The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-30

The n. Y. Times publishes a long
and very interesting letter from its cor
respondent "HandsL" giving an account
of a recent journey on horseback from
Mobile, Ala, to Decatur on the Ten
nessee river in the northern part of the
State. His report is very favorable as
regards the temper of the people of
the State, the condition Of the freed
men, and the prospect for good crops.
The following is the conclusion of his
letter:
It only remains for me to give a general
summary on some points not yet touched
on. They are
/. The nature Of Southern submission.
2. Is the situation improving or growing
worse?
3. Advantages of a liberal policy.
/. Of the nature Of Southern submission
-and AVE the authority of scores Of both
those who haye been in tho rebel army and
those who have MOTT is not difficult 10
speak. Nearly all speak Of the war as a
blunder-feW, if any, denOminats it a
crime. A majority IN Alabama opposed it
in the beginning, and say they always be-
heyed il better never TO have been but
they will not admit that they were wrong,
but say that, coms what viii, they will
never repeat hostilities. The questions a
issue are settled, and settled forever and
they are prepared TO abide the result. They
say LET US not quarrel with the past, but
so shape The future that we shall have unity
Of sentiment aud unity of acts, and what Is
behind US will settle themselves.
?. With regard TO the situation-whether
growing better or worse have q pretty
good chance to judge, as I made a similar
trip through Mississippi and a part of Ala
bama last July, and / unhesitatingly state
that the prejudices Of the people have been
fer removed since that time. True, in July
last. they were more humble than now, but
there was Il far bitUerer feeling toward the
General Government; less determination
han now TO appeal TO reason but ! am
further constrained to believe that the
situation IL less favorable to-day than when
Congress assembled. In July, tbs pco-
pie were prepared TO accept any terms
from their vict0rs but they were sur
prised and g~rati6ed with President John
son, aud they believed the people of the
North were with him-proposed to treat the
mass Of them IS misguided brethren and
there was everywhere something Of the old
feeling of ATTACHMENT 10 the Union, and this
if properly nurtured, would have rendered
the South as loyal in a lutte while as the
North but there is no mistakiug the fact
that tue action Of Congress has been most
deleterious. The people now fear that their
first expectations-thaJ is, that they were
20 be treated as subjects, and not citizens
will be realized. This, and this only, has
caused s'retr6gr ,ssion. Last July the pe5-
pie were prepared 10 sccept a liberal policy
toward the negroes ms a condition dictated
by q eonquerOr on the Ist Of necemberth they
indorscd such a policy as just aud right
Was NOS that progress? To day they say /:
"Why shouli NO 20 further n professions
Of future loyalty, as not only al our pre-
vious pr0feStaAs0Hs, but our acts are dIsre-
garded?'
With regard 10 the existence of secret so
cieties 20 secure a dissolution Of the Union
that is the sheerest nonsense.
3. What would be the effect Of a liberal
policy2 When England and Scotland uni
ted, neither asked the other TO forget the
past, but only be a unit in the future; aud
the result is, that, without regard 10 ceutu-
! rles of warfare, the Scotchmsn is "a much
English o. the native of London. When
Dr. Franklin went 20 France, during the
Revolution, he did not ask that country TO
repudiate II, action in melting sRyages 10
massacre co oulsts during the rrenCu "aI %.
1890 nor did France require the United
States TO ask forgiveness for having taken
part with England in that struggle; a unity
of future interests was all that was thought
Of. The PUritans Of England, after the
downiall ofRicbard Cromwell, were not re.
qaired TO acknowledge themselves guilty,
IN having dethroned aad beheaded Charles
the First and ~inaugurated the Common
wealth but regardless of the past, the Pu-
ritans became among the hrmest supporters
Of the monarchy.
VIII not the lessons Of history apply in
this country also?