Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-06-23

EDITOR LEADER I'll have read your
leading article, what you have since pub
lished, Judge spalding's letter, and the
comments of the Herald and Plain Dealer,
as well as the very able and candid com
munication in the Herald of the Doth,
signed Republican" on the subject of
keeping up and adhering to what is called
the q Union Party ,s
Without intending reply to those who
attack your position, I desire to give my
own views on the subject. Indeed, it will
be time to attack the position of the Herald
and Plain Dealer when it is known where
they. stand. They both reserve to them
selves the privilege of going for or against
the "Union Party, = as Providence or the
people. shall hereafter open up the way.
Well, this evinCes a becoming prudence,
especially on the part of the Plain Dealer,
and shows that 1t has prOfted by expert
enOe It is less than year since that
paper headed its columns with the Jewett
ticket, advocated its election, andcontinued
to keep the ticket up until after the Union
candidates were in the field and their
election certain, when it gently slid off
on to, not into the Union movement. It
now denounces all attempts to disturb the
a-EniOn Party as unpatriOtic.
The Herald gave earlier evidence that it
scented the success of the Union movement,
but was evidently chilled when the nOmi-
nations were made.
Like yourself, Judge spalding and most
Of the other Republicans hereabout, went
in most devotedly and labored for the sue
cess Of the Union party. But why did I
do so Not because I was any less Re
publican than when I supported Abraham
Lincoln for President. Not that had held
political principles, or had political assoei-
ates of which felt ashamed, or for which
felt guilty. The principles set forth in the
Chicago Platform, and which distinguished
the Republican party from all other politi-
cal organizations, and upon which we stood
and gloriOusly and triumphantly carried
to the Presidential chair the man whom I
verify believe the party had wisely selected,
and whom God had also anointed and set
apart to the patriotic business of serving
the last hope of the race in a free Governs
ment, were then, and are now, the political
creed which love and will defend.
Those are some of the considerations
which did not induce me to give my best
efforts, q year ago, to further what was
known as the Union Increment.
Now for those that did induce me to thus
exert myself:
The propriety Of this movement began to
engage attention early in the season of
1851. AT that time new Administration
had just been inaugurated the Democratic
party had not defined its position; many
of the members of that party had given
unmistakable evidence of sympathy with
traitors. knights of the Golden Circle -
were known to be numerous in different
parts of the State, Many leading Demo-
Gratis expressed a desire to forget former
party organizations and obligations, and
unite with all who would sustain the Ad-
ministratiOn in putting down the rebellion.
It was also said that large majority Of
the party would in good faith unite in the
movement. Under these circumstances
the Republicans, with a majority of 10000
in the State, magnanimously yielded one
half the Offices, including the Governor,
and went to the polls and gave the ticket
hearty and undivided support. The
ticket was elected, and the only regret ex-
pressed BY Republicans was that the ma
jority was not as large as they had right
to expect. How were these expectations Of
o majority Of Democrats uniting in the
movement realized2 Why, not more thsp
ten per cent. of the party went into the
movement at all, and many that did