Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-01-28


America under the protection of Queel
Having spent his whole life in advocating
"hard money" he commences his executiy
career by recommending the suspension o
specie payments. An advocate of Southern
Institutions and State Rights, he become
metamOrphosed into Fred. Douglass ne
: igro equality-ist, and bows his neck to th'
p yoke of centralized power; and aftel
years of advocacy of the pure principles
of Democracy. of the greatest liberty Il
the greatest number, and that the bless
Iings of government should descend up
on all like the dews of heaven, he has
turned out to be the vilest midnight con.
spirator against the liberties of the citizen
An 1nfidel in Religion, he has cOurted the
Influence of the church; and blackguard
in society, he has solicited the plaudits OF
the upright. Politically and socially be-
meath an active contempt an apology Is al
most due the public for the use of epithets
appropriate to his character.
His executive career demonstrates that he
was unfit to govern State. ..--.r -
Who does not Know that Ohio has been
degraded by his administration?
j. When Tod came into Office, the people OF
/ the State. enjeyed, Q, reputation beyond re-
proach, and still deserve it. WHO gave
them reputation Of not being true to the
government and invoked force to keep them
in subjectionp Who when7t the people had
risen, as one man, to defend the Constitu-
tion, and the Union, insulted their patriot
ism. crushed out their zeal, and brought the
rough hand of conscription to their throats?
Who put public discussion and knowledge
under ban, broke down printing presses
and imprisoned editors for the exercise of
,s.r hn inxroAaI ha
sanctity of private dwellings, dragged away
terror and dismay among the weak and
helpless? Who created dissensions in the
public mind, distracted public unanimity,
filled the State with spies, and dogged the
harmless citizen to his bed chamber? Who
endeavored to excite instructions in the
State by sending troops to various counties
: with orders, in certain contingency, which
did not and would not exist but might
be provoked, to shoot down inoffensive cit
izens? Who has publicly disseminated
among the people, that the Government
had rightfully taken their property, and
! had an equal right to sacrifice their chill
dren? Who has bOasted that the overthrow
of the Constitution of the State and the
rights and privileges guaranteed by it was
subject to discretionary opinion of neces-
sity? Who has burdened the producing
interests of the State with heavy and un-
precedented taxation through unnecessary
and dishonest expenditures ofmOney, built
up corporations and monopOlies and ere
ated innumerable offices to consume the
hard earnings of the people?
There Is but one answer to all these enor-
mites. Tod is guilty of them all. Syco-
phantic in his intercourse with the Nation
al authorities, subservient to their slightest
wish, proud to exchange the dignity of a
State for the privilege Of gathering the
crumbs of partisan notoriety. Disrespect-
ed while Governor to that extent that q
grand jury of his State under the sOlemni-
J ties of an oath, have indicted him for pen
! itentiary offense, public conviction has been
forced to regard him stigma upon, the
/ State. L
His career as public officer is notorious
for neglect of duty, violations of law, and
bad faith. ..-..-
Personal favor, political influence, and
official egotism, have made many of his un-
fair promotions in the army. He has total
| ly neglected to urge the exchange of our
prisoners, TO provide for the decent and
comfortable transportation of our soldiers,
to see that they were paid when the service
was performed, and to provide properly for
| liiOii III OnIO hhu blC
ed inhumanity which has met the bereaved
parent seeking for his dead son, or the weep
ing mother humbly asking a passage to a
southern hospital to rescue loved one
from cherries vigils and almost certain
death, will ever abide in the hearts of the
people. Crocodile tears, self-adIlation or
official benediction, cannot change the stern,
iunrelenting truth which is to be heard
throughout the bounds of the State.
! But even this neglect is aggravated by
! the further gross want of attention to tile
public interests. John ii. Morgan was
worth as a prisoner corps of soldiers in
the field. His operations had been of the
greatest damage to the Union cause. The
authorities thought fit for his safe-keeping
to confine him in the Penitentiary. 1t was
very rare that prisoner escaped from that
Institution. By Tod's orders the usual
and safe arrangements of the prison were
dispensed with, and Tods arrangements
substituted. The result was, Morgan es-
capped. The executive authority failed to
bring him back. And what seems an un-
usual precaution, the mode of his escape
was concealed, by Tod's orders, from persons
who by law were entitled to examine it,
| Tod's message, however, pretends to account
for the escape in the conclusive remark that
the negligence arose from amis-understand-
| ing somewhere. The truth of the matter
may never be known. Ted's pretences to
executive distinction departed with the
| "wily dangerous chieftain." T
In civil affairs Tod's acts of commission
and commission are equally demonstrative
of incapacity, neglect and dishonesty. They
consist, principally, in pardoning criminals
who had been convicted of violating law,
and in violating the law himself.