The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-02-14

To he Ed.lrs ct-e M asIsU1c on.
Il would Be amusing. ifit were uota
serious matter in lie results, to witness
the efforts of embryo parties TO hold
their opponents responsible for ante
cedent opinions The righteousness
Of this effort appears the more absurd
from the fact that no man in Tennes-
see occupies the position to-day be did
three, four or five years ago. No enc
who hiss an idea above an oyster, enter
iains all the political opinions he did
within The recent past All fnd them
selves 90 different political grounds, IN
many respects, borne thither by the
irresistible tide Of events. The only
differences are that some have changed
more recently than Others, and an the
extent 10 which the change has o n
You and / were once politically op
posed to andrew johnson. The ISSUES
upon which we differed with him passed
away, and new questions arose an IL.
gard 10 which We found ourselves
agreeing with him, ard then We gladly
recognized him rs our leader. Upon
these new Issues his old political asso-
C ates became his opposers, and al ap-
peal was made to the high court Of
arms, and the new questions were sub
united 10 the arbitrameat OF the
sword, in which court all the great
questions involving human liberty,
have been settled, in all ages, and ffom
this court Of last resort there Is no ap-
peal These questions having been de-
c-ded, and the decision having been
accepted IS final, new questions have
arisen Nothing is more wise, prudent
in the philosophy Of life than 70 recog-
n.zs existing and accomplished facts,
and 10 refuse 10 do 20, Is most absurd
and foolish Il is vain 10 Attempt to
bring back the past, and equally i'm
possible 10 alter The accomplished de
cisions which it has registered. Why
shen should it be be thought strange
that men who differed and were oppos-
ed TO each other on questions now de-
cided, and buried in the tomb Of the
past, should upon the living issues of
the present find themselves together2
Every honest man gives up his opinions
when he finds them wrong, or what
amounts politically 10 the SAME thing,
decided sgain-t him. Where then is
the inconsistency of those who stood
on the opposite side Of the battleliue,
in the late conflict Of arms 10 that oceu-
pied by Andrew Johnson as late
Military Governor Of Tennessee,
who, now that the Geht 10 happily
over, md victory for the nation de
clsred, support him ns President Of
the nation in his Efforts to restore
union, peace, ard harmony Is the
fact Of their earnest, and even violent
opposition to him in the q case such
Inconsistency with his support in the
other Is TO be discreditable TO them
Should it not rather be mentioned 10
their commentator Men msy hon.
estly differ with the President in regard
to abstract questions, but zone can
deny bis honest efforts to give peace
and quiet 10 a torn and distracted land
This is q noble object il is a great and
/ Godlike enc. What heart longs not
for the permanent attainment Of this
ofisct2 It incindes the support Of the
national Union, and its maintenance
every where Does it matter where
and what 8 man has been, if we lind
him on this platform If we are there
be is our coadjutor, our compeer, oul
co-iaborer ia a glorious work Shal
we repel him because he hiss changed
We have changed ourselves The whol'
nation has changed. The mighty rusl
of events has accomplished the change
of q e in a year, aud even months
some have reached Il given pom
in this mighty revolution of opinion.
sooner than Others, but none OF IA
stand where we did a fw shor
months ago, and no n can safely sa,
where be will be, on all the question
now before the country, a few month
hence Thia we may be sure OF, ina
existing causes VIII produce their legi'
innate results. We cannot prevent tins
no matter how We Try. Neither Gu
wishes, nor our pr,iudiceF, nor any e
forts of ours can arrest the great law @
cause and effect We cannot alter III
|. mast. no more can we prevent the ops
= ration of the fixed and immutable law
, Of God. Instead of condemning on
! another for what Is true OF ~ all, ho'
mueh wiser aud nobler ii would be,
l ~;nouire what these laws are, and wha
2 they require Us to do, that right an
5 Justice may prevail, that peace ords
e and harmony may be restored to I'll
4 community.