Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-22
WHAT ARE TIE OBSTACLES TO
80 4UNIONe

To answer this question fully would involve
more time and space than is now at our COM
mainland, we may add, more harsh words
than we should like to print, or offer for the
perusal Of member Of the cuhrch. But
briefly the answer may be summed up thus:
Five years age a portion of the people,
honestly and sincerely believing themselves
aggrieved by the course of political events,
undertook to redres their grievances by a
disruption Of the Union. Those of a con-
trary opinion opposed the effort and rendered
it futile. AT the termination Of the contest,
the former yielded the issue, and consented
to the theory of the latter. The only work
then remaining TO be done was TO adjust the
interstate relations that had existed before
the contest, and in accordance with the de
cision reached by the conflict. To do this
a rule Of civil government was required
which should take the place of the tempo
rary and abnormal rule Of mere military
government. The only available present
rule of the required kind was to be found in
the Constitution Of the Union. To 90 be-
yond that or establish new one, was simply
to entrust the destinies of the country in the
hands of those who might be, for the time
being, invested with the public administra-
ton, and launch the ship Of State upon a
sea of anarchy and confusion, equally disas-
trous to ALL
In this alternative President JOHNSON,
after mature deliberation, announced his
determination to adopt for his guidance the
Constitution of the United States as he re-
ceived it. Then came the day of the petty
politicians and the scramblers of party
Congress met, and Congress proposed to set
up new guide, and to so change the or
ganic laws of the old Union, the old chart of
the Republic, as that it would meet the
wishes of the latter-day imposters, selfstyled
political saints. The national Legislature
was deluged with proposed amendments to
the Constitution, designed to efectuate to-
tai change in the principles of the Govern
ment That body has declared, through
their repeated votes, that there is and can
be no Union until there is an organic change
in the rules of civil Government utterly
subversive of the principles laid down and
transmitted to us by the sires of American
liberty.
Thus has the issue been made before the
American people, between the President and
Congress. On the one side, is proposed a
complete restoration of Union and the rights
of all on the other hand the proposition is
to overturn the Union and erect majority
despotism changeable, according to the wishes
of passion and fanaticism, every year, or
every month. The one appeals to the reason
of the people, and to such action as shall be
productive Of the permanent good of the
entire country while the other appeals to
preiudices and hates, and obstructs the pro-
cess Of Union and pacifcation. And this i:
now the only remaining obstacle to resto-
ration of those relations which have bound
the States together since the foundation Of
the government.
1t is fortunate that the issue is so simple
and that the dictates of patriotic duty are SC
clear as to relieve it of all real difficulty
Stripped of verbiage it is simply repeti-
ton of the question of Union and disunion
with the former parties to it reversed. i
we have not so far degenerated as to be in.
capable and unworthy of our liberty and our
institutions, there can be no doubt of the
decision to be rendered by the American
people. That they will rally in support Of
the Presidents position is most abundantly
testified by the almost undivided sentiments
of the South, and the popular expressions
throughout the North from the uttermost
borders of the sea to the Rocky Mountains