Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-02-03
CINCINNATI. Feb. l


The cold snap which has reigned over
us with unabated severity for several |
weeks past, has moderated, and to-day we
are having a January thsw. AT the river
the scene is quite lively, and the uninitis-
ted faces of the along-shore men,, who
have been so long idle, betoken change
in mercantile life, IS renewed signs of ac-
tivity appear. The river is still full OF
floating ice and the ferry-boats are slowly
running their trips. The steamers which
have been go long blockaded by the ice,
are preparing to receive freights, and the
railroads will be over their hurry in few
days.
There are general signs of 'fbreaking
up" and a drizzly mist, added to the warm
south wind, will soon remove the ice and
snow from our thoroughfares. In the
country the sleighing is still good, but
twenty-four more hours of warm rain and
thaw will cause its disappearance. Busi-
ness will not be good, however, until this
wintry blockade is dissipsted.
Great preparations are being made for
the Amateur Dramatic performances, which
take place shortly, for the relief of the poor,
- 1f tho spffarinp wives and families of
our brave Cincinnati soldiers IN the neld.
On Thursday night, at Melodeon Hall, the
aLady of Lyons" and popular farce will
be enacted, and on Monday evening, Feb
ruary 9Th, Shakespesres play of Hamlet
will be performed at Pixies Opera House,
in which play, the various caste will be rep
resented by distinguished citizens of Gin
cinnati. 1t is understood thst Lieutenant
Governor Anderson, james E. Murdoch,
and the Hon. Enoch T. Carson, Collector of
the Port, will sustain leading Iparts. A
general officer of the United States Army,
an Ex-Judso, wealthy Petroleum Broker
and Poet, will also lend their assistance
on the stage. 1t is even reported that a
distinguished divine will sink theology and
court the Thespian muse in this entertain
ment. The sale of tickets will take place
at the Merchants Exchanged to-day at noon,
and no doubt but that the projectors of this
undertaking will reap an immense success.
Most of the Desirable front seats at the Opera
House will be sold at auction. 1t is to be
hoped that in this charitable undertaking,
5-st the receipts will largely overswell the
expenses, that there may not be another
"Gough affair" or an Academy of Music
Calico Ball failure.
The sale of tickets for the Grover Opera
Troupe commenced at Peters music store
yesterday, and the rush was large notwith-
standing the high price of admission, which
is placed at two dollars for a single night
Excitement runs very high, and it is said
that already $4,000 worth of tickets have
been disposed Of
The excitement relative to the treatment
of recruits and stragglers passing through
this city is sbsting. Arrangements have
been made to furnish the best of cooked
rations and good quarters, with plenty Of
clothing for all who may hereafter arrive
at this point. The severe structure of the
city press have awakened our military of
fcers to a sense of their duty, and we are
satisfied that there will be no repetition OF
such gross carelessness again. The citi-
zens, the Sanitary Committee and Christian
Commission deserve great praise for their
endeavors to ameiorste the condition of the
men of the = Army corps who recently
passed through our city. Now that the
ice-blockade is raised, we may expect to be
visiteo by more troops, who have been
frozen in below.
The recent convention of the Fenian
Brotherhood, held in this city, has been
| the subject of much comment among
thinking men, The Catholic Clergy are
sverse to it, and have come out boldly de.
nouncing it as body political, not reli-
gious and tending to evil. A very few Of
the clergy, while they do not openly favor
it yet do not publicly denounce it. 1t will
lead to an element of stUrbsnce-it is al
ready exciting the people of Canada, for it
is plainly evident that the object of the Fe-
nisns is to dismember ireland. To effect
this object they are seeking to embroil
Great Britain and the United States in war
by every means in their power. Their
organs in this country profess loyalty to
the Union; but in Canada they and the
rebels are working in concert to breed mis-
chief between the two governments. It is
well known fact, that while hundreds of
them, nay thousands, pr ofess to hate Great
Britain, they have solemnly sWorI ale
glance 70 her before on bonds of enroll
ment, in crder to escape the draft, and TO
avoid bearing arms in the great National
struggle. Go to our Provost-Marshals all
over the country and look at the exemp-
tion lists of Irishmen, and you will see
many, many nations they wish to make
war against. Our government should and
will, no doubt, closely watch this orgsni-
zstiOn, and not allow it to interfeEe in our
national affairs to subserve its own inter
ests.
We have in our Arm and in our NAVY
good, loyal, honest, Irishmen, whose names
will be forever bright in the history ofour
country, but the number ofthese men bear
no proportion to those who have invok-
cd British protection against the calls of
the President of the United States. We
need no disturbing element of our popula-
tion at the present time-we have enough
to attend to without embroiling ourselves
/ in foreign war. These outbreaks which
we notice from time to time in Canada and
other places, may merge into a general
eruption, but 1t can neither promote the
freedom nor happiness of the race. II
msy bring Ireland into trouble, and wa
hope that the wise council of the legisls-
tors and the good sense of the people will
not suffer them to be drawn into 8 Quarrel
by such an organization as the Fenisn
Brotherhood. 1t would be we'll for our
government to watch them closely.
The Military Commission for the trial of
the Chicago conspiratOrs is still progress
ing. A large number of witnesses are yet
to be sworn, and it is the opinion of mill
tary men that the trial will not be over
for q month yet. Walsh's case looks
worse and worse each day and there is no
doubt but that the court will pass the ex-