Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-05
Our conrre..IonnI EIeelIon..The QuestIon
[From the PainesviHe Telegraph.l

Whatever may be the movements Of our
armies in the field, or the seeming result
Of battles for the maintenance Of our
freedom and the Union, the actual issues
| will be disposed of by the people at the
October election, whether they are aware
Of it or not
The President is made Commander-in-
Chief Of the army, to enforce the laws Of
| Congress. A new House of Representa-
| tives is soon to be elected, whose legisla-
ton will determine the future policy Of
the Government, in its whole administra-
ton, civil and military. They will decide
with what force and temper the war shall
be waged, and to what length, and to what
| objects, it shall be maintained. The Pres
| ident and his Cabinet, the loyal men of the
! country, as well as the traitors and their
! foreign sympathisers, look for the result
I of the coming election with the intensest
interest; for it will be unmistakably a
| declaration Of the peoples will as to the
| conduct and objects of the war. The peo-
! pie should therefore fully consider and
well understand, what are their wishes in
regard to these grave matters, and so ex-
press themselves as neither to be mistaken
themselves or be misapprehendedb by others.
, III
/ them elect those who are opposed to il, and
| they can purchase peace at the hands Of the
rebels If they wish to ignore slavery as
the cause Of the war; ifthey wish to throw
around it a Gordon sam taiTe of northern
freemen, to give it guard of northern
soldiers to carry it unharmed through the
frightful rebellion; they will elect those who
apologize for and sympathise with the insti-
tuition. If they desire to compromise with
| the South, they will elect those whose acts
and general character give assurance that
they are in favor Of and will aAAlr - =, =
! " adjustment OF our dlthculues with the
rebeIs by negotiation and treaty. But if
! they desire a prosecution of the war that
shall annihilate this rebellion in the short
est practicable time, they must elect those
whom the country has tried and knows to
be committed to the most vigorous use Of
all possible means for that purpose. Ifin
this great struggle they would see slavery
and the TebelliOn-cause and effect-go
down together into a common grave of in
fanny and Oblivion, they must elect men
whose acts and private character pledge
them to this policy unmistakably.
If they are against all compromise, they
shou uld see that no oompromiser has seat
in the next House.
The majority of the present House of
Representatives are fully committed on all
these questions. They and their doings
are before the world, and their acts have
become the subject of imperishable record.
Who and what they are, what they have
done and what they will continue to do,
while charged with public responsibilities,
is fully understood by the people. They
have met all the questions involved in the
war frankly and fearlessly, and disposed
of them to the general satisfaction Of the
loyal men of the country. They recog-
nize slavery as the cause of the rebellion
and have steadily assailed the institution
with all the force of Congressional legis-
latiOn they could command They have
abolished it at the Capital, and in all the
national territories, and have forever pro-
hibited its introduction under the national
flag. They emaneipate the slaves of the
rebels, and propose to buy up and free the
slaves Of patriots of the South. For this
purpose they have placed all the means of
the nation, with all its races of men in
the hands of the President, and enjoined
upon him to use them to the utmost.
Having done these things, the members
place themselves and their acts before their
constituents, for approval or condemna-
tiOn. If the people approve their course,
they will say so, by re-electing them. If
they are dissatisfied with them, they will
fill their places with other men. The issue
is fairly made up, and cannot be evaded.
II, under the new apportionment, as many
of the majority Of the present House are
elected as are eligible, the result will be
judgment Of the whole people, in favor of
the acts of the majority. If they are defeat
ed, so that majority of the next House are
against the majority Of this, it will be
judgment of condemnation, and the Presi-
dent must and will act accordingly. Can
the importance Of this election be over es-
timated2 In this District Mr., Riddle, the
present member, was among the foremost
of the majority of the present House, and
puts the acts of that majority on trial be-
fore the people of this District, by asking
for reelection. His reelection will be
judgment of the people in favor of those
acts. The election of another will be a
judgment against them. Nomatter though
another Of the same views be chosen to fill
his seat, the refusal Of the people to return
a member whose share in the legislation of
the present Congress has been so promi-
nent and clearly defined before the coun-
try, will operate as ajudgment of condem-
natiOn against the measures which he has
publicly sustained. In the person of no
other can the issue be so directly or
squarely made, nor can the world be made
TO understand it in any other light.
This question, then, is now fairly be-
fore the people Of this Congressional Dis
trict. If they wish to say to the President, |
to the Rebels and to the world, that they |
approve Of the acts of the present Con- |
gress, that they detest Slavery and wish |
it to be extingqished, that they desire the
most vigorous possible prosecution of the |
war, and the use Of all means for that pur- |
pose, they will elect the present member. |
If they want to say something else they |
will elect somebody else. We do not pro-
pose TO do anything but state clearly and |
fairly the position which both Mr.. Riddle
and constituents occupy in relation to this
important election. Our readers will de-
termine for themselves which way they
decide it. If they wish to render Judgment
in favor Of the acts of our present Repre-
sentative they will secure the unity of ac-
ton necessary for his reelection If not
they will divide among three or four good
men and permit a man of opposite views
to be returned.
The facilities in a Union Convention
will be ample for that purpose. In any
event, let it be understood that in speak
ing for or against him, this District speaks
for or against the measures which he, with
the majority of the present House, has sus-
iained with so much wisdom, patriotism
and courage.
The remarks apply with full force to Mr..
Edgerton, if he is also candidate for re-
election 81
... T,.,, Gy.,.---,. NJ,