Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-16
THE New York Herald last weel
A REPENTANT RADICAL

The Chicago Times publishes a COM
munication, accompanied by a private
note from the writer, to the following ef-
feet The views / express are the
views of lifelong Republican and a
some time Radical 1 have followed my
party step by step until they have al
ready led me further than / ever cared
to g"
We insert the following extract, as a
pithy and graphic delineation of the pub
lie ruin and private generalization that
has been wrought by a set of prohigate
demagogues, who have used and abused
the catehwords of Union" freedom, T"
equality and nationality TO de-
eeiye and mislead the people
We have passed a crisis of national ex-
istence; we are in the midst of a crisis Of
the liberty of the individual. The first
was brought about by prevailing notion in
favor of universal freedom the second by
the dominance Of the idea of equality.
We began by declaring all men entitled
TO freedom, and we followed it by declaring
ali men entitled to political equality. The
one led to a schism which threatened ma
tional unity, an idea that was dominant
through our war. The other not only pre-
vents the restoration of national unity, but
is now establishing a more dangerous in
equality than it seeks 10 cure, and is
threatening to narrow very materially the
boundaries of the liberty Of every indiyid-
ual in the nation.
To liberate four millions of Africans, and
TO preserve forced Union, we invoked
war that has swallowed up the lives of
hundreds Of thousands of the youth of our
land, and carried grief, sorrow and misery
into every hamlet, and mourning into
MANY families We have imposed upon
ourselves the burden Of a debt that will
swallow up the earnings of labor for many
years TO come We have set over us the
tax gatherer and the excisemen, to pry
into our industrial resources, and to dole
out grindingly the comforts and luxuries
Of life only by being paid for them at ex-
orbitant rates. We have given new life 10
the tagging energies Of the protective
or let-nobody-alone spirit of our laws,
until commerce, trade and manufactures
are dragging out a doubtful existence. We
have added scores upon scores of new
crimes and misdemeanors to our criminal
code. until the most sanity can scarcely
resist the temptation 10 commit crimes by
violation Of the revenue laws. Our in
fiated finances have bred up notions of ex-
travagance and profligacy scarcely COM
patible with honesty and prompt payment
Of the tax gatherer's bills. The hungry
horde Of officers who hover over US like
vultures over carrion, TO devour our sub
stance are themselves tempted by the
quantity of revenue that comes within
their reach, and fall upon ii in indiserim-
mate plundering. Cities, counties and
States, catching the spirit of extravaganza,
undertake enterprises that would have
staggered them when dollars we're less
abundant But the officials Of insignif-
cant municipalities have also caught the
harpy spirit, and the municipal treasures
are also Unfortunately plundered. Fast
clerks striving "to keep up with the
spirit of the age" plumber their employers.
Each class, trade, profession and inter-
est. feeling the difficulty Of getting living
in any of the old ways once supposed to be
honest bound together in unions
trade leagues" and by organized effort,
seek to gain some advantage over their
struggling fellow-men. Legislators make
laws at so much per job, and he VINO has
most money can get most laws. Private
corporations and special monopolies are
created, nos because the public veal de-
mands such, but because the parties are
rich and can pay handsomely.
As against this dominant idea, all our
ancient rights, founded in charter or ira
dition, count as nothing. The right of
kdbeas corpus is denied the subject, il the
king sees fit 10 suspend the peoples writ.
Presentation and indictment and jury trial
are nothing. Drum-head court-martials
usurp the places Of our courts. Test-oaths
of a new and dangerous character are
raised, to exclude political offenders from
Office, from the right Of suffrage, from the
courts Of Justice, and from some ofthe learn
ed professions. Private property is taken
for public uses without due process Of law.
Civil officers are elected by force Of BAY
ouets. and members Of the army installed
in their places. The President is stripped
of his power guaranteed him by the con-
stitution. and dangerous power conferred
mon army officers. The military depart
mept is added 10 the three branches Of our
government heretofore recognized as soa-
siitutional. Smelling committees are ap-
pointed 10 see if any person tainted with
disloyally helped to elect Representa-
tives in Congress. The courts which dare
TO question the legality of these things are
denounced without stint es being also
tainted with disloyalty.
Such is brief summary Of the doings OF
our Souarnmeaf under the pressure Of the
dominant idea.