The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-02-23


jects Of the meeting, and Hope that, If con
sistent with the condition OF the people, i
will adopt such resolutions as viii furnisl
70 the country authentic and reliable evi
dence that pesee, good order, and obedienc,
to law, prevail throughout the state.
or course no quantity Of evidence vii
satisfy the %prejudieed. They viii not b
convinced. They close their eyes. becaus
they do not wish % see; asd stop their ear.
50 that they cannot hear. Yet there ar
many who are open 10 truth, aud NAV b
conTineed-and, with such, wise and pru
dent seton will be good.
Out Of the agitstioas Of the present politi
cal crisis new parties will unquestionably
arise, and the destiny of the Republic vii
be cast By the events Of the late war int
the keeping Of new and untrie6 eombjna
tons; and the formation Of political associ-
atoms will be necessarily modified by tn
character Of the national surroundings.
Whilst many of the prominent and iHhu
entail members Of the Union party, in thi
, State of Tennessee, have been distrustful o
The people, have always argued and votes
IN favor OF the broadest hbrrality 0 ward
them hence / agree with the President
that we can now safely eonfde "Tn the in.
tegrity, in the judgment, and in the petri
otism Of the great mass Of those lately il
rebellion.
believe that the national, moderate aut
statesmanlike principles, avoRed BY the
President in his late message, must become
the platform Of that party, which shall BE-
governed in all of is political actions by
wise craftsmanship and practical popular
sympathy.
Here, at the Capital, schemes Of constitu-
! finnol amanlrnap i, So. 49, ..---.-n-
an utter otherthrOw Of the principles of the
organic and fundamental law, aud we bs-
leve, if not so intended, to merge all the
local State Governments into one "zupreme
power" controlled by legislative v~enality
and error.
live would stop this absorption Of power,
of which every intelligent patriot must feel
alarmed, We must drop these false theories
Of constitutional amendmeu 5, born as they
are of the throes Of the REBELLION, and restore
our legislative policy to that simple snd
patriotic faith taught TO US BY the Fathers,
which justly confines the exercise Of all
power to the sure and certain test Of the
Constitution, and the laws pass ed in pursU-
anee thereof.
LETTER FROM HON. cAvE JOHNSON.
CLAEKsvILLE, Feb. 20, 1866.
VIM. deskel, Esqt aud other members Of the
Committee:
Gentlemen-I have had the honor of re-
eeiVing your invitation TO attend a mass con-
yention to be held in Nashville on the 22d
inst, of the friends Of the Union and Of the
Administration of his Exceliency, President
Johnson.
Iapprove cordially of the call of the con-
y%entiOn, for the purposes designated by you.
The celebration OF the birth day of Wash
ingtOn should be holden a sacred duty, new
er to be omitted, by every true American
who loves his country, and the institutions
established by that great and good man and
his associates.
The approaching anniversary should be
met with = deeper sense ofgratipude than n
other since the origin Of our Government.
The people of the Unitei States, forgetfui.
OF the principles so strongly urged BY him,
are Just emerging from a bloody, desolating
civil war, IN which hundreds and thousands
Of our best citizens have been sacrificed,
VIII lie sections of our country laid waste,
and countless millions Of property destroyed.
No time could be more appropriate for q
review OF our conduct as a Bation to ascer-
tain the errors We may have fallen into to
repair the wrong we may have committed
as far as practicable, by steadi y pursuing
and strictly and firmly adhering 10 the
principles and advice of that illustrious pa
triot, by which cur citizens had prospered,
for nearly a century beyond any known in
the world's history, and which need only to
b restored and praetieed upon, to secure to
them for an indefinite period, the prosperity
and happiness they so long enjoyed.
This section of the State has been always
known as more united in support Of the
Confederate Government, ana as having
furnished more soldiers in proportion TO the
population than any other It was not be-
cause they had any objection to the Govern
ment, as it had been administered BY the
predecessors of Mr.. Lincoln, but because
they believed, the rights 70 which they
were entitled under the Consultation and
extended to them by ell his predecessors,
had been diSregarded by his administration, |
and that they would be more secure and |
protested by q total separation from the sec
tional party which had elected him.
After q bloody struggle for four years, uu-
der the most skillful officers, commanding /
as brave end gallant soldiers Ias ever enter
ed a battlefield, they, the South, became /
convinced, that they could no longer resist
successfully the immsnse masses brought
from the North they admitted themselves
yanquished and like brave and gallAntmen
returned to their homes, took the oa'h of
amnesty, engaged in civil pursuits, with q
NNlAC AiAAaLL0u W hu44t W the IE- /
suits Of the war, TO sustain and support the
Constitution and the Union, and they, to-
gether with the citizens at home, have con-
Quoted themselves as peaceable, quiet aud
orderly citizens, as are to be found IN any
other section Of the country.
And, yet, notwithstanding the many evi-
dences smOng our citizens to sustain and
support the Government in good faith a. in
former days, we End a small number Of our
own citizens identifying themselves with
the Radicals of the North, 10 deceive and
mislead the President and Congress, as TO
the true condition of the State, and urging
the army to LIE kept among us, under the
pFetense hat the Union men would not be
safe, and the freedmen mistrealed, if not
protected by the 6rmy, whilst they know
many Northern men, identified with
the Federal army, have taken their resi-
dence omong US, pursuing their avocations
peacefully aud quietly, without molestation
from any quarter. And the freedmen treat
ed kindly and more sympathy felt for their
poverty and dependence than ever entered
The heart Of q Northern or Southern fanatic ,
would be better protected and more
kindly treated by the citizens than them.
Ieannot be with you on the 22d. l could I
not with safety take such trip at this sea-
ION Of the year.
a@@F 49, ~ N@HAkaa NAN0 A1NEH kAAL tue |
will make known 10 the Presi-
lent from Congress or its Committee You
laye nothing to hOpe) the true condition Of :
he State, accompanied by such evidence /
IS will expose the false representations of
stter-wrIIers aud memorialists, whose in
erests are to some extent Unidentified with :
he disorder and confusion which has 50 =
ong prevailed in our country. j.
The President, in his struggle te restore a
he Government to the well-settled princi-
Of our fathers and itI ancient purity, 4
las a fearful contest with the present Con-
.ress, aud has exhibited IA courage and firm a
Iss', that would give additional lustre t.
be Hero of the Hermitage and a generosity 9
nd magnanimity, to q yanquished foe, tina. .
oes honor to his head and heart and will 5
Justify your Convention in saying 10 him Il
well done thou good and faithful servant" 2
Respectfully, you friend and servant, a
g. JOHNSON. a
SPEECH OF col. VIZ. 3 Stokes. =
l accordance with a previous announce
tent, Col. Stokes addressed a fair audience,
/ the evening on the issues Of the day. al