Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-17
TORONTO, October 5, 1861.
To the Editor of the Leader:

To the Editor Of the Leader:
SIR: No one could be more willing than l
am to concede to the journalist the right to
comment upon the current events of the day,
or on the conduct of public men, in so far as
that conduct has any bearing upon public
interests but there are limits within which
even the members of the privileged fourth
estate" ought to con6ne themselves. That
you have overstepped these limits l shall en-
deavor to show.
On the arrival of the Leader of the Sd inst.
at Windsor, my attention was directed to its
| leading article, headed "Violation of the
Neutrality Laws" In that article you in
| dulge in strain far more likely to injure
| yourself, in the estimation of any one whose
good opinion is worth caring for. than to
damsge me, even if your statements we're all
| trae, instead of being, as most of them are,
as false as they are malicious.
In the first place, sir, ptrmit me to ask,
what do you know about my private circum-
| stances, or what right have you to make my
| private affairs the subject of public comment
| You may have heard statements about me,
which, if you had been fully and correctly in
| formed, you would have discovered to be
| wholly iDaccurste.
Again, you say--speaking of my connec-
| ton with the Federal Government of the
| United States--"A large sum was placed to
1
| draw TO an indefinite amount in furtherance
of the scheme;" and to give additional force
| to these falsehoods, you add, "These are
| facts which admit, we believe, of being
| clearly established and those who are fami-
| liar with the career and circumstances of Mr..
Rankin, we need not point out the motives of
his real" etc. Now, sir, upon what ground
have you permitted yourself to make these
| ass ertions2 They are not only false, but ri
diculous; and, pray, what do you know Of
my motives2 and from whom did you get
your information2 1t will be evident to any
| one, upon a moments reflection, that your
representations are founded, at best, upon
mere suspicion. Pray, what are your mo-
tlves? Are you quite disinterested in your
advocacy of slavery aud the interests of your
friend and patron, JEFF Davis Has your
philspthropic and truly British mind become
| so enamored OF the peculiar institution, for
the suppression of which Great Britain has
expended untold millions, that you are now
| pTepared-as atoDement for the errors of such
men as Wilberforce and his colleagues in the
| cause of bumanlty-to turn knight-errant in
the cause of Southern chivalry2
Sir, shall not take upon myself to say
what your motives are, and certainly your
| very slight knowledge of me and your utteT
ignorance OF my character, does not warrant
you in presumiDg to make the comments you
have iDdulged 10.
| Suffice it for me to observe that should
| live 10 take an active part 1.-THE struggle
| now going on between the contending par
ties in the adjoining Republic, my motives
will be developed at the proper time. Mean
while shall not trouble myself by reply, or
in any way concern myself about any future
| work of icCioD with which your inventive
| genius may prompt you hereafter to endeagor
| 10 deceive or amuse the public. 1t is now
| pretty well understood by men of the world
| that the advocacy of the class of public writ
ers to which you belong is purchaseable
commodity, which can generally be secured
| for very moderate consideration. By-and-
| by / trust those capitalists who invest their
means in printing establishments will dis
cover the impolcy of employing persons oi
| your stamp, and then we may look for some
| Improvement in the tone Of the Canadian
| press.
| When English subjects took part on either
side IN the civil war ia Portugal, il was con
sidered no otfense and when, at later pc.
riod, the British Legion, under Sir De Lacy
Evans, took part in war of the same char.
acter in Spain, their conduct was not only
regarded without disfaVor, but absolutely
app auded, ard even TO this day, not TO men
ton the thousands Of English subjects WhC
foeked TO the standard Of Gdribdtdi, are thsrt
not numbers Of EngliShnieR IN the AustTian
the PTIiSsiaTl, ana sUeH IN the Turkish service
Why then should IL be treated as crime .foi
Canadians TO enter The American service? |.
the objection founded in reason, or upon
prejudice2 Is not the cause of the United
States the cause of civilization aad free gov.
eTnment2 Has any struggle so largely af
frcting the welfare of mankind in genera
taken place in any other country on the face
of the earth within the present or any former
age?
And as to the Queens proclamation,
maintain that IL distinctly recognizes The Tigh
Of every subject TO dispose Of himself in am
| annnnfr he annl, Lhink rLroner Ii aimnlp infi