Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-04-01
~POIice!D

There is no cry, which, ringing out upon
the night air, comes more startlingly to
the unexpected nearer, than that Of "PO-
licel PoliceI" It tells Of assault and out
rage, Of uncalled for brutality, Of robbery,
blood and murder. No man can listen to
It unuOved or be content until the po-
lice has responded to the call. The safety
Of society requires such response, and men
do not stop to enquire Of what political
faith is the coming eonstabulatory force.
We are, socially and nationally, in such a
position to-day. Throughout the North
there are such bands of criminsls,-men
sworn to assault the Government, to out
rage public good, to rob the nation of what
is rightfully her own, to shed blood and
commit murder, if needs be, to accomplish
their nefsrious purposes. And those who
have the interests Of the Government at
heart, as well as those who care for their
" safety, are beginning to call loudly
for the aPolice." The existence Of dis
loyal societies in the North, societies band
Cd together for the express purpose Of re-
sisting the Government in the performance
Of les legitimate work, is no longer q secret.
Whether calling themselves "Knights Of
the Golden Circle aBrothers Of the Great
West" or by any other name, their true
name IS "Traitor." The Resistance to
the arrest Of deserters in Indiana; the at
tempted resistance in Noble county, Ohio
the recent burning of the barns and houses
Of four Union men in Highland county,
simply because they were Union men; the
frequent threats Of the Copperheads by
word Of mouth and through their press
all these are but symptoms Of the course
intended by these Plotters against the Ad-
ministration. Indeed, the existence, plans
and means Of the order are now openly
svOwed in Southern Illinois, where Union
men have been repeatedly attacked and
threatened. The Chicago Tribune says
that It is known to the Government that in
full half the counties in Illinois these
reasonable societies are in full blast, and
that they number their members at not
less than ten thousand men, all Of whom
less than fifty years Of sge, are compelled
to keep arms in readiness for resistance to
the laws, when resistance is determined
upon by the magnates of the order. It is
no longer doubted that Governor TOd's
chief mission to Washington was to secure
ample authority to properly deal with like
developments of treason in our own State,
Of which he has convincing evidence.
Such being the condition Of the North,
land what is said of Ohio, Indiana and Il
liRpis, also applies to organizations in Wis
OOnsin, Michigan, New York, Connecticut,
and other states,) is it not high time to
shout "Polieei" We want active, vigi-
liant Union Leagues to watch the traitors
and be prepared to uphold the honor Of the
country; we want every loyal man to be a
Vigilance Committee Of one to ferret out
traitors; and we want a military force
ready to crush out any manifestation in
the bud, as General Darlington has twice
done in Indiana, and as Marshal Sands did
in Noble county. The Government has q
full conviction of the necessity of the case
and has authorised the organization of
half 3 dozen regiments in Illinois for DO
lice service at home, and from what we
know Of some of the commanding officers, !
we can tell the COpperheads that they had
better invoke the fury Of the hurricape
and the tornado, than the ~retributive wrath
Of these captains Of the national police.
These disturbers Of the public peace
straining every muscle to obtaI- ORG
tige Of q Democratic yir4 ID the pres
now At hand. 81 -0Ory ct the election
sb.u ~ mall they be gratifed, or
! 4e Governments be sustained, the
.sWs upheld, and the rebels, at home and
abroad, be subdued2