Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-11-20
p5asnp md sIIdeII.

Ofsu the men in the rebel States or in
tsrssts there are no two whose arrest would
be hailed with greater joy by the loyal oiti-
gems Of this country than these. They have
been foremost in promoting rebellion, cease
less inthsir efforts to break up tee government,
unserupulous as to the means BY which that
end should be attained, and lOudestin their
abuse Of tae loyal North. Mason made himself
inamously conspicuous in the last Senate by
his bulIying and insulting manner toward
evely Northerner. Heis a man of no polish,no
courtesy, but one whose chief delight is to
ride rough shod over The "mudsills' of the
free North. In treason be has been one OF
the most active and persistent As long ago
as 1855. be wrote that but one course re-
mains for the South-thst Of immediate, ab-
solute, and eternal separation" Born and
reared in Virginia, be had none Of the "high-
toned Virginia gentleman" about him, but
rather boasted, BY bis manner Of his affinity
to the drivers Of the cotton plantations.
One instance Of this now occurs to US: wnen
the special committee upon the John Brown
raid were in session, Of which Mason was
Chairman, the venerable Joshua Giddings
was summoned before it. He mad been
contemporary in Congress with John Quincy
Adams, Webster, Clay, Benton, and others OF
the great departed, and was far the senior in
vears Of any member Of the committee
When be entered the committee room, be was
cordially gleeted by all the members but one
and that one was James Mason, who haught-
lily and CONTEMPORARY refused to shake
hands with or even to speak to the venerable
witness, who was as far in advance OF him in
integrity and real worth as he was in years
Hating the North and all free institutions
with all the power nf bis narrow soul, Mason
he was the impersonalion Of devilish malig-
nifty. Let him now grind his teeth in impO-
tent rage behind the bars Of cell.
John Sliden is q different man. With him,
hatred Of the North is implanted, not origi-
ma. He was g native of New York, but, hav-
ing L ID from that city to avoid punishment
for having been detected in 6 criminal viola
ton of domestic fidelity, he speedily proved
the truth of the saying that Northern men
with Southern principles are the most devoted
to the interests Of slavery. BE became first
gambler and then lawyer. He has been
much in public life, having the crafty, calcu-
lating disposition that enables one to work
his way to almost any desired position. Even
in the polluted atmosphere of Louisiana and
New Orleans, where crime is the rule and
honesty the exception, he was celebrated fol
his gigantic frauds and swindles. He wal
once sent to Mexico as a Minister PleniPo-
tentary, at the time when war was in danger
Of breaking out between the two countries
but that country refused to receive him. HI
has been in both branches of Congress, anC
was one Of the controllers of Buchanan's Ad
pinistration, moulding the weak old man Il
suit his own purposes and those Of the Soul
He isamtn Of dangerous ability, and it wa
aEell devised scheme in the Confederates Il
send him as Minister to France. Neither on
Minister at Paris nor his Secretary of Lega
tion speak French; sidell speaks it to per
fection, and this apparently triaing iten
would have been great source of advantag
to the willy soulherner. While Mason wa
native traitor, from his very birth hatinI
tbs Government because it was not eompose
wholly Of and wholly for, such Yirginian
as himself, slidelrs whole character and TEN
permanent made him natural consPir7toI
eft for treason, stratsgem and Spoils" h
is nov under lock and key, where we are con
tent to leave him.