiticsl and false. We
do not so regard II. There were hundreds
and thousands Of thinking men in the
southern States who had come to regard
slavery 81 curse 90 the nation, and esne-
cially TO the South. They could not helm
seeing that, while it enriched g few large
planters Of cotton, sugar and rice, it inpoy-
erished AID degraded the great mass OF the
people. But there were many very power
tul considerations which led them 10 defend
ii, IN spite Of these convictions. There wa,
first, the natural resentment Of outside /
pressure, especially of outside denunciation /
and abuse. Then came the equally natural /
Tear Of the results of 80 vast and novel an 4
experiment as the abrogation of E system Of 1
isoor upon which eight millions Of psapie |
haa hitherto relied. The intrigues ofpoliti- |
a 9emsgogues; the incendisry appeals 10
Ioeai passion, TO sectional pride, sud to per
20. 'ual ear seconded and aided by the hatred
- .. 49, OF Northern fanatics CREASED
'nete IN which IL was desth for any
southern anti slavery man to brestbs -,
that even the stropges. and most ,,,,,,sr,,,,
men among them wers compelled 20 silence
OF 10 heSNe acquiescence I'M the 1o,,;,,,,3
sentiment OF the slave States. No st,,,,,.-,
iIeoi OF TINS can be needed thsn il to,S,5
IN ths utter failure, even Of Henr,y -,
with all his personal aud political go
aeney IA Kentucky, 20 make the sliob,-..
Impression upon tnst State in iavor al ~,
most gradual emancipation. Few men. IN
ne south or elsewhere, bad Mr.. Claws
outrage, or We're willing % erspple with a
Question: 50 likely 10 insolye them in ruin.
THESE men are now relieved from the on
preston which silenosd them so log. Fhere
re no longer any reasons WHY ANYBODY
mould favor slavery. Its support is no
onger the path to political advancement
here are no vested Interests which oompel
IS existence. There is nothing 10 be
aimed anywhere or in any form bv restor-
lg II. avery could never De respectsbie
rrept where It was powerful. absolute and .
ominant over al other interests and forms
labor and that II could never, under anv
reumstances, again become in the south.
"A states. Its glory and its power departed
the DAY Abraham Lincoln was elected 10
? PRESIDENT End from THAI day forward i,s c
-aih was simply question oftime.
ar. Wise declares ms purios 30 strive
al the means in his power 10 make il n
ne abolition OF slavery benefcent 70 bota a,
ces !, and a, blessing especially to cur coun- N
!! ms Is manly and patriotic purpose, ! I