The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-06-09


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The London Times of the 22nd Of /
May has long article on the political |
situation in this county. 1t states
that in the heat of the war the possible |
results of the struggle were reduced in
political speculations to the three fol-
lowing alternatives
The Union as it was
Disunion
The Union as it ought 10 be-
The South fought for Disunion, and
lost the North for the Union as it
was, and won but yet the natural re-
suit has not ensued The third alter
native, originally proposed only by a
section Of the Federals, is now sdvoca-
ted with extraordinary eagerness and
some apparent prospects Of success.
President johnson wishes still for the
Union as it was, and the South con-
quered and helpless, is ready enough
to close with the condition; but Con-
gress entertains other views, and is
now zealouslS endeavoring to recon
struct" the political fabric of the Union
upon a basis entirely new Henceforth,
if these exertions should prove success
full, there s0ould be no South at ALL The
population Of that portion Of the Union
is to be metamorphosed and assimilated
absolutely TO the population of the
North. In the eyes of the Republican
majority, now dominant, the Union as
il ought 10 be, means Union in which
the political principles formerly main
tanned by the South shall have no re-
presentation. The construction of such
a Union is the substantial object of the
operations in Congress now repeatedly
successive mails.
The Times thinks the South ought
TO, and has, given up slavery, without
entertaining hope of re-establishing
it; that it has abandoned forever all
idea Of secession or independence; that
it has no intention to pay the rebel
debt; nor to place any impediment in
the way of the payment of the Federal
debt The antagonists of President
johnson, however, profess to have fears
on the latter point The Times regards
their fears as groundless. But, it con-
tinues, after Diminishing these conside-
rations successfully come to ask what
it is that the Republicans really want,
and with what views they are now op-
posin their own President, and per
petuating the disunion against which
they fought, we are compelled to infer
that mere party spirit is making itself
felt under the guise of political pru-
dence. That prudence dictates some
precautions in the present conjuncture
no one can deny. Little more than a
year ago the States now demanding re-
admission TO the Union were in arms
against il, fighting to the death, and it
is hardly TO be credited that their six
MILLIONS of citizens can all at once
have reacquired a sincere affec-
ton for the allegiance they re-
nounced But this amount of sus-
picion Mr.. johnson himself avows,
and be is ready to exercise as much
oiroumspaotion rs tho casa really re-
quires. lie stipuiates for a frank and
straightforward reta7l 70 The Union on the
part Of the Sotuh. and he is ready to de-
7adnd thai each representative sent mp 6y
Southern constituents to Washington shall be
good "loyaE man. The Republicans
however, 80 beyond this, and we can
only conclude from their late proceed
ings thst they wish TO destroy, at any
rate for n time, the prospects Of their
natural opponents in political strife.
They appear anxious 10 prevent the
reorganization of that party in Con
gress which would oppose, and perhaps
out-number their own. They conceive,
and probably with good reason, that the
Representatives returned to Congress
from the Southern States would com
bine with certain Northern members
TO reconstitute the old Democratic
party, and that the party so restored
might regain its ancient preponder-
ance to their prejudice. This is very
natural apprehension, but it is not one
which will ,earrp,t tie prpstHation Of a
naloaal Schisl,, and the CptLa0Iy Of one'
hird Of he people Of the Union.
The Republicans are demanding too
much, and without any sufficient justi-
ficRt;on. They would be justified in
fencing round the Constitution or pro-
tecting the Union against any revival
of accession; but there is no real dan.
ger of any such attempt The two
parties are no longer Federals and
Confederates, but Republicans and
Democrats, or, as we should say,
Wings and Tories The Wings are now
in power, and they are prescribing
their adv ersaries as enemies to the
Constitution, when in reality they are
nothing worse than political rivals.
That il the aspect in which their poll.
cy appears 80 suspicious 1t does, in.
deed, as the President himself declares,
resemble disunion over again, for the
Republicans, in order to preserve their
own ascendanoy, 20 govern the coming
elections, and determine the character
of the Administration, are actually pro.
longing that very rupture of the Union
which they went 10 war TO prevent
They wish, and they make no secret
OF their wish, to turn Southerners into
Northerners, and make good Radicals
of them If they wished simply to
make them Unionists, the desire would
be perfectly legitimate; but there is nc
reason to doubt that they are Unionists
already They have renowned their
hopes Of independence, and they are
ready TO return to the Union;
but they will bring back with
them their old political opinions,
and these opinions the Repub-
hcans desire to suppress With this
view they advocate either negro suf
frage or the exclusion Of negroes from