Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-10
senntnr Mnde on the War

prisoners, among them General Allston of
Tennessee. This, we believe, is reliable.
Senator Wade on the War.
The following characteristic letter was
written by Senator Wade to the Union
Convention which assembled at Toledo on
the 28d ult. Its publication in the LEADER
has been unintentionally delayed until this
time. It breathes and infuses the true
spirit Of tho Ohio Senator, who is, we re-
gret to know, physically reduced and weak
ened by the labors and responsibilities Of
thelate session. How cheering to the brave
men who offer themselves to the service of
their country are the assurance of the Sen
ator that they shall not suffer and fight in
vain
AsHTAEULA, August g, 1902
WGENTLEMEN: Your letter inviting me
to address a Convention at your place on
the 23d instant is received, and, were in
a condition to comply with your request,
nothing would give me greater pleasure
than to do so. Some time before / left Con-
it was with great difficulty I could be in
my place in the Senate. Since my return
il has failed rather than improved, until l
have been obliged TO keep my bed the most
of the time, with a slow nervous fever,
which has reduced me so much that can
not hope to speak at your Convention
The gigantic and sublime efforts which the
people made, to defend their institutions
and to trample this accursed rebellion un-
der foot, have been paralyzed, and in great
measure rendered abortive by the over
cautious, timid and yacillating course of
the administration up to this time.
This policy is the fruit of that cursed
slave idolatry that has brought this nation
to the verge of ruin; it is that, whenever
our armies have reached the dominions of
those aristocrats who have brought this
trouble upon US, instead of reducing them
to ruin and desolation, has induced our
owners in every instance to weaken our
own force and degrade the proud Northern
soldier, who went there to fight and con-
quer rebellion, to become the guardian of
the hen-roOst, the pig-sty, or the apple
orchard Of this lordling, who, with all his
available force, was absent in the rebel
army mGulbdlluR Allt uluINtI VI OuE AEONDns
1t is this that has compelled our soldiers,
under the scorcbing, burning sun Of the
South, to die in the malariOus trenches, Of
excessive toll, rather than use the sturdy
negroes who were Injured to the climate,
and anxiously sought to do this same work,
and relieve our men from its hardships
and its perils It is this that has degraded
our brave men (instead of acting the sol
dier) to become the hound for catching
slaves for Southern rebels, and to return
them to masters who are even in arms
against US. In short, it is this that di-
vested all efforts to conquer, on our side,
of the dignity of war, and has compelled
us to stand before the civilized world ap-
parently without policy and without a
motive.
"But all this is now changed. The rep
resentatives OF the people, no longer for
getting their dignity, sue at the foot of the
throne for a more energetic policy. It does
not belong to the President to devise pol
| icy for the country; his duties are well
performed when he has caused the law to
be faithfully executed. NOmatter whether
he thinks it polite or impolitic, he has hui
one simple duty to perform toward it, that
is, to see that it is faithfully executed
Therefore it deEOlves upon Congress (un.
der our Constitution the great representa-.
tive of the power and dignity of the peo
ple) to devise policy. They who have tht
power to declare war, to provide armies
and Iavies, and TO disband them at pleasure
have also the power, when war is declared
to determine on what principles it 81
conducted. And well and fa''' .,all /
the last Congress per- ..tnfully hay
in this respect -.ormed their dutie
man VII" Let, therefore, the youn
~" - IS anxious to assist the govern
-.ent in its hour of peril go boldly fort
= to the field; no danger that he will hay
his life worked out in the malarioI
swamps, while aeclimated negroes arc 0
hand ready to perform that labor. Sue
help will no longer be refused lest sue
= employment should be distasteful to th
= Southern aristocracy. lie need no long,
J fear that his noble calling as a soldier wi
be degraded to the catcher of negroes f
nabobs, that they may with greater secu
, ity devote themselves to fighting US in Il
5 field. The property of these aristocra
now stands condemned and forfeited to Il
United States
"These things, now, are put under Il
e stern guardianship of legislation, and the
. are fixed laws Of the land, no longer SUI
= ject to be modified by Generals OF Pres
dent. Also, the same class of men are I
the same high Power decreed to be free
t Therefore at length we have policy tn
2 there is no power short of that Of Co
|, gress to set aside. have no doubt that
. will be the pleasure of the President, as
will be his stern duty, to see that the
laws are executed to the letter But whet
t crit is his pleasure or not, there is no di
s pensing power under our institutions, al
9 every magistrate who is charged with L
execution of the law must answer at h
peril.
"War, then, is now to commence in ca
nest, and it viii be found that the rebelli,
e viii 60 down before the stern powei' Of L
!, general government, now ha7inga poll
e and bent on the destruction Of its sdve
= sary, like infancy in the hands Of giar
One thing more we may be compelled
; before the controversy shall finally en-
the announcement ofonegreat truth who