Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-07-07
General LeFeVer and HIS De-
tanners.

"A party, one OF whose recognized leau-
ing stumpers on the night Of the 10th OF
June, at the West Front OF Ohio's Capitol,
with emphasis and an air of great satisfac-
tion declared that If the angel Gabriel
were to come down to earth from the
right hand side of God, with all his pu-
rity and holiness, and If he should, while
on earth, identify himself politically with
the Democratic party, he would fight him
to the utmost extremity-a party, too, that
with coarseness and vileness, charges Pres
ident JOHNSON with apostacy from the
cause of patriotism and Union-is just the
sort Of party that would esteem 1t labor
of love to tear from the brow of General
BEN. LEFEvER his well earned military
laurels, in order that stay-at-home Radi-
cal may be elected to lucrative Office, and
condemnation thus visited upon the Union
policy Of President JOHNSON. If they had
at any time within the past five years ac-
corded to any Democrat patriotism and
sincerity of purpose in his advocacy and
support of the Democratic party, the peo-
Pile would have some cause to suspect that
the defamatory assaults upon Gen. BEN.
LEFEvER were instlgated by an earnest de-
sire to vindicate truth and justice. Such,
however, has not been the case. No mat
ter how pure Democrat may have been
no matter how disinterested-no matter
how unquestionable his patriotism-if he
has adhered to the Democratic par
ty, he has been subjected to the
most unmerited abuse. From such
abuse the church has not shielded the
devout follower of the meek and lowly
Savior. The preacher who has voted the
Democratic ticket, although he did it unob-
trusively, was with unfagging persistency
prosecuted. By their action-by their ven-
omous proscription-they testified to be-
lief that for Democrat there was no sal
walton, and that if they had the dispensing
of it. there never should be any for him
hereafter.
Having done this iniquitous injustice to
Democrats in the recent past to promote
political ends, it were infinitely more prof
table to undertake to gather figs from
thistles than to expect that justice would
be done either the bravery or soldler-like
qualities of gallantsoldier who had stead
fastly adhered to the Democratic party. II
they would fight to the utmost extremity
the angel Gabriel-the most exalted being
in the realm of Gods elect-if unblemished
character, the most undoubted patriotism
coupled with prodigal liberality--if the
walk and conversation of minister that
gave proof of the purest godliness on earth
could not shield them against taunt, jibe
and persecution, if they voted the Demo-
cratic ticket, is it possible to find any SER
vice rendered by soldier who adhered to
the Democratic party that they would be
wiling to commend as honorable, especially
if he should become, at any time, the can
didate of the Democratic party for an office
of prominence?
We have been led into these comments
by an editorial in the Toledo Blade, in
which the protest of sundry subordinate
officers is made against the promotion OF
General LEFEvER to Lieutenant Colonel,
wherein the editor uses this language:
"The fact is that Benjamin LeFever en-
tered the army as an Adjutant and by the
dirtiest kind of wire-wOrking gained pro-
motion to the rank of Major over the heads
of better men, his tools in this fearfully
mean transaction being Brigadier of his
own way OF thinking in politics, and q
Chaplain who was a personal friend and
also possessed of influence at Columbus"
Of the signers of the paraded protest
against the promotion of Major LEFEvER
to Lieutenant ColOnelcy, nine Of them
contributed money to purchase sword for
him to testify their appreciation of the GAL
lantry and bravery he displayed at the bat
tie of Stone River. They were Fl. M.
SHUEY, Captain, Company 81 =; T. Ex-
LINE, Captain, Company A; d. L. ANDER-
son, Captain, Company B; W. Ii. SHAW,
1st Lieutenant, Company G; w. B. RICH
ARDS, 1st Lieutenant, Company D.; D. H.
ROBINSON, 1st Lieutenant, Company G;
ED. B. WALKUP, Adjutant; JOSIAH MOOR
HEAD, 1st Lieutenant, Company X JOSHUA
F. Cox, I'd Lieutenant, Company D.
Brigadier General s. PRICE wrote Gov.
TOD under date Murfreesboro, January g.
1858: mo officer in my command displayed
more valor and cOolness in the terrible con-
fiict on the ID instant" than "Adjutant
BEN. LEFEvER, Goth o. V. L." and he took
the occasion to say: HE deserves promo
tion."
Under date, January TO- 1868, SAMUEL
BEATTY, Colonel commanding Sd Division,
14th Army Corps, wrote Governor TOP:
mo officer in this corps of the army dis
played more valor, GOODNESS and bravery,
and no officer under my command is better
entitled to promotion than Lieutenant BEN.
LEFEvER." Underneath, I. L. CRITTENDEN,
Major General commanding, wrote: Il
fully concur in the above" This was in
dorsed aJ
MURFREBsBoRo, Jan. IL, 1858.
Respectfully forwarded, earnestly recon-
mending his promotion. When Col. Beatty
recommends, you may rely on it.
w. s. RosECRANs,
Major General.
j. e. CUMMINs, Lieut.. Col. commanding
09th O.V. L, under date near Murfreesboro,
January 6, 1863 wrote Gov. ToD:
DEAR SIR: respectfully call your at
tention to the gallant conduct OF Adj,t. Ben.
LeFever, of tue Goth Regiment o. vi, in
the recent engagement before Murfrees-
boro. He displayed during that contest,
when under a heavy fire, that GOODNESS and