Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-23
ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE HIS
rRRY ar An SbFEtsAN.GRENuER.

ton must 20 hand in hand with emanci~
patton, and that the freed negroes must
be apprenticed to their fellow~country-
men in Liberia. He faRcied he saw as a
result OF the war that there would be
large increase Of freed negroes, and as
he contemplated the dangerous influence
they would exert upon the country, he
was seized With trepedation akin to
that which Belshazzar exhibited when
the handwriting on the wall was inter
preted TO him, and in mental agony he
cried out, Eve must get rid Of the free
negroes This was the result of no
temporary alteration When he issued
the first number Of the Nashville Union
he dedicated his efforts to " freedom and
nationality" 1t had been charged that
the object Of the war was to free the
slaves of the Southern people, and know
ing this he rightly suspected that he
would be looked upon with suspicion
with such a motto at his editorial head.
He, therefore, defined himself as fol.
lows:
by freedom, / mean those noble institu-
tions of democracy for which the blood of
the revolution was she'd for whose perpetu-
alton the heart Of all humanity beats with
uncessing aspiration, and pours out the
most feryent prayers 10 Heaven, and whose
destruction President Davis and his as
sociates surely seek TO accomplish"
Here was an assurance TO the people of
Nashville that so far as be and his paper
We're concerned, nothing should be done
to modest the institution of slavery. But,
as if not satisfied with this explicit de-
claration, he said in the same issue OF
his paper
IAN old acquaintance Of ours, avery intelli-
gent and reliable gentleman and a slavehoId-
er, living in Southern Kentucky, who has
been travelling with Gen. Woods division,
consisting Of Indiana and Ohio troops for
weeks past, informs us that in no instance
did he discover the least disposition on the
part Of the Northern men 10 modest or in.
terfere with slave property On the con-
trary, they declared in the strongest terms
that they wished to respect the rights of
Shareholders religiously that they come
not to destroy domestic institutions but 10
restore the Union No doubt an over
whelming majority Of our gallant troops
are thoroughly conservative"
Here was an assurance that not only
would he not raise bis voice against slay-
cry, but that the Federal soldiers would
not interfere with the institution.
in the Nashville Union of November
p, 1862, is an editorial on the negro ex-
odus from Middle Tennessee, in which
this language occurs
"These splendid plantations, whose area
is vast, whose fertility is unsurpassed, and
whose climate is delightful, will not be al
lowed to lie idle. An army Of handp, en-
terprising immigrants from the Northwest,
will soon pour in to I'll the places left va
cant by the slaves; and, in place Of half |
savage woolly headed, coai-black, ragged |
Africans as uneducated as the mules they |
drive, there will be multitude of indus |
trious, thinking, well-clad, educated, news
paper-reading, church and school-going |
white farmers, able and willing TO serve the |
State in peace and in war. The exchange |
will not be bad one; it will double our
wealth"
This contemptuous Characterization of |
the negro was not an accidental express
sion 1t was a settled conviction, an
opinion deliberately formed, for in the
Nashville Union of January 9, 1868, it
is repeated, as follows:
Z" 1t lisa question which every Coincide
rate soldier, especially every conseript,
should ask himself, how many ignorant,
degraded African slaves were secured TO
their owners by the torrents of blood poured
out at Murfreesboro by the Southern army |
What is the standard of exchange between
the life Of barbarous negro and that Of a
Confederate soldier?"
The editor of the Press and Times was,
we believe, raised in slave State, yet we
find him expressing an opinion of the
negro which places him but little above
the brute
In the Nashville Union Of January 10, |
1868, the present editor of the Press and
Times, advised Tennesseans what they
should do in view of the proclamation
freeing the negroes in the South issued
by the President on the lst of January,
in that year. Here is his advice
I'VE did not set out to discuss the policy
of the emancipation proclamation this is
foreign TO our purpose. We wished to urge
upon our citizens the importance Of using
wisely the opportunity given them by the
President, of snatching something from the
wreck of civil war. Notwithstanding the
aspersions of certain Union men and the
fierce vituperation Of Secessionists the
President has shown a most friendly dispo-
sition to Tennessee. At the request of
prominent loyalists of this State, he has
expressly exempted her from the emanci-
patton proclamation which he has
Illuminated against the cotton States,
under the belief, the hope, and the ar
dent wish that she would return TO her al
legianoe to the Federal Union, and send
Senators and Representatives to its coun-
ellis as before He has shown himself TO be |
truly the friend and well-wisher Of Ten
nessee not only willing but eager TO do .
any thing that would induce her 10 cut
loose from wicked end ruInous rebellion.
= Well, the President comes
TO Tennessee and invites her to resurn, and ,
for her sake he suspends the proclamation
Of emancipation to her slaves, although
of these slaves are the
property of Rebels. Now, those who have
been disloyai have a chance to make peace 1
with the government, and save their slaves ,
from the effects Of the proclamation. This
chance will not occur again, and If we de-
sire to profit by this exemption, il is abso-
Iutely necessary that We seize il instantly. | (
Here is an opportunity Of
iered you, and not only offered, but pressed
upon you with words Of urgent entreaty.
Shall we cooperate With {
him in our State capacity, or by obstinacy
and folly draw down upon our heads the
deserved punishment which is melted out
10 others ?"
Here was strong appeal addressed
not 20 the patriotism but TO the cupidity !
Of the people They were urged by all
the powers Of entreaty he could COM
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