Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-16
WHY SHOULD WE DIFFER.

The future reader Of present history will
find nothing more difficult to comprehend
than the reason of the existing differences
among Tennesseeans. lie will read with
wonder, il not with admiration, the progress
and development Of a war of gigantic pro-
portions, its fierce conflicts, its end and the
extraordinary events Immediately following.
He will occupy standpoint whence he can
see, more clearly than we, the bearings of
those principles and teachings which To-
mented the great civil strife, and the folly
Of the passions and the errors in judgment
and craftsmanship which followed and en-
broiled homogeneous people In violent So
cial and political disorders. He will ascribe
many personal collisions to a spirit of deep
seated vengeance engendered by personal
grievances arising in the progress of hostili-
ties. But he will be astounded at the fact
that after the bitter experiences of pro-
longed strife, there should rise up party of
citizens who would endeavor through con-
troll Of public opinion and official admins
tration, to perpetuate discord and con-
tinue disorder. He will seek in vain
for that trait in human nature, recon-
cilable with intelligence, patriotism and vir-
tue, that would lead people, inserarably
connected in government and social institu-
tons, and necessarily having the same gen.
eral interests and the same general destiny,
into the relentless antagonisms displayed in
this State. We may account satisfactorily
for those differences Of honest opinion which
led one 10 link his fortunes TO the effort to
set up Southern Confederacy, and another
TO adhere to the original Union. He will
readily conceive how the feelings Of men
were excited and embittered in the heat of
the contest But he never will be able to
discover, on the hypothesis of sanity and
reason, the cherished animosities controlling
an entire people as manifested in this State.
The integrity and supremacy of the Union
was successfully asserted in the destruction
Of armed resistance. Those engaged in that
resistance laid down their arms, and in all
respects conformed to the requirements of
the occasion. This ended the contest. Re
turning Peace proclaimed herself through
herself II was only left TO the authorities
acting for the people of the country, to accept
the proclamation. The President Of the
Union accepted it. He treated the late re-
cusant States as again under the unobstructed
r. L. I'al,ra1 Inpefaf,atinf, and
laws. He appointed U. S. officers of all de-
scriptions for those States, who proceeded,
unmolested, in the discharge ofltheir respec-
tive duties. They paid their taxes again
into the Treasury of the Union; they receiv-
ed again the postal service, the Judiciary,
and the reciprocal duty of obedience to the
laws ard protection from them; and they
stand in this attitude still.
In Tennessee the friends Of the Union
were not only triumphant, but were able to
organize State Government with admins
trative agents Of their exclusive choice. Not
returned rebel" has lifted his hand or
his voice against it. Complaints have been
Justly uttered against the manner of its adj
ministration. Ii WAS the offspring of irregu-
larity and comparatively few Of .he people
of the State participated in its organization;
but no "rebel" hand is raised against it,
We hare accepted crcry just condition Of defeat.
Yet there is strife-not individual, private
antagonism merey--but partisan, political
strife, that grows more intense every day.
Whyis this? is the question. What concern
have the people oatside Of the general good ?
What matters il who holds office? Whoever
he is, who goes out tomorrow, and dies the
next dav. A century hence our posterity
will be electing their Governors, Congress
men. etc. when Brownlow viii be forgotten.
This will be the case if we are true to our
institutions, and transmit them unimpaired
10 our children. Otherwise they may have
their kings and princesan and noble households,
despots all. The one present interest Of him
who was "loyal man." and Of him who
was a "rebel," is the perpetuation Of popu-
Par Liberty, restrained and regulated by con-
.,i,u,iors and iaws--opposition to radical
innovations upon ourestablished institutions.
at is gratifying to us to see that the re
tlectinr ami patriotic people are disposed to,
and are, uriitingiia ,this'cOmmon object re-
gardIess OF the ,pasi. The approaching
meeting of the masses ~ this city signifies
that our people believe that Governments
20 he Of value. must depend upon their peo-
ple-that placemen are not SoTereign--thAt
the fanatical spirit making its way into'sur
oOunsels must be rebuked-that upon the
question Of continuing our institutions as
they were given 70 as by our forsf.thers there
Il no room for difference. Let the work be
spseded by every good citizen.