Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-01-28
EADER.


.r, Wade's resolution declaring In IA
vor of retslistion still hangs fire in
the limited States Senate. We are sur
2 -prissd At the Indifference and appsrsnt
disfsvor with which it has been treated by
some Union Senators, from whom we had
Alright TO expect the wArmest and most
earnest championship of our Union mar
tyrs in Southern prisons. The subject is
not one 10 be delayed or daIlied over. 1t
calls urgently for the most immediate and
decisive action. "0ut of the jaws Of death,
out Of the mouth of hell, there comes up
to US Of the North the Departing cry Of
our star ting and dying heroes. We need
not rehesrse the horrors of the prisoR-pens
in which they have been slowly murder
ed. The story Of their wrongs, in all its
slclening dessils has been fully told, and
every loyal heart in the country has been
stirred with horror and indignation at its
recital. The issue before the Senate, put
boldly and distinctly by senstor Wade's
resolution, is simply this: 'Shall our
Government take immediate, stern and de-
cisive measures to put 8 stop to these hor-
rors. by retaliation upon rebel prisoners in
the North, or shall it idly fold its hands
and do nothing2"
Many Of the milk-and-water humsnits-
rians of the country are scared at the very
word retaliation" i" and exclsim against the
proposed plan as uncbristian and inhumsn.
Such is the tenor of Senator Summers res
Olutions on the subject, We suppose that
all wsr is contrsry 20 The spirit Of CA-is
tisn civilization. Yet we are in war, and
the JUS ice of our great contest for Union
and Liberty needs never to be proven by
argument. And, IS long as TVar e-ista' re-
tsIistion .-,sr 20 with it. Christian phi
lsnthropy may recoil from it, as from the
other horrors attendant upon war, but
ChrisLisn justice and foresight, seeing the
end from the beginning, recognize
Its necessity and expediency. The
great fault Of our administration
of the war has been that we have used re-
talistion too little-have put faith in rose
water treatment too much. Wherever we
have employed retaliation it has been sue
cessful. When our black soldiers were put
at work on the Notifications of Petersburg
and Richmond, General Butler, with char
scteristic sagscity, placed as many rebel Of
fcers at work on his entrenchments, under
fire. The consequence was the black pris-
oners were withdrawn from the rebel works
and returned 70 Libby Prison. Retaliation
was thus distinguished for its efficacy. Tho
rebels sought to prevent our bombsrdment
of Charleston by putting large number
of our captive officers under fire. The
President ordered sn equsl number of cap
tured rebel officers to be placed under the
enemys fire at Charleston. The retslia-
ton was effsctual, and the result was an
exchange of the officers.
Senator Summers resolutions begin by as
suming the very point in debsts-vis: that
retslistion will be Intellectual for the
protection of our soldiers-and try |
to carry the whole case by the as
sumption Of the premises. That as
sumption is groundless. The previous
history of the war has shown that in
every case in which We have employed re-
taliatory measures the most beneficial re-
suits have followed. Why will they not
in this The pretense that the rebels
are unable to do better by our soldiers in
their hands is the sheerest and most uu-
blushing falsehood. Sherman found Geor-
gia filed with abundance and the rebel
army and rebel citizens are ty no means in
a state of destitution. Sharp retaliation
upon the rebel officers in our hands will
not only prove the ability of the South to,
afford sustensnce to Union prisoners, but
will also compel them to do So The ex-
pertinent is at least worth the trial
Mr.. Wade has earned the thanks of tn
nation and army by his introduction and
energetic advocacy of this resolution 1t
has been left for him 70 complete the ex-
posure of the bsrbarism of slavery" so
eloquently denounced years ago by Sena-
tor Sumner, and to declare stern and un-
relenting war upon it. He stands out in
this act as the friend and champion of our
starving and dying Union braves They
and their friends will ever remember and
bless him for his efforts in their behalf. J