The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-18
Sentiment in the snnth-

being IN such an event TO avail them
selves Of that opportunity 10 unite
with the enemy. Major Gen Thomas
corToborates the existence of the orga-
nization.
The conviction is forced upon our
mind that both General Grierson and
General Thomas have been imposed on.
1t is not stated 10 what extent the in
formation or evidence in the possession
Of Generals G. and I. warrant them in
believing that this organization exists
General Thomas does not think it TO be
very dangerous, though it would be
well to watch its development We
have no doubt that these officers have
been warned of the existence of some
such association. But we have as little
doubt that the warning comes from
that class of Radical sensationists, who,
either from abundance of suspicion or
a dishonest design, are laboring with
all their energies TO promote discord
and perpetuate intense and bitter sec
tiOnal hatred, for the purpose Of secur-
ing the permanent ascendency Of the
B3dical faction.
The very fact, that no arrests have
been made, conclusiVely proves that
the information which is in the posses
sion of the authorities is not definite
and tangible enough to justify proceed
ings against individuals. If the evidence
we're conclusive, we cannot doubt that
specifications would accompany these
general suspicious, and that the indi-
yiduals implicated would be held TO
answer. 1t is difficult in any case to
prove a negative, especially when the
public Is not furnished with the authors
Of the charge, and the testimony on
which they are based. Warnings have
been received by these Generals, which
they deem sufficient to produce the N
preston upon their minds Of the exist
nee ofa secret conspiracy, to unite with
an enemy Of the United States in a GER
tain event. What is that EVENT. A decla-
ration of hostilities with the Government
of France II does not appear that any
efforts have been made to encourage
such hostility by the supposed conspira-
tors, or by any party in the South. On
the contrary, the general, almost the
unanimous, expression OF feeling and
opinion in the South, is against a war
with France on account of Mexico.
If the Southern conspirators are the
secret enemies they are supposed TO be,
on the hypothesis of the existence of
such an organization, they would wish
TO embroil the Government in hostili-
ties with Mexico and France. They
would unite with the Radical press and
politicians in gloriiying the Monroe
doctrine" and in e~ndeaYoring TO up
hold the cause Of the adFenturer,
Juarez, as against the de faoto Govern
ment / Mexico. By bringing about a
state Of waT between the United States,
on the one side, land Mexico and France,
on the other, they might enjoy the
opportunity, which they are supposed
to covet OF Joining France, as against
our own Government The Radicals
are the advocates and formenters of
these hostilities. 1t is disloysl to III
own Government to oppose them1
The South actually desires to have
peace. The d~esolations of the var
have laid her waste. And the fact that
her people are not anxious to be drag
ged at once into another war, to gratlfy
the aggressive designs of q faction, IN
our " country, should rather shield
her from the suspicion of dislOyalty,
than lead to the opinion that she is
conspiring with any future enemy, that
we may be forced TO encounter, in CON-
sequence of radical ambition. If the
war with France were popular in the
South, and if Southern men and
journals were to advocate it, with the
dogmatic violence that distinguishes
the RADICAL politicians, we should
witness a great Outpry from
this class of patriots. We should
hear it as~severated, accompanied
with sensational stories, that the
Southern people were endeayorlng to
drag the United States into a wal with
Mexico and France, with the deliber-
ate design to aid the latter and renew
the rebellion. In that case, we should
regard the charge as much more plausl-
BILE But in neither case would 1t be a
sufficient basis for a charge Of disloy-
atty, for the people Of the South should
be as free TO advocate or oppose q for
eign war, in which they are equally
interested, and of which they would
bear equal burdens, as the people oil
the North. But the readiness TO charge
~disloyalty, under any state OF facts, IS
illustrated, in this example. The South
can do or say nothing that is not used
to discredit them Ifthey support the
President, il is because the President Is
a traitor If they were to oppose his
policy, they would be condemned as
enemies of the Government The old
women in New England under the
reign OF Mather, who were a~rrsigned as
witches, had a better chance for acquit-
tai, than the South has of being Judged
by the Stevens faction. IL is historl-
cally known, that in some instances,
these supposed witches were thrown
into deep water, for the purpose of at
testing their innocence. Ii they were
drowned they we're declared martyrs of
innocence. IL they survived, they were
deemed. by this conclusive adjudica-
ton, to be guilty, and were hanged
Whether innocent or guilty, they thus
persisted.
In the ~serenest aud most profound
peace, the South is disloyal and reyolu-
tionary, according to her sectionsl per
secutors. Upon suspicion, she must be
governed by pro-consuls, Freedmen's
Bureaus and congressional ukases. If
she endure the severest ordeals with
patience and accomplishing foUtitude.
aud perish upon the rack, we doubt
whether Nj. Sumner, Mr.. Stevens, Mr.
Wade or Mr.. Phillips will do her the
oorjustice of pronoqnciag the sentence
of innocence melted out to the New
England witches, which somewhat
consoled their sympathizing relatives,
under the afiliction of matyrdOm
In all truth and soberness, we entire
" discredit the existence of any such
organization which has been reported
to Gems. Thomas and GrieEson. We
have never heard before even a suspi-
cion Of the existence of such a conspira-
cy, and We eau only regard 1t Ss ota
piece with the thousand and n sen
satioBal rumors that. W. see 10 the
Radical papers about the unfriendh-
ness of the South to the Union men,
freedmen, etc, nearly all of which are
~unmitgated and unslloyed ~falsehoods
Memphis Commercial
MisSissinpi News.