Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-03-07
q Card frdn lin. a.. b. 80.

consequence TO your readers, but as / have
been within q short period twice made the
object Of an attack In the Cleveland LEADER,
must beg the privilege Of making a brief
reply. To casual observer this might seem
needless, a. both articles have been retracted |
in the same newspaper. It Is difficult to see |
what earthly advantage there can be in a re-
traction, II she same charges are to be repeat
ed through the same channel as soon as the
first have been laid aside or forgotten. It
mfg afford the poor consolation, that the au-
thors of these publications knew they were
false when they made them, and intended
them only to infict an injury, without any
regard for truth, decency or justice. That
will hardly compensate for the injury done.
The newspaper has thousand tongues. The
charges are seen by hundreds who will never
see, or hear of the denials, and the injury
done can hardly be atoned for. SlAnder trsv-
els further and more rspidly than the truth,
and finds lodgment in besoms to which truth
is a stranger. That these men shall insist
upon making charges against me, which they
know and acknowledge to be false, is certain
ly no fattering commentary upon the char
acter Of the public men who seek to control
public opinion in this part of the country.
The reason for doing so seems almost incom-
prehensible. Either they are lost to all hon.
or, have some private grief to avenge, or
some public ends to accomplish. The first
article charged me with being connected with
swindling government contracts; the second,
published after the expiration of some
months reiterates the charge, and adds an
other not quite 30 serious, that have been
actively engaged in endesvoring to defeat the
Hon. B. F. Wade in his attempts to gain a
reelection to the Senate Of the United States.
Mr.. Bierce has fully retTacted whatever was
Objectionable in his PFiV5te communication
70 R. F. Paine, and if that communication
stood alone, should have no reply to make.
Now, as the LIADER has twice made the
charge about contracts. and has twice re-
tracted it, and as the public may be ct loss
| 70 know what to believe on the subject, beg
leave to say that never had any interest,
directly or indirectly, in any contract con-
nected with Camp Taylor, or any contract
ef whatsoever nature or description with the
State or Federal Government; nor have
ever received single dollar on any such con-
tract The only connection l have had with
the Government has been In an official eapa-
city. In that capacity 1 have devoted near
ly all my time since the commencement of
the rebellion, and for my services 80 render
ed have never received q farthing.
II these gentleman, who are 80 actively
circulating these false statements, desire to
investigate any transaction have ever had
with the State or Federal Government it is
feast to which they are cordially invited.
The burden Of the complaint at this time
seems TO be that am not in favor of the re-
election of Hon. B. F. Wade. Upon this
subject have no conceslments While l
have not presumed that my opinions were of
any great importance upon this subject, or
that / could influence a single vote against
Mr.. Wade, 1 have exercised the prerogative
of an American citizen and expressed my
opinions freely. The election of United
States Senator has been prominently before
the public for some time past. Mr.. Wade's
friends have forced the discussion. They
seem to be very fearful that the people will
not make proper selection. Hence outside
Influences are brought to bear upon the Leg
islature. Sensation dispatches 20 forth from
Washington representing that Mr.. Lincoln
and Mr.. Stanton hardly presume to act with
out consulting Mr.. Wade. John W. Forney
: dictates letters TO members of the LegislR-
ture. and writes to his qHSRe PeFfEn Dr. 6f iAF.
/ TUo1a k1 fka = Il
Detroit is brought to the rescue, and these
men, with Bob Paine and Lucius Y. Bierce,
set up the hue and cry thRt whomsosoever
shall presume to oppose Mr.. Wade shall be
politically dsmned. While do not deny
the right of these gentlemen to do all they
can for Mr.. Wade, and while l will not
charge that these gentlemen are paying polit.
ical debts, shall claim the privilege in q
quiet independent and private manner, of
expressing my opinion that no public neces-
sity exists for his return to the Senate. Per-
haps, unfortunately for me, am not one Of
those who believe that the permanency Of
free institutions upon this continent depend
upon his return, or that he can better re ore-
sent the State in the Senate than any other
man in Ohio. The course Of these gentlemen
would seem to indicate that they entertained
the idea that while this Senatorial question
is pending, the destinies of the Republic
hang trembling in the balance, or else
that they themselves are trembling at the
thought that the Ohio Legislature may dare
TO act upon its own responsibility, and not
be bullied into the support of any particu-
lar man. To my mind it is no objection to
a reelection, that Mr.. Wade has been in the
Senate twelve years. You may add to
Whatever ability be possesses, his expert
ence OF 1"eiVe years, and itfvtriitted ioF the
inas ~ = fbo,7 ba tha--L-stIOuId be elected. In
PlsVsp s piffoh Ohio is not thus barren ofmateri,l
We have no South to bully, the army will
do that if it need be done. The Senate IN
be chosen will have serious work on and.
Cool heads as well as patriotic heart must
stand at the helm and manage the shin
After the rebellion is quelled, the leading
rebels are hung, as they most certainlY
ought to be, and the rest brought back To |
thelr allegiance serious questions of iusnea
taxation and foreign relations will demand 1
the attention Of, the Legislative Departments /
OF the Government. Can it be reasonably
said that we have not in Ohio an abundance /
OF men who are sound upon the great ouas-
ton OF human rights, and in every other
respect the equal Of Mr.. Wade2 Messru
Ewing, Delano, Groesbeck, Galloway, Cd.
lin and Toe, are men of large experience In
public affairs, and Of great talent Mr..
Spslding is man of experience, of fine In.
tellect thorough education, courteous hear
ing, and worthy to fill any place in the Gift
OF the people. 1. is useless mockery for spy
man TO pretend that Mr.. Wade is anv better
lifted TO till seat IN the Senate than anv
OF these gentlemen. However ably M.
Wade has acted as Republican partisan, II
is said that be fails when the Responsibilities
OF the Government is thrown upon him. and
that in establishinR or supportinp a fnan-