Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-16
MAS


bring up the mulilated form OF a son, who |
sleeps in gray, far away, on the bloody |
field, where no fathers tear can fall, no |
mothers sigh be heard, no sisters hand |
spread flowers of spring But that past is |
Gods, not ours. We must heal the dread |
ful breach with oil and wine, not with |
stripes and blood
l am no apologist for rebellion; it was of !
God; bow my head with swimming eyes
as its dreadful scenes pass before me in
midnighfs lonely hours. The rant and
ieers of political demagogues only fill my
soul with doubt as to the future. / see the
poor enfranchised negro is to be the tool
and political serf of these creatures. As
things now look it were far better for him
that he had never been born. Slavery with
lis Responsibilities were better, far better
! than to be the tool of ranting political
hounds Of either party, men who really
care no more for the freedmen than for
any other tool to be used or kicked aside
at convenience. Don't | know many of /
these loving creatures have collected, or are |
collecting the price of negroes who died in
our army, or wages for their services on |
forts, etc, while the living heirs, wives, !
children and kindred of these men are |
living in poverty, rags and want, in our |
midst. / make no comment here.
Gentlemen, as you have petitioned to let |
these creatures ride in our street carsif they |
are neat, clean, etc, and pay their fare,
(how noble?) it will ensure the everlasting |
gratitude of Hagar's children, and their" |
votes also. Gentlemen, beware Gods F,
ways are not your ways You are troubling
the political waters; they will 'cast up for
you mire and dirt" You are sporting with
an element darker and more uncomfortable,
more dangerous when once started, than
any that existed in France in her dark days
of revolution and blood-an element which
has no history but wrongs. Will you put
the sword of retribution in its hands, and
lay your childrens heads upon the block
You are doing this. Nay, you are aiding
God in bringing on premature retribu-
| tiOn," arming your once HelOts to insure
political triumph. Beware, that in some
early hour of frenzied madness, they do not
become you master. History sometimes
repeats itself | ask, in Gods name, are
you willing to stand on an element so un-
taught, so miserable, SO uncared for by
| civilization until now, and until even now
| only known as chattel5 at your altars and
| bars of justice.
| / ask will you place your property and
that of disfranchised thousands of your
| best citizens at the mercy of such an ele-
ment and send out ranter5 TO stir up mad
ness for effects sake, to cry out shameful
murder" or anything else for party sake,
| at the same time knowing that the amount
of crime and blood shed in this section of
our country is much less than should have
been expected after disbanding about one
million OF men of both armies, large
number of whom, as is ever the case, were
gathered from all parts of the earth, the
ofscouring thereof
These politicians of our State know, if
they know anything al all, that thinking
men looked forward to the disbanding of
our armies with more anxiety than in any
other period of our history. That trial of
our strength is passed. A few cases Of
| brutal outrage occur only, and these are
magniied so as to make it appear that we
are in a state of rebellion and anarchy,
which is not the case. Bitterness there is
in abundance, as should be expected, but
| time will cure this, if soulless politicians
| and newspaper scribblers will let us alone.
| These are not representative men, how
| ever they know il, and further that true
| republican government is based on impair
tial suffrage. They also know we shall
come TO this at last, and then their occu-
patton is gone" Was their one spark of
| true patriotism in their souls their motto
would be impartial suffrage, and enforce
ment of law. This would at once quiet
the minds Of our people. This would do
much good and give peace TO our State.
As 1t is, where are We as a people Who
can safely build house, or plant vine
yard Who will till the soil save to satisfy
the wants Of the present hour? No one,
for no one can tell the end or what will be
the final status of himself or his household.
All is uncertainty, dark and doubtful.
Radical bitterness on either side. Blind
still blind. We seem to forget these lessons
which the sorrowing past should teach
lessons of humility, iorbearanCe and for
giving charity.
If severity was once called for It's now
too late, and is unwise. When shall we be
one people? When cease to vex and
wrong each other? Over two years have
rolled by since the sound of contending
armies was heard in our land. The grass
has covered every little hillock in wars
path, and hidden every blood-stain on our
guilty soil. The stranger can only recog-
nize the latter by the extra luxuriance of
its grassy covering. The outlines of earth
works and rihe-pits are fast mellowing
away before the hand of time and action of
the elements 'Tis well, It's beautiful, It's
the voice of God, speaking through nature
to us, saying, peace, be still y admonish-
ing all to cover the bloody past with a
mantle of charity and bedew it with tears
to bend our heads as mourneTs and move
on in peace and love as one people. Shall
nature speak in vain? Will further strife
, or the shedding of blood avail us anything
Will il be national atonement acceptabl e
before the Eternal Throne?
Where stands He that wept over Jeru-
salem, the Crucifer, and died to save his
enemies, praying Father, forgive them,
they know not what they dor We have
all need of that petition now. Who among
us is innocent? We have all been wrong,
and none more so than many | see in the
! Radical party, which now assumes power
which will end in their ruin. We have all
I been wrong insane, if you please The
! | heirloom of our race has led us far enough
! even TO the verge of ruin. As nation, we
are bankrupt Our land is tax gatherer',
! harvest field. We are sad, sorrowing, and
p doubtful.
: Is it not enough What do you want Z
, | Must this state of things continue forever,
that few men may sit in offices which they
. are unfit 60 ill, many of them creatures OF
4 strife's creation, whose bread is in the
: storm, and 10 whSm, like the wreckers o
! Key West, the wild surf is harvest field
) Impartial suffrage and enforcement of the
! laws will end this and open path for ma
! tional greatness We cannot rise by miser
) able strifes and chickering's We must have
: republican form of government for oui
State. The general government Is bound
/, to give il TO us. We have not eot 1t.
e Therefore, / for one, demand it in III,
/ name of my children, and pronounce the
I present franchise law crime, blunder, a
$ mistake, repudiation Of the power of th'
4 general government, and an insult to III,
+ laws of our land. These alone have tn,
e power to disfranchise an American citizen
= Has be been guilty of crime, try, convic
= and sentence, and then disfranchise NO
q before.) Remember we are State in tn,
e Union. Don't forget it in your cage
# grasp for power and office, for time j
= coming when public opinion, gathering
y strength, beauty, mercy and charity iron
= the fountains of Gods eternal love, vii
e rush Ger this once happy land, and sweel
/ padfcaI xrronus of pvarv KIND to the "mDle