Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-02-21
CONVERSATIONAL.

We have heretofore printed the three
propositions now pending before Con
gress in regard TO the reconstruction Of
the Union-the military bill Of Stevens
the Elliott Louisiana bill-and the sub
stitute of Senator Sherman adopted by
the Senate Adyices published to-day
indicate the condition of the question up
to Tuesday night 1t is possible that our
dispatches this morning will show
whether a conference as to the disagree
ment Of the two Houses was held, or
whether it is likely that the whole SUBJ
iect viii go over to the lortieth Congress
which assemblies on the fourth Of March
As matter Of course, no Conservative
can give his sanction to either Of them
but, as it is inevitable that some measure
akin TO them is to be adopted, sooner or
later the sooner the country knows ex-
actly what it is to be, the better; and,
Furthermore, it had better be done by the
thirty-ninth than by the fortieth Con-
gress-the failure of several States to
elect representatives to the latter body
making it even a shorter rump than its
predecessor
Speaking of the situation" the Nation
al InteiHgeRcer says The Senate bill is
now before the House, and there is yet
opportunity to improve upon it. To this
end, time should be had for the response
of the country through the press, and for
calm consideration by every legislator,
under the obligation Of his solemn oath,
and his unquestioned responsibility, IN
respect to the dire necessity of this time
for acts and duties in the direction of an
exalted spirit of self,sacrifcing patriot
ism Whether the national legislature
acts in this way or not, we invoke upon
the part Of the South a continuance Of
disposition to await the contamination of
events here, and until then to calmly
consider them in cOnsistence with their
generally expressed view to bear with
fortitude the infections that NAV be i'm
posed, and to determine in the end in ac-
cordance with full sense Of what, all things
considered, COMFORTS with honor, princi-
pie and policy
We see no other course for them to
pursue in view of the doubt and uncer>
tainty of a correction Of current wrongs
by the people Of the North The Re
publican party is 80 much in the leading
strings Of politicians that the untirirg
counsel of reason, the dictates Of
humanity, the continued depression
Of business, the oppressiyeness of
an unequal and grinding taxation,
the halt in financial movem ents and
even a general condition of bankruptcy
itself may be used as pretexts, in connec-
ton with a thousand and one other
Things known to the chicane Of poll
ticians to still more inhame misleaded
people to aggraVate the measure of woes
of the Southern people. Confseation,
and Heaven only knows what more, may
be in the womb of the future Perhaps
the sanguinary instructions of Messrs.
Forney, Butler, and Colfax may take
practical shape in the proposed three
armies to march through the South to
burn, kill, and possess the land. Suf-
fcient unto the day is the evil
thereof But in our view no effort
should be pretermitted, no time lost,
no sacrifice be cared for on the part of
statesmen to retrive the utterly destruc-
tive tendency of public affairs