Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-01-11

The time s not far distant, If il has net al
ready arrived, when the subject Of the removal
of the Capital fiOm Washington to 4 more
central and convenient location, will be serisus-
ly discussed The necessity Of this step will
be apparent to any unPSejudiced mind, when
the events that have trnSpired in ihe city Of
Washington within the last several years are
considered. During that period many Outragea
have been committed upon the rights Ofcitizens
Of she North, and upon the Freedom of opinion
aad OF the Press, any one Of which would be
a suiicient Justification Of the removal.
When the late lsmentsd Or. Bailey drst os,
tablishsd the National Era in Washington, a
mob composed OF residents of that city was
organized for the purpose Of destroying his
Office and preventing the publication of his pa,
per The municipal authorities never made the
least sxertiOu to suppress this riotOus attempt
until Mr. Polk, who was then President, sent
for the Mayor and told him that the office of the
National Era must be protected, and rendered
the service Of the marine corps for that pur-
pose Then, aud not till then, did the Mayor
exert himself to suppress the mob. He was
too willing that the rioters should he permitted
to go on in sheir unlawful aud pethAps murder
Gus work.
a few years later, prO-slavery Democratic
member Of the House, Herbert Of California,
killed 10 cold blood the unfortunate Irish
waiter, Keating, in the dining Hall of Willard's
Hotel lie was tried by a Washington jury
and found guilty, and fined BY Washington
Judge only $500
That same year eOwardly Southern bully,
who was Democratic member of the House,
entered the Senate Chamber, and, sneaking be-
hind the scholastic Sumner, knocked him down
with a heavy club cane, inficting injuries TO
such an extent as to require three years with
the aid Of the best msdi cal skill in the world,
Tor him to recover. This bully was tried by q
Washington Judge and put under the immense
Liabilities of $500 bonds to keep the peace
Within the last three months, Republicans,
residents of that city, have been threatened
with notice to leave the city if they expressed
their Auti Slavery sentiments. A Quaker gen
tleman was arrested and tried for exercising
the liberty of giving his opinion on the sub
ieet Of Slavery, and bound in the sum Of
$4,000 to refrain from expressing his senti-
ments.
1t will thus be seen that when Northern
Republican is arrested for exercising the liberty
Of speech, decision is made against him
by the Washington Judge and he is put under
$4,000 bonds, while q Southemer for almost
numbering U. s. Senator on the floor of the
Senate, is only put under $500 bond to keep The
peace, and this too by the same Judge while
for numbering waiter, PTo-SlsveTy Member
of Congress is fined the Paltry sum Of $500!
This is fair specimen of the discrimination
made in favor of the Pro-slavery men by the
authorities of Washington. Such being the
case, we submit, whether the self-respect Ofthe
people of the North does not require them to
remove the Capital to a locality where they
viii have the same rights and privileges in ex-
pressing their views that Democratic politicians
have in preaching disuniop where criminal
will be hung fur numbering POOR defenceless
waiter, and imprisoned for attempting to kill a
U y senator.
There have been expended out Of the National
Treasury, on the Public Buildings in Wash.
ingtOn, over $50, 1000, COO; for oruamenting and
repairing of streets, and for gas since the form
alton Of the government, over S5.O0O.O0O; and
there is now being expended on the water.
works the immenss sum of $40, ,0OO, 900; total
ss5 OOO, ,OOO;-s25, 100000 of which was paid
by the peOplei of the North. $4,000. 900 o.
this sum are for objects Of purely local ma
ture, such as the waterswoTks, gas, and stTeel
rspairs, which should properly be paid by the
people Of Washington, on the same principle
that the people Of Cleveland OF New York pay
for their own street repairs, gas, and water
works. t..l.
Yet, in the face of this mistaken liberality o.
the North, the citizens of Washington are de-
termined to inAiet unnecessary and cruel fines
and penalties upon Northern citizens, for speak
ing out against the system of amalgamatiou
and slave-breeding prevailing in that treasury
plundering city, while the Southern rascals are
allowed to preach, unmolested, favor Of dis
union and rebellion, in case Of the election o
Republican President. tH
The citizens of the North owe it TO them
selves to take steps to bring the citizens o
Washington to q sense of their obligation tt
treat Northerners with civility. This can bt
done most effeetually by removing the Capital
To be sure the country will millions already
invested in public buildings, but it will NOR
than gain what it loses, in self-respect an'
protection to its citizens from the assaults o
the slave breeders.
1t will be worth more than the value of thu
public buildings Of the capital to have it loca
ted in central position like St. Louis, or som'
point opposite that city, where it will be mOr'
accessible to the people Of the. country, ant
where the population will be willing to protec
it from an invasion froma foreign enemy, and no
ls. them burn and destroy the public buildings
as was the case during the last war, wheI
the gallant Yirgiuiars and Marylanders showed
their heels al the celebrated Bladensburgl
Race.
IT, however. il should not be policy 20 remov,
the capital, then the next best step to pursue Il
csmpel the people Of Washington to behav'
themselves is for Northern members Of Congress
TO refuse 10 vote another dollar for any NOR
manicipal improvements in that city.
~ The Kentucky Legislature has been dis
cussing the morality of billiards. One party
was in favor Of taxing each table at $500. An
other that the game should not be taxed at all
The result Of the whole matter was fixing the
license Of billiard tables at $50 for the first
table, and 500 for each other This viii be the
law, and your friends the keepers of saloons
can take the cue from this action.
We would suggest to that Legislature the