The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1871-11-09
Communication.

Editor of the Post AT the head of
your list of "Chips, and Things" in the
Post Of the I'd November, you say that
! incline to the Nashville new dcpar-
ture." If there is any "new departure
in Nashville" / know not what it is. A
short time ago addressed u short note
to thee e2'etor of the Nashville Banner,
cx me- g my concurrence in the views
CT lia liiarEI y correspondent "Rutherford." If
in trcsas views there was any new de-
pei PT,.3 3from old, long and still cherish
edourtIciples of civil law and civil lib
erty was not astute enough to detect it.
In the late sanguinary and disastrous
war in this country between the two
sections, North and South, although
did not believe there was sufficient
cause for its commencement, yet as soon
as it began all my sympathcs were en-
listed OH the side of the South, and
never ceased to pray for her success un-
til the surrender of Johnston. That sur
render, in my judgment, placed the
South at the mercy of the North, and
my advice then to all Confederatcs who
condescended to consult me, was to go
to work, attend only to their private bu-
siness, and leave the conquering party
to restore peace and harmony among
the people of the whole country. A few
restless and ambitious persons excepted,
this seems to have been the view taken
by the conquered party.
Soon after the termination of the war
the conquering party divided into Con-
servatives and Radicals and necessarily
the Confcdcrates sympathised with the
Conservative party. That Conservative
party was mainly composed Of the old
Democratic party of the Union, and for
several years they have been warning
manfully at the ballot-box to restore ci-
vii law and civil liberty to the country {:
but have they not in every conflict been
signally defeated and overthrown?-
And, to use strong language have they
not been as completely overthrowna as the
Confederates were? And do wenotnow
plainly see Conservatism springing up
in the Radical party? Suppose the Con-
federates of Tennessee had banded
themselves together and spurncd asso-
citation with the Conservative Union
men of the State, what think you would
now have been our condition politi-
cally?
When the Conservatives of the Union
war party separated from the Radicals,
what was their purpose and object
Was it only to restore the old Democra-
tic party to political place and power? ?
or, was it to restore civil law and civil
liberty to the country? The Coufed-
crates believed it was for the latter pur-
pose, and therefore they sympathized
with them, and when they had the op-
portunity acted with them. We consid-
cred that in coercing the South by mill
tary force the Union party violated the
Constitution of the United States they
believed not. The result of the war has
finally settled that question in their IA
vor, and we have accepted the situation,
and have rot required the Conservative
Union men to abandon their opinion
We thus acted tor the purpose Of rostor-
ing civil law and civil liberty to the coun-
try and did not feel that we were inclin-
ing to neW departure. Then why not
the Conservatives Of the Union-Demo-
Gratis, if you choose so TO call them-ac-
cept the present situation, acknowledge
their defeat, overthrow, and, fan oppor-
tunity should offer, cooperate with the
Conservative Radicals in their efforts to
restore civil law and civil liberty to the
whole country, and not sneer at each
other as inclining to new departure?
Respectfully,
r. NIXON VAN DYKE.