Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-29
MORNING LEADER.
aoNDAY MoRNINs. AUaUsT e.
Pre,ident LIneoIn ana the Dranl.


President Lincoln and the DraNi.
The draft will not be postponed. OF
that the public may rest assured. II win
take place, as announced by the Presidents
proclamation, as soon after the 5th day of
September next as the credits can be prop
erly assigned and the draft machinery put
in running order. The President has been
constantly harassed by applications, from
every quarter, to postpone its execution.
He been approached byprocrastiRators,
urging that it be postponed to give the
country further chance TO I'll the quota
by volunteering; by alarmists, who insist
that its execution will be a signal for POpu-
lar iusurrection by towards, who fear its
effects upon themselves and by petty po-
litical schemers, who fear its effects upon
the voters. To all these his answer has
been the samoan answer grand in its
simple and selfforgetful devotion to the
interests of the country BE says, in eff
feet: "The draft must be enforced. Our
armies in the field must be strengthened.
And, were capable of postPoning a need
full measure, or dallying with national in
terests, to subserve personal or political
ends, should be unworthy of the position
which I hold"
The draft must be enforced. Our armies
now battling with armed treason must
have the aid which they so sorely need
and with which thoy can 90 sOt1oiy conquer =
The crisis of our struggle is at hand 1t
can last but few months more. But, for
these few months, we need, as we never
needed before, an overwhelming military
force If we win peace upon tho field OF
battle, we will win it al the more speedily
and surely because we have q powerful
army. If we win peace by negotiation
we can secure honorable and just and last
ing terms only by holding in reserve mil
itary force at which the rebels will trem-
bic. In either alternative, then, draft
and an increased army becomes essential.
And if the draft Is to come off at all, let
it come off nowl Postponement, procras-
tination, dalliance and delay are frivolous
and foolish. We need our men no,0-the
quicker the better. Sherman needs them
at Atlanta-old Unconditional Surrender
needs them at Petersburg The sooner
they are in the field the sooner will the war
be over, its vast expenses stopped, and
Peace again smile upon the land. Let the
issue be made now. If we are to have in
surrection and revolt, the seaman MA know
II the bsttor. If the people are not ready
to make this sacrifice when it becomes es
sential to the salvation of the country, the
sooner the issue is made the better. 1t is
the peoples war, and their decision is
final. We have no fear but that it will
be also just and right.
But we have most admiration for the
position of the President, when we regard
it in reference to his. personal and political
relations. His forgetfulness of self in
comparison with the interests of the coun-
try, his determination that whatever may
be the nersonal consequences he will carry
on the measures which he perceives are
essential to the saIvauon OF JIie country, Is
worthy of the highest praise. ID proves
that he deserves the high post which he-oc-
cupies Were he capable of neglecting
the interests of the country in order to
make himself President, he would not be
worthy to be President
And in this instance, as in almost all in
stances, we have no doubt that the truest
devotion to right will also prove the safest
political policy True the draft will lose
US many votes 1t ofends all that IS mean
and cowardly and servile in a man. 1t
drives all the sl1ulks and towards who by |
some singular chance have remained until
now in our ranks over into the Peace parry.
We are not sorry to lose them. But will |
not their detection be more than made up |
by the strength which the Jacl;sonian
courage of a President who dares to stake
the responsibility will gain? Would not
the bug-bear of future and still-impend-
ing draft be more powerful in alternating
votes than the weak terrors of one which
is already executed and whose fury is en-
tirely spent? VIII not the victories which
q REINFORCED and vigorous army may this
fall wrest from an enemy whose resources
are all exhausted be the most potent
of electioneering arguments for Lincoln
md Johnson2 Would not the spectacle
# our triumphant columns, strengthened by
his very draft, fling through the streets
II Richmond, or driving Hoods
catered legions like chaff across
he State Of Georgia, 'be more
fRcient in encouraging the people than
he sight of our armies wasting away in I
Tinter camps, waiting for tardy succOrs,
7hich President, fearful of personal un- t
withholds from them2
Every motive then, whether of policy
II patriotism, unites in urging an immedi-
te enforcement of the draft. Let us bear
Is heavy burden cheerfully and patiently,
ooking beyond our present sacrifice to the
loriOus vintage that could not else have !
cen. Z
eS-e d.
low the Soldiers Treated a Copper
head Lie.
The Illinois State Register of last Sun
ay, noting the return of 234 veterans
the I'd Illinois cavalry insulted them in t
lese words:
From al we can learn, they are heartily :
ck Of fighting for Sambo, aud expect in 7
e approaching election to prove to the
spot at Washington, that they have not