Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-26
SOUTHERN FEELING.

SOUTHERN FEELING.
SO far correct opinion of Southern
feeling is almost an absolute impossibility,
for il is as changeable as the coast tide. now
running high over the grounds of loyalty,
and again receding to the dark ocean OF
treason Much depends upon the person
seeking te develop It, for, as would naturally
be expected, the people here are very sore ON
matters connected with the history Of the
past five years and their hearing on the
present. Commence your inquiries with the
word rebel, and ten to one you will find your
| self talking to a rebel, while, if you use the
word Confederate or Southerner, you will
nearly always discover conservative opinions
Speak of Mr.. Sumner or Thad. Stevens, and
you will be overwhelmed with an avalanche
OF explosives denouncing the whole North
as bl0od-thirsty violators Of the constitution.
which, however, is readily changed to COM
mendation, and advances toward Cancellation
by the mere mention Of President johnson
and his bene6cent policy. A "Red Repub-
lican" is greeted here with exhibitions of
disloyalty, engendered by dislike; but
supporter of the President will find bona fcle
evidences of contrary condition, and it is
most always kindly received President
Lincoln's name is rarely mentioned here, and
have never heard it brought forward in a
| disrespectful manner by sober man. The
| Emancipation Proclamation, the Freedmen's
| Bureau, and other coneomitants of the war.
elicit various phases of wrath and praise,
but there is always qualification of sub
mission to the will of the powers that be-"
| Gen. Grant is respected with a respect diff
ferent from that which is rendered as homage
to successful man, for he is considered
magnanimous conqueror, who has been con-
slstent in his magnanimity from the surren-
der of Lee up to the present time. JEFF.
Davis and other leaders of the rebellion are
looked upon in different light by different
| people; but the desire for their uncondi-
tional pardon is almost unanimous. Lee.
| Johnston and Stonewall jackson are loved
| by the entire people, and the latter is always
| spoken of az true representative man Of
| the South.
UNION MEN.
The number of original Union men in
Virginia is claimed to have been large; but
| it is certain that the number who stood out
for their principles to the bitter end was in
| significant, and did not include much Of the
State. 1t is said that Virginia honestly
tried TO act the part of mediator at the COM
mencement Of the struggle, and that the
| great majority of her citizens reluctantly
left the Union, when forced out by the first
call for troops. This same statement is TO
be heard in every Southern State east Of the
Mississippi, except South Carolina; and in
all those States it will be seen that the simon
pure Unionists are hated, more or less. by
those who engaged in the war. All praise to
the staunch and trne, though few they are,
who suffered for their principles, as the
Unionists in the South only have suffered,
and it Is their great misfortune that they
were not able to keep eontroll of their State
governments. As it is they have been set
aside, and the majority who now have the
upper hand treat them with bitterness and
rancor of feeling which would naturally lead |
an observer to the belief that they are Grim
inals. But this treatment of Union men is |
influenced more by personal enmity than |
anything else, and has but little bearing as
regards the principles of the victims. There |
are, most assuredly, those who are inclined |
to persecute Union men ON account of their |
loyalty, but they are few in numbers, and |
are, for the most part, contemplate, hot |
headed fanatics who have but small infu- |
ence. In short the war men of the South |
are jealous of the native Union men be- |
cause they were not whipped with them, and |
the majority seem to have an idea that they |
were craven-hearted, when, in fact, it requir- |
ed more true courage to breast the tide of |
public opinion than TO go with il.
THE RECONSTRUCTED MASSES.
Wis too much the general inclinationof the
North to suppose that because a man has |
been rebel, he is one now Unwittingly |
many good men do violence to common hui |
mainly by such hasty Judgment. Because |
man has lost lawsuit, there is no reason
why he should not submit to the decision of |
the court. Although he may think that /
the decision is unjust, he will, if he is not a |
fanatic, acquiesce, and grin and bear his sup
posed wrongs. So it Is in the South. All, |
except the fanatics, are obedient to the will |
OF the government, and the overpowering |
decision of the arbitrament of arms. do |
not pretend to say that the so-called princi- |
pies of the rebellion have been whipped out /
of the minds of the people, for such a thing
is impossible. Their convictions as TO right |
and wrong remain undisturbed, and will |
until they go to their graves. Regarding |
States Rights, think that the opinions en- /
tertained by the thinking masses previous to
the war still predominant in their minds; but |
do not hesitate TO predict that the majority |
are willing to abandon them in the future as
matters finally adjudicated BY the war, and |
that no attempt will ever again be made, |
based on the doctrine of secession, for any |
object whatever. Regarding the freedman,
the people of the South have tried. and /
probably will continue to try, to secure as
much power over them rs they can. and in |
doing so, will of course, resort to rounda-
bout means, and perhaps oppressive laws,
therein following an example prominently |
brought before them in the far-fetched theo-
rizing Of the upholders of the territorial
theory. Nevertheless there is liberal spirit, |
generated by pity for the unfortunate freed
men, which will always oppose itself against |
injusticetoward them and attempt toadvanee \
and alleviate their condition. 81
| Regarding the rebellion, the reconstructed |
participants see nothing in it which they are
ashamed OF, so far as mere fighting is con-
cerned but they take pains to cover up and |
palliate the dark spots Of the record The |
burning of Richmond, the disgraceful hor-
rors Of Andersonville, Belle Isle and Libby /
Prison are subjects rarely talked Of, and al
| though there was generally expressed |
sympathy throughout the whole South for |
Wirz when he was executed, it requires no /
| great amount Of discernment to see that, If |
| the execution had not cast discredit on their |
lost cause, the people would have unani- |
| mously applauded it, The trial OF Davis
| / !. particularly obnoxious to them, because |
| il will unearth the shameful imbecility and |
| cruelty Of their attempted government
| There is but little sympathy for him as a
man, but as the representative Of their de-
| flnct Confederacy, they viii dislike 10 see
him held TO account for the treason in which |
] they were participants.
The fact that the people Of the South |
| have, by their failure IN what they are /
pleased TO style 4'the revolution" become
criminals in the sight OF the law, il humili-
ating, and the natural sequence Of their
criminaiity application for pardon-is a
blow TO their pride, from which they are
slowly recovering. The anxiety to obtain
parions, however, is somewhat abated BY the
uncertain condition in which the Southern
States find themselves since the meeting OF
Congress The future, politically speaking,
Of the South is undoubtedly ciouded, and
exerts an influence which il anything but
conducive to restoration, by fostering the
feeling Of dependency produced by the ter
nination Of the war, and there are many
who seem to have lost all interest in public !
affairs. It Is an ordinary thing here to hear
/ men declare that they win never vote sgnin. |
Hew long shis feeling viii last do net pre-
tend 70 SAP, but cersain 1t Is thatit exists |
now.
Meme save prejudiced and interested OBJ |
servers will Drefes,d 10 DENY the existence