The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-02-16
"THAT, AM-YASTY BILL"
To the Editor OF the Morristown Gazette =


AS old Mrs, Riggs or some other
old lady once said, " It's really ex-
pTising that a man will drink to such
a decess when it is so icohjurions to
the institution So it is. with. re-
gard TO thelate war. Since Btaine's
and Hills speeches on the above
named Bill, it seems that scores of
men, and some of them protesting
TO be smart men, have just realized
the fact that we once had war in
this country, and especially, that tae
Union prisoners were badly treated
at Anderson prison.
Every one who is able to WELD
penuy pencil is rushing to the front
with a tale of horrors of Anderson
prison. But what seems most
strange is. that that class of men
protesting Christianity are taking
the lead in this thing. Even the
ministers of the Gospel. whose duty
it is to look after the lost sheep, and
TO try to heal the wounds created by
the war, and fpossible bring about
a reconciliation betwiXt those WHO
were at enmity with each other dur
ing the late war, are out in the pub
lie prints, dagger in hand, opening
anew the old wounds that had SO
nearly healed over. TO think OF a
President of College, a teacher, or
a minister Of the Gospel. who has
the care of many young souls in his
keeping, whose duty it is to teach
the young idea how to forgive, if he
would be forgiven, spread ng before
his pupils an article on the treat
ment of Federal prisoners by the
Confederates, an article calculated
in itself to prepare the minds of
those who read it TO cruelty anew
the Southern States and the people
thereof as is being done, is some
thing new in the annals of history.
Why-if necessary to lay these
things before the youth of the pres
ent day at aldo they not give a
slight sketch Of bo:h sides of the
case? Why not tell them, as how,
after the war was over aedithe South
subdued. the cowardlly carpet-bag-
gers, who had never smeIt powder.
or. been on a battle field, came rush
ing from the North and East. into
this desperately wicked Southern
country, with commission TO office,
aud permission to steal all they
could lay their hands on? And how
that, by promising the negro a mule
and a bureau manS had been elected
to the highest offices of the. nation
where they were enabled to rob the
people of: all they had left, after
Which they returned. to The place
from whence they. came, to enjoy
their stolen plunder2 And why not
tell them also,, that after the war
and the danger was over, THAT many
who professed to be followers of the
Savior came down from the North
and the East. and did. illegally, and
with the intent to take what did not
then, nor ever had belonged to
them, nor their virtuous ancestors,
to-wit: churches. school houses, col
leges, &C., &c, and did then and
there appropriate said illegally iget-
ten property to their own uses and
purposes? And this too, in direct
opposition to the Command which
says: Thou shalt. not ssteal;'2' as
also to that one which says. Thou
shalt not covet anything which is thy
neighbOr's. 'rgsr,.sFf ae-.fs ,g.5s,sS az.
Were. / convinced that a true
Christian would re.openl these things
for the express purpose Of keeping
up a disturbance in. political parties,
then ] would be prepared to. believe
the doctrine which teaches, that
what is to be will be, and what amt
to be might happen. 7r
If to inform the public mind is
what these wiseakers are after, there
are many things that happened just
sitter the war, after peace. and pro-
lection had been promised the peo-
pie, after the hatche- was supposed
to have been forever buried, that
have not as yet made their appear
ance in print, but which according to
the examples and teachings of the
truly loyal Christians of this coun-
try would tend greatly to enlighten
and elevate the minds of our youth,
and would also tend to engender
and keep alive that spark OF malice
which had so nearly died out.
In the language of the Great Mo.
gul, ''LET Us HAVE PEACE" ID.
! MARYsILLE, Feb. 8. 1867.