Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-19
the speech OF Juaxes paIdIng

We believe in letting men speak for
themselves; and so we print IN another
column the speech of Mr.. Spalding in the
House of Representatives last Wednes-
day, as we have published every speech
made by that gentleman during the pres
ent session of Congress 1t win b9 seen
that Mr.. Spalding, with the exception of q
legal opinion in regardtO comparatively
unimportant matter, does not enter into
any argument or express any present
opinions, but confines himself TO a re-
hearsal of his past views and votes. We
may regard the speech, ther efore, as in
some sense a reply to the criticisms which
we have urged against him. Let us ex'
anime that reply
Mr.. Spalding first reminds his friends
that, being a member of the Thirty-eighth
Congress, he voted for the Constitutional
Amendment abolishing slavery. A good
vote doubtless; but how much credit doei
the representative of the Eighteenth Ohio
district deserve for casting it Every Re
publican in both Houses, including Cowan.
Doolittle, Dixon and other l~iek-spittle:
of the President, voted for if, and it
passage was rendered secure by the vote:
of Democrats like Reyerdy johnson Of
Maryland, English of Connecticut Bald
win of Michigan, Gsnson, Griswold,
Herrick, Nelson, Odell, Radford and
Steele of New York, Yeaman of Ken-
lucky, and Wells Hutchins of Ohio,
President johnson himself, whose treach.
cry to the party we so bitterly lament in.
sisted most strenuOusly upon its ratifca-
ton by the Southern States. In view Of
these facts, and of the additional fact that
for Mr.. Spalding to vote in any other way
than as he did would,have been to commit
political suicide, he can claim no present
credit for his course.
Mr.. Spalding's other rock Of defense is
his speech of January last, in which he
expressed at length his views on the sub
ject of reconstruction. This speech, the
only one which the Judge has made on
political topics, has been frequently re-
ferred to by his friends as an evidence OF
his soundness. The reference is an I'M
fortunate one. We published the speech
al the time of its delivery, and our readers
will remember that much Of it was de-
voted TO a defense of the President
course. In it Mr.. S. reviewed the policy
of the President, justifying it detail by
detail, and, while he finds a few things in
it which he "regrets exceedingly" he de-
clares that they are Eof no vital impor-
lance" The suggestion that the Presi-
dent would use his patronage TO enforce
my policy he pronounces "as false as
secession ITSELF" The following extract
gives a good idea of the tone of this part
of the effort
81 have great confidence in the self-taught
statesman who now, to a great extent, wieIdl
the destinies of the American Republics
and I here make my humble protestGtion
against the G~ttenptSo of any man or set Of men
an Congress or out Of Congress, TO place ht
majority Of this House, lOiA i06om / feel il al
honor to act, an an attitude Of hostility to the
President so long as he confines himself to The
exercise of las Ol0H Just prerogGtiUes. Shall
we, for slight causes, distrust him who, not
unlike the seraph portrayed by Milton
Faithful found,
Among the faithless, faithful only he
Among innumerable false, unmoyed,
Mistaken, uuseduced, untsrrihed,
His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal2'
Thus far lido believe he has most coHscica-
tiOuslyJ oHOl1ed in tEefootstePs ofkis alartyrod
predecessor"
These sentiments Judge Spslding has
never seen fit to modify or change, and
they stand upon the record as his avowed
opinions.
We suppose that an attempt will be
made, by those self-stultifying johnson
journals who support Mr.. Spalding be-
cause he is SO much opposed TO Mr.. john
son, TO show that Mr.. Spalding's vote in
favor of the Constitutional Amendment
is a proof of radicalism. The argument
will have very little weight. Mr.. Spsld-
ing voted on this question, as on most
others, in precisely the same way as Ray
mond, Delano, Hale, Green Clay Smith,
and others, whose radicalism we should be
sorTyto endorse.