Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-05-04
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Especial Correspondence of Cleveland Lesder.l
WAsHTEaToU. April 90

" ARLINGTON, April OO'
The last few days Of hot weather have
brought out flowers and foliage SO rapidly
that it seems as if an enchsntress had
changed the garb Of good old dame nature,
and given US in her generous freak, beauty
for barrenness. The air is bslmy with |
perfume, and musical with the wArblings |
Of its vocslists, and all seems fresh and |
happy and joyous IS II love instead Of hate |
did abound. sYet we expect that even be- |
fore the flowers fade that are now enrich |
ing and identifying and blessing us with !
their presence and promises, that the air !
will beFfoul with the sulphurous stencil,
and horrid with the crash and roar and
din Of battle.
The day Of the terrible struggle is very
near at hand. 1t will leave msnv a child
fatherless, many wife widow, and will
be the cause Of bringing many a sorroWing
parent 10 the grave. May God sustain us
in this dark day Of our nations great
grief.
Ihad long conversation yesterday with
some rebel prisoners, and it would seem
with them as it does with us, that they
look forward to the months Of Msy and
June with all the interest that can attach
to the life or death Of the rebellion. HIf
defeated" they say, "the game is up, but
we won't be. We will win, and before the
North can raise its next army we will be
recognized by the Europesn powers; and
your defeat will demorslize your armies
and divide your politicians, and the tables
will be completely turned in our favor"
And thus are they hopeful. They are
7 Il
we are. ] found it hard to hold my own
with one Of them, who was q chaplain
He Knocked at our patriotism AMI at our
means Of disPlayi~sit. ill give vnu As
near as l can one of his TRADES.
HYou have raised immense gums ct
your Sanitary Fairs. You will need
them. Money thus raised by trying to
cheat heaven while playing into the hands
of the devil, won't go far. You went to
these fairs as men, to feast, frolic and
revel- Ynnr women went to display their
Partisan robes and German jewelry, to
firt and find a market for their surplus
vanity. In your account with yourselves
you credit all this to benevolenoe, and
charge it topstriotIsm, and sum yourselves
up as martyrs to your oountry's good"
Then he went on, comparing the course
and conduct Of the "Southern friends."-
He made the contrast very fsttering in
favor Of the Southern ladies, who he set
up as the most devoted, patriotic, and self
denying Of esrtb's hsbitants, living on
plain food, selling their gems, jewels. and
silks, and UnosteutatiUu5fy giving the PrU-
ceeds to the public chest, and so on and 80
forth. Making out 10 himself and his
friends that Of course the blessings of God
must be showered on those who we're with
sn eye single, &c, devoting their all on
their country's altar, instead Of on those
who we're doing as We were.
Fortunately for me, the sermon-o Of DR..
! Sunderland on murder OF Colonel
Dahlgren was fresh in my mind, and I re-
piled by asking few Of the Doctors ques-
tions, such ss-CsA God prosper people
who are striving, in the face of high hesv-
en-, to rear system of government based
on the "sum of human villsinies;" who
are acting towards those whom they 60
| forth to meet in combat as bsrbsrisns to-
wards cannibsls, and worse; who, like
hyenss, prowl around the graves Of the
slain, tearing from their last resting
place the bones Of the dead, and working
them into trinkets to sdorn those lady
loves who so parted with their jewelry?
So, Sc.
And after I was through talking with
him, thought what if we had been over
heard by foreigner. Would he not think
that American civilization was verging on
that point in theory and practice where
extremes are said to meet.
The bill of Mr.. sohenck, from the Com
mittee of Military Affairs, was reported
yesterday, giving the colored troops the
| same psy as other soldiers and raising the
pay Of all privstes to $l6 per month is
creating quite sensation amongst some
Of our patriots. I would rot detrsot an
iots from the fair.fame of the men who so
devotedly have worked to get this bill
before the House in its present shape. Our
Ohio members have wrought nobly and
will continue so till it is law. Such men
as Messrs. Wade, Garfield, and Spslding,
approach work with q will in q good
cause, but, must cay, Professor Peck has
done no small service in this work. In
fact, it was by the request Of prominent
members Of this Committee that he went
to Fortress Monroe, to find out the state Of
affairs amongst the colored troops, and
how this matter Of pay was affecting them
and how it was regarded by their officers,
and the General in command. All who
are acquainted with the Professor, we'll
know how he would work, and Of what
value his services would be in such q
cause.
1t is because he is SO thoroughly under
stood, and that his worth is properly es-
timsted here, that the best men Of our
State are anxious to have him as col
league and co-laborer in the great work
that will be to do in the next Congress-
We hope, our district will not neglect to
secure for itself Representative Of such
metal, st such time. If ever we did, OF
will need true men, it will be in the next
Congress-. We want men, who, knowing
the right, dare proclaim i'll and We wan
men Of ability to discern the rightl If mo-
represented by such, our dearly earned
our blood bought victories may be but o.
little account.