Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-02
1tnion aud 9mrritan.
letter from the Hon. John Bel1.I
WEDNESDAY,, MAY =. 1863.
NASHVILLE, April 20ih, 1866.
20 paber Esa IuuisyilIe XIV


the North and the secession movement of
the South and the general causes Of dissen-
sion, is described in my last letter.
Under the circumstances therein set forth
a gun was fired, an attack was made upon the
ensign-the symbol Of national dignity and
authority-the flag Of the Union was struck,
and Fort Sumter surrendered to the arms Of
the secessionists. As soon as the daring out
rage, the grossinsult to the national flag, could
be transmitted on the wires 10 the North, no
volcanic eruption from a quiet mountain
side, sending forth lurid Jets of fame and
ashes and streams Of burning lava, could
strike, seemingly, greater astonishment and
terror into the hearts Of the people, than did
the news, as reported by the Wire WORKERS, that
the national flag had been insulted by rebels
and traitors, and that they threatened the
national life. The cry arose, that the Union,
the ark of the nations safety, must be saved
at all hazards; the insult TO the national flag
must be avenged. The President inyokes the
aid Of the people TO defend and preserve all
that is dear 10 them md their pOsterity.
The authority Of Andrew jackson il in
vol,ed by the recital Of his celebrated
sentiment: "The Federal Union, it must
and shall be preserved" At 5uch a call,
and without any thought OF consequen-
Ccs 10 themselves, their families and their
country, the people sprang to arms, as
though life and death depended upon in
slant action, and instead Of seyenty-fve
thousand volunteers, million would have
prepared TO march, had they been called for.
Not one Of that warlike host thought, for an
instant, of the strangcness and audiences Of
the change that had come over their recent
security aud repose, dreaming Of no danger
no attack upon the national honor and
safety. No one paused to think Of the sud
den transition, or % reflect, that for upward
Of twenty years their ears had been familiar
lied with the cry that the Constitution, the
basis Of the Union, was a covenant with
death: that they had for more than two years
heard that a small but able and thoroughly
earnest body of men had banded themselves
together 10 destroy the Union as an agree
ment with hell - that President Buchanan
and others Of standing had declared that any
State or States had the right to secede
from the Union and set up for themselves,
If they thought proper without mourning
the penalties Of treason. The sudden frenzy
melted by the cry Of danger TO the Union
and revenge for the insult offered TO the ma
tional flag successfully turned to account, by
a few leading men and skilled tacticians in
popular sentiment, by taking it at
the tide and calling themselves Union men,
were soon able 10 organize such a system Of
arbitrary power and control in the Govern
nent, rs 10 bring the whole people of the
North 10 JoJr with submission to its dictates
The Union, the devotion TO which was such
As 10 lead the people to sacrifice to it cheer
fully and willingly, as TO another Jugger-
naut, the dearest objects, and every right or
principle of free government, the free
dom Of speech and Of the press, and
the security of the domestic Preside
all, all crushed or struck down 10 do hon.
age 20 this iavorite object and seeming
ly superstitous devotion, "a though in
spircd by the expectation that all those
precious offerings would in due time, Phoenix
like, be reproduced from the ashes and
smouldcring ruins of their sacred depository,
which had been destroyed. Through the
phrenzied enthusiasm awakened for the
Union, and the terror inspired by arbitrary
arrests and imprisonments, the lovers of the
Union presently acquired such absolute
sway over the people of the North, as to OBJ
tain such supplies Of money, provisions
and munitions of war Of all kinds, without
stint or limit, rs to lc able TO launch success
sive armies into the lid in such numbers as
soon 10 uverrun the whole South, and COM
pei the surrender, at dissection, of every hos
tile array; and now, wheIE there is not a SER
geauts guard in arms against them, and there
has been actual peace for u>0re than twelve
months, and when the rebels r.ely in rebel
lion, have not only laid down t3;.sr arms, but
taken the oath of allegiance L. {. :. Govern
mcnt of the United States aires. r :, ounced
forever the doctrine of secession, no Elk TO
be- restored TO the Union, 10 thcs, :. ;urs
of the Union, rs they claim 10 have 3. a.
during the preceding four years, and So i.
formed foreign nations, now unblushingly
turn round aud not only rebuke the lale re-
bells for their impudcnt demand, but tell the
people of the North, SO long their obscquious
followers, that the Union they proposed TO
preserve, and for which they expended five
thousand millions of dollars no longer eX-
lists; that il persisted when eleven Of its
seeded from 1t. They regret TO
say that the national flag, that glorious sym
boil of our rcnown, must be remodcled 10
conform 10 the diminished numbers of
the States: that eleven of the stars that
shone on the national banner must be blot
ted ont They can do no more for the
present, than 10 encourage the hope that the
Union may, in time, be reconstructed and
restored 10 its former power, with safety 70
the Union party, after the late rebels and
traitors. bv their restitution and suilerings,
are sufficiently punished and Inundated to
qualify them TO become the associates of the
North, and to participate with them in the
national councils and legislation Of the
country
This looks cool enough after having
brought the people of the North up to such
a pitch or frenzy for the care and preserva-
ton of the Union But did they rebuke
those artiul men for the fraud and deception
by which they had been misled, so much TO
their cost No; not a syllable, nor a mur-
muir, in the way of rebulle, or rcmon-
STRANGE even Well, this seems won
dcrful Did none Of them repel the pre-
that obviously might be expected
10 arise, Of having been acting for the last
two or three years Of the war, under a strange
delusion, some frenzy, the natural Conse-
qucnce Of this extreme concern for the
Union? No; there was no attempt 20 ex-
plain anything
Hence, a great ntYtery arises, which,
If possible should he solved. 4 strik-
ing feature in the course of the
Radical leaders, who, il appears, have
assumed the direction Of the grave
questions relating to the future charac-
ter. nature and condition Of the Union
Is the extraordinary hate, and often, the
malignant spirit which they manifest in
what they say and propose TO do with the
late rebels of the South. Not content with
the punishment inflicted upon them by the
war and its rcsults-in the loss of properly,
the modification Of defeat, and the overthrow
of all the hopes and expectations, of those
of them who went into the war willingly
and confident of success in asserting their
independence: and, without discriminating
In any degree, between them and the large
class which went into the war against their
own Judgment, and merely because they
were not willing 20 come into conflict with
citizens Of their own State, having no con-
Gdcnce in the prospect Of the success of their
attempt 90 establish a new Government!
they seem disposed. if not resolved, TO push
their advantages Of position to the extent Of
degrading them still further, 10y exact
ing from them such Compliances rs silent
submission and admissions of respect and
consideration for those who have shown
neither regard nor sympathy for their sui-
fcrinCs from the first; 20 whom they have
offered insult by refusing 10 rely upon
their parole Of honor, and after requiring
their oath Of allegiance, further insulting
them by denying their sincerity, and de
claring them utterly unfit 10 be trusted with
the equal rights Of citizens.
To pursue with such ruthless hate con-
luct so utterly wanting in magnanimity-