Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1868-12-25
vALEDICTORY.

The readers of the CHRONICLE
need not now be told that its position,
prior to the war, was on the side Of
the Union, up TO the fall of Fort Sum-
ter: That event being the actual In
auguration Of the war, the Chronicle,
both from sympathy and sense of
duty immediately took sides with |
the South, and has remained true to
it up to the present moment, whilst
many who were rabid secessionists, |
before the war, are now nsympnthy, /
if notin active co. operation, with the
Radicals, and loud In their denuneia-
ton of the tone and policy of this
paper. fE
When the war ended End nominal
peace was proclaimed, the CHROME
GLE Believing that the wrongs and
sutierings Of the South were far from
being at an end, planted itself upon
the policy OF "masterly Inactivity"
arguing that no compromises of fun
damental principles, or concessions
of constitutional rights wonld awak-
Ell, in the dominant faction, an emo
ton of sympathy, or sentiment of
justice towards q brave and generous
foe. From this policy and thepredic-
tons upon which itrested, majority
of the South dissented; In obedience
to Executive dictation and Congress
sional exactlons, concessions were
made and the death blow given to
State sovereignty. The corner stone
OF the fabric of constitutional liberty
was thusremoved and has become the
key stone of the arch OF q CONSOLE
dated despotism-aT arch which
spans Our whole country from the
confines of Canada to the Gulf of
Mexico and from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. From the prompt surrender
of the South to the demands Of the
Executive has sprung the assump-
ton by Congress, of the right to pull
down and build up governments for
the Southern States and to regulate
their entire social and political ma
chinery. In vindication OF our course
it is only necessary to point to the
present condition OF the South and
the ceaseless war Congress is waging
against its political rights, its social
relations and its material prosperity.
If in striving to avert these mon
strous wrongs and TO save the South
from the disgrace Of even forced as
sent to their preparation, we have
used harsh language, it was because
we believed it appropriate to the con-
domination of corrupt error as well
~ to the expression of firmly fixed
and honest uviction. Truth always
crates upon the ear of guilt, and it is
truth, not the language which con-
veys it, that makes the enemies OF
the South, whether open or secret
writhe under the lash of mcrited cas-
tigation.
/ invite the attention of the readers
OF the CHRoNIcLE to this brief allu-
sion to its past political course because
with this number ends my conuec'
ton with it, and because wish t.
leave upon the memory of its patron!
the impression of consistency ant
honesty in the advocacy of doctrines
aud measures conforming TO the Con
stltution of the country and tendin,
tn the best interests of the people.
Perhaps no one kn,ws, better than |
the deficiencies, in point of abilit,
and adaptation to the work before me
that have been developed during
cheauered career of nearly twent,
years, rs the senior editor of this pa
per. 1t is pleasant to remember
however, that the kindest relation
have evcrexisted between myself an
all connected with the publication {
the CHRONICLE, and that the majol
ity of its patrons have looked wit
charity upon errors of omission an
commission rs the result OF bad judl
ment rather than vicious intentions
But all these relations ARE, this day
dissolved, and retire with the be-
wishes for the success of the CHRoN
ICLE, and the largest prosperity of II
its patrons.
r.. w. THOMAS.