The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-15
SHERMAN D.Gnes HIs position.

sherman Defines His Position.
The Democratic press Of the country
have been making q gigantic effort to
proselytize General Sherman. They know
very well that the putting down of there
bellion was q death blow 70 them, unless
they could manage to cover up their past
record of traitorOus opposition 70 the war
with the army blue. So they made s des-
perate effort to escape the infamy Of having
declared the war a failure by roping into the
Democratic ring q General who had made
the war a success. They endesvored to
conceal the disgrace Of having supported
Vallandi ghsm by getting General Sher-
msn to support them. And SO they seized
eagerly upon a personal matter, in which
General Sherman thought himself sggriev-
ed by the Secretary of War, as an occasion
to ALLEVIATE the General from his devotion
to the Union and the party of b Union.
since then they have labored with crafty
zeal to produce the impression that the
Democracy were the special advocates and
bosom friends of General Sherman
They have talked of nominating him
for Governor; they have mentioned
him as a candidate for President. By
such wiles and csjolery they have hoped
to entce General Sherman into their en-
braces.
Alas, for the failure of human plansl
Alas, for the short-sigh tedness of human
and Democratic scbemesl General Sher-
man knew too well the record of the Cop
perhead party to permit himself to be dis
graeed by its support. he understood per-
fsetly that the political companyOfmen who
supported Clement L. Vallsndigham for
Governor, and who declared in National
Convention that the Wal wss s failure,
would be eternal dishonor to a soldier OF
tie Union. And so he has taken occasion,
in 3 speech made at Columbus, the very
centre of Ohio politics, explicitly to to de-
nv the statements so industriously made in
reference to him by the Democracy. He
declared that he had been greatly msrep-
resented by them, and that he
was not q candidSte for Cub
ernatorial or Presidential honors.-
He went further. he declared that those
who claimed that he was opposed to Cen
eral Cox, gravely misrepresented him. He
praised that gentleman in the highest
terms, spoke Of his election as sure, called
HMM ddrossing tue vssT sudience which
greeted him-ryotsr" candidate for Govern
or-evidently believing that all who
thronged to do honor 10 n Union Gener-
al would support at the ballOt-bOx another
brave Union General, the candidate of the
Union psrty-snd hoped that we would
make all our Governors out Of Generals,
until the next war. Thus, repeatedly
and explicitly did General Sherman
disavow connection with the Copperheads
and cast in his lot with the Union men of
State in the support of General Cox.
General Sherman understood very well
that in thus disclsiming to be considered q
Presidential candidate and endorsing the
Union nomination for Governor he cuts
loose forever from all utilization with the
C~opperhesds. These men are not in the
bsbit of praising and supporting Union
Generals unless they can make something
by the operation. They will give up the
attempt TO ProseTyVrz7 oU-V--A SHormzui
just as they have given up the
attempt to convert Andy johnson, and will
soon be pitching into him as hercely IS
they did a year sgo, when they denounced
his campaigns as failures and called his
soldiers "Lincoln's hiFelings." In thur
abjuring copperhead associations General
Sherman has acted wisely. His reputation
and popularity are already secure. They
could not be greater if he were President
and he has done wisely in determining MOI
to risk the chance of furnishing them by
mingling in politics nor TO disgrace then
by joining the Peace Democracy.