Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-04
The senatorial 0ne.Iion-

The Senatorial Question.
We are not ofthose who believe the pa
triotism and wisdom Of the State are cen
tered in any one man. We believe there
are scores of men in Ohio fitted, by emil
nent qualities of Craftsmanship, and patri-
otto devotion to the country, to I'LL with
credit and profit to the State and nation
the high position of a Senator of the
United States. For these reasons we have
not Joined in what we regarded as a pre-
mature discussion of the merits and de-
merits OF the various aspirauts to that
honor. We did not think proper to seek
to f~orestall public sentiment in that re-
gard, believing that to do SO during the
political canvas would be productive of no
good, and, possibly, of evil. Having at
tached ourself to the fortunes of no one
man, we feel free to ~critieise fully and
freely the acts and antecedents of all
, whose names are mentioned in this con-
neetion. The United States Senator to be
chosen by the present Legislature is tofn
the vacancy occasioned by the expiration
of the term of Hon. John Sherman. Mr..
Sherman is a prominent candidate for re-
election; hence his official acts are proper
subjects for examination. His record as a
Senator is before the country, and by that
record it is fair to judge him. In o re-
spects he has done well, but there are
among his official votes and utterances
some things which we think wildly at va
rance with the political sentiments of the
loyal men Of The land. In this list we in
elude his refusal to vote an endorsement
Of President Lincoln's suspension of the
privileges of the writ of h0beas corpus at
sac commencement of the rebellion. Mr..
i5herman held thai act of the Executive
legal, claiming for Congress exclusively
the right to exercise such power. We
think him plainly in error, for the Federal
Constitution provides for such suspension
only when, in cases of invasion or rebel
licn, the public safety may require it.
This indicates clearly that it is a power to
be used only in times of great emergency,
when it would be impracticable to await
the action of a legislative body which is
in session but a portion of the year. Such
delay would thwart the object had in
view by those who inserted that provision
in the Constitution.
But Mr.. Sherman has a darker record
than this, and one for which it will be
difficult to frame a reasonable defence.
When, in ls62, a bill was introduced into
the UmfUed DJavcs CrnaVe 10 augIuF nc 7SHv
emnloyment-as-eO 5ored men as soldiers Of
+Bg 6Uvgrnment, Mr.. Sherman moved so
TO amend as to entitle loyal masters to the
pay prescribed by law for the services of
their slaves when taken into the military
service. On this subject Mr.. Sherman
spoke as follows (which may be found o.
page 1892 of the Congressional Globe, part
4, for the second session of the 37th Con-
gress):
"Mr. ShermanI hope the Senator from
Missouri will be satisfied to let this section
stand as it Is, and to make his amendment
at the proper place in the second section.
There Is no reason why the slaves of loyal
men should not be employed Just as wellias
the slaves Of disloyal men. The only ques-
ton is what compensation should be made
to the masters Of slaves. If my amend
ment shall be adopted to the sec
end section, the slaves of loyal persons will
not be mije free by the operation of the act,
and the masters OF those slaves will draw
the compensation allowed by heGovernment
for their services, and they would get their
slaves back as a matter of course. If gy
asleaameat to the second Section Be adopted,
this measure tgiI not affect tie loyal master, !
because he wiH receiUe tie COMPENSATION dHoWed
9y lao for the ssrUice Of lis stare, aud the
S5aUe WU behiS at the Termination oftLat SER
rice. 81 ~
Mr.. Grimes offered an amendment, to the
effect that military service rendered by a
slave should secure freedom to himself, his
wife, children and mother. Mr.. Sherman
proposed to SO amend as to emaneipste
only the slaves of those engaged in rebel
lion. Mr. Browning moved to amend by
striking out the clause emancipatng the
mother, wife and children, and for this
amendment Ar. Sherman gave his vote
but it did not prevail. Loaded down by
amendments, the bill was dropped; but,
soon after, anotherw was introduced, pr6vid-
ing for colored e~nlistments, the emancipa-
ton of the mother, wife and children of
the party enlisted, and the payment of ten
dollars per month. Mr.. Sherman again
moved to limit emancipation to the slaves
of those who had actually waged war
against the United States. In advocating
this amendment Nj. Sherman said
>eMy amendment if it is adopted, will APP
ply this emancipation clause simply TO the
slaves of rebels, and under it thousands of
slaves viii be emaneipated. If you adopt
the clause as II nov stands, you will eman-
cipate all the saves of this country under
the pretense7 of using them in prosecuting
this war. 1t is unjust unfair; and Imay
say further, it is unmanIy to avail yourself
of this condition of affairs, brought about
byrebels, TO seize the property of loyal
people and deprive them of that property.
1t will be unjust. If you go a step fur
ther, ana do what theSenator from Kansas
desires you to do. pledge the faith of this
Government to pay for every slave Of
every loyal master who may be used in
this war, y~ouinYolve the country in inan-
cial ruin" u-s -4grr qr
. Thus it will be seen that Senator Sher-
man, in his official capacity as a Senator
from the loyal State of Ohio, voted to re-
ceive cOlored men into the military service
Of the nation, but refused to vote for the
emancipation of such soldiers, in cases
where theygwere clalmed by men not acts
ually engaged in rebellion, either with or
without compensation. In this, Mr..
Sherman may have acted in accordance
withthe light that was in him; but he
did not act up to the STANDARD of his con-
'stit6ents, and in this failed as a represent
ative Of q free, enlightened and progress
i've people. We know of no proposition
more infamous than to ask q man to take
up arms in delenceof the right of a nation
to enslaye him. The slaveholding aCon-
federaey,D sought to be founded upon the
right of man to enslave his fellows, never
reached that lower deep. General Lee,
~ lo-,h.lls,~ looJo- of Ill ~ Ill