Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-05-15
A Military View of The Political Stu.
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TFrom the Chicago Tribune. Mayu1

From the Chicago Tribune, May IL
The battle for an extension of the
right of suffrage TO the freedmen of the
South. either in the form of intelligent
negro suffrage, impartial suffrage, or uni
versal suffrage, is more nearly won to-day
than many of IFS faint-hearted friends are
willing to hope. The secession of the
few Republican Office holders like Doolit-
tie and Raymond operates like the resig-
nation of Lee and other traitors at tie
outset Of the rebellion. The party will
be left better and stronger for theiI deser-
ton, and their places will soon be filed
by trustworthy men. The failure of one
or two semieonservative attempts like
that which the Reconstruction Committee
Is making to restore the Southern States
with safety to the Union, without enfran-
chising all their citizens, will have the
effect to unite the Union party in Con-
gress and the country upon the policy of
extending the suffrage, just as the failure
of our first efforts to restore the Union
without emancipation, in 1861 n 1862,
only united the Union party more infexi-
bly, in demanding emancipation. The
Presidents vetoes, speeches, and reaction
airy policy wound and sting the loyal
men of the land, Just as Bull Run, Balls
Bluff, snd Big Bethel wounded end stung
them in the drift period" Of the war,
when we were fighting without a policy.
But these are the divine goads needed to
tapnt the people to the extremity of
writing upon their banners, "equal rights
for all"
just now the Reconstruction Commit
tee is leading US, on the conservative
plan, through a Chickahominy campaig7.
1t may be said by a great feat of military
strategy TO have lifted up the whole Re-
publican host from its standpoint of prin-
ciple, as Mcclellan lifted it from Alexsn-
dria, and to have planted it before a line
of empty breastwerks called "expe-
diency, as Little Mack planted the Army
of the Potomac before the vacant en-
trenchments of Yorktown. As McClel-
lan's strategy consisted in holding back
a hundred thousand Federals from at
lacking seven thousand rebels for a
month, until the seven thousand had
grown to sixty thousand and Richmond
was fortified so the. Republican party in
Congress, with a two-thirds majority in
both Houses, and u still larger majority
in the country, are firing at long range,
waiting for the johnson party to concen-
tIate, recruit and retreneh.
Meanwhile our single victory on the
Civil Rights Bill, like the capture of Dom
elson shows what we can do, and gives a
foretaste Of the better times coming,
when We get the wrong men all weeded
out, and the right men il command.
But two favors weimplore of our friends
in Congress. One is that no Radicals will
refuse support to the Reconstruction
Committees plan so far as it goes, for
this, like the withdrawal of McDowelrs
Corps from the Army of the Potomac,
will give the faint hearts an excuse for
consenting to be beaten, and for making
a change of base which will amount TO q
retreat, Give them McDowell's Corps
and all, for :he real seven days retreat
will com when the plan comes to be sub
mitted to the Southern States, where it
will be beaten beyond a doubt, where no
radical votes could save it, as Mcclellan
was foredoomed to be beaten in front of
Richmond, by adverse influences and
stern rebel fighting which McDowelps
Corps could never have resisted. An
other favor which we humbly ask of the
Republicans in Congress is, that instead
of waiting as Mr. Lincoln did before
adopting the policy of justice tc the
colored man, whose condition is the
whole cause of the conflict, until we have
waded up the Peninsula of procrastina-
ton and through the mud and blood of
the Chickahominy and the disgrace Of a
second Bull Run, We avoid completing
the analogy between the two struggles,
one for the personal and the other for the
political emancipation of the colored race,
by issuing the inevitable decree right
where we are, and then placing promptly
in command one who will move on the
enemies works and repeat Donelson at
Richmond. We think this policy, with
out thinning our armies OF any whose
votes We need, would shorten the contest
snd lessen its vindictiveness. But we
feel well assured that if we fail to carry
the country on the present policy of ex-
pediency, our repulse will only be permit
ed because Sod demands that victory
shall te won under the purer standard of
Justice.