Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-03-16


asone days ago we took the innocent
liberty Of copying from the St. Louis Re.
publican, an account OF the condition Of
our soldiers in the Mississippi Army. Fer
doing this, we were attacked in the most
indecent manner in the Cleveland LEADER"
Plain Dealer.
We beg pardon; you did nothing Of the
sort. You referred to the statement Of
that correspondent quoted one paragraph,
Saying that the cruelty Of our hospitals
so csIled-transcends any torture ever
devised for criminals" ,") and then you add
ed:
WsTsgrst that we haven't space topub-
lish 9 detailed account Of the cruelties
uraeticed in the Medical Department there.
They are Of the most siokening and heart
rending character" r
That expression CT "regret" that you
could not sicken the public with that detail
ed false report, we characterized as "cOOl
fendishness." And we do not know that
we have anything to retract, as we hold the
same opinion still. The Plain Dealer then
adds:
HThat choice sheet 1.-THE LEADERl con-
tains in this mornings issue the following:
{" The letters that we have lately published
from agents, inspectors and others, show
degree Of sickness and destitution that
have deeply stirred the sympathies Of all
readers
Sanitary agents and citizens continue to
report the situation as desperate and trag-
ical. Medical officers give a much more
subdued picture. DR.. Sutherland declares
the account of the mortality a gross exag-
Rerstiou. On the other hand, equally truth
fll men affirm that they found in many
camps we'll nigh total absence Of medi'
cines, Sc, &c."
In the first place, the Plain Dealer kHe''
that the extract it quotes was contained il
the weekly report Of the Aid Society, which
| is published in the LEADER every Saturday
morning, and that the LEADER had nothing
to do with its authorship. And yet il
charges that the LEADER said SO. That il
falsehoOd number two.
The Plain Dealer falsifes by omission al
well as by commission. 1t pretends t.
quote the above from the LEADER. Now, il
the article quoted from, the following sen
tence directly follows the first sentenc'
quoted by the Plain Dealer (where it places
stars as though there was nothing impOr
tant to be quoted):
4" They do not, hoVsUsr, confirm the ezag
qsrated stories Of hedrtIesRess on the part o
surgeons, or Of criminal neglect Of pUrUeyOTs
that have found their l0ay into the publ
prints from the pens Of malicious persons, Oi
Of those inexperienced in judging Of hosPita
practice"
See what a pitiful subterfuge and under
handed meanness was employed BY thu
Plsin Dealer to serve its guilty end Of in
creasing the COpperhead Outcry sgains
the Government for not taking care Of it
sick. There is not a thief in all Cleveland
thst would be guilty Of SO dishOnOrabll
and dirty q trick.
Once more: The Plain Dealer publishes
the two extracts above, as if they wer,
from one article and that one an editOria
in the LEADER. But they are from dlfsTen
communications, one from the Aid soOiet.
and one from an agent to that Society.
We did not intend TO devote so muol
space to this pettifogging trickster, but tn,
interests involved are those Of our soldier
in the field and hospitals, and we intend Il
further their interests at all times agains
open Southern rebels or sneaking Northern
Copperheads.