The Nashville Daily Union

Ben. Wood's Late Speech.

From the Richmond Dispatch, June 21.

We print to-day the speech of Ben. Wood, of New York, delivered a few weeks since in the federal House of Representatives. It will be perused with intense interest by every one who remembers the gallant position he maintained in defense of the South long after the commencement of hostilities, in the very midst of fanaticism and star-spangled banners, paying no heed to the clamors of the mob, but boldly and fearlessly bearding the lion in his den. The exception which we will take to the speech will be found in his day-dreams of a restoration of the Union; for all such fancies, if they found a lodgment here, must have been dispelled by the recent rapid developments of federal plans and policy. The leaders at the North have torn off their masks with which for a time they sought to cover up their real designs, and now unblushingly proclaim a wanton, cruel, inhuman crusade against the entire South for the avowed purpose of wresting from us every public privilege and every private right. Reconstruction is impossible. Life, liberty and all are at stake. But one sentiment now pervades the Southern heart, and that is we must and shall be free.

It appears that the abolitionists have determined, since the delivery of the speech which we publish to-day to crush its author and put an effectual stop to any further public utterance of his sentiments.

This Ben. Wood is one of the Vallandigham faction who are determined to keep up a partisan organization at a time when all patriots should reorganize with no platform but that of Union and no creed except the salvation of the Republic. The Union men of the South feel the deepest anxiety that the loyal men of the North should indignantly spurn those leaders among them who, having long associated with the Southern disunionists have imbibed all their treasonable, corrupt and despotic feelings. The most dangerous foes the Republic has are those Northern politicians who cloak their rebel sympathies under the specious name of conservative, and devote themselves to warring against the administration and all its policy, and to proving that our armies must pay strict regard to the "Constitutional rights" of traitors who are in arms against us. We invoke loyal men of the North to cast aside all such leaders. They are but waiting for an opportunity to sell themselves to the enemy. Perhaps he has bought them already!