Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-03

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And 1 also take the occasion to add, tn
the transaction itself met the approval
s lmy distinguished counsel in the case-A
torney General 0lds and the Hon. JOSEF
r. Swan-and that the letter, in its phr
seolOgy was the joint production of the
and two of the eminent counsel Of Il
) accused in joint conference. ] signed
: without a syllable or letter of chang
though of course it was consistent whit
substance of my previously stated cond
tions. These and various other points an
suggestions. viii be found in the papers
the case hereto appended, as well or belts
expressed.
Having said thus much upon this mo
painful subject, 1 dismissit with only thes
additional remarks L was determine
from the beginning, neither to b nor,
possible, seem to be, officially or persona
Iy, apersecutor of this gentleman. An
l have not been and will not be. Wit
this statement I leave the whole case an
the accused TO the arbitrament ofthe CouI
of Justice, which / am sure will pronounc
and do justly by him and the State.
MISCELLANEOUS
Many other enactments and amend
ments of the laws have been suggested t
me for recommendation to you. Amongs
those which I feel justified in SO recon
mending are the suggestions of the Secre
tary of State in regardt to the Great Sea
of the State and its uses, and to the cleo
ton laws. * al =
While upon that subject, 1 beg leave t.
say, as my own opinion, that tho soldiers
voting law ought to be at once repealed
There is no need of such privilege now
And l trust that we may never again havI
the occasion and necessity for it. Unless
repealed, it will serve alone to obstruci
and delay the returns of our genera
| elections.
Notwithstanding the pressing necessity
for diminishing the clerkships and other
offices in the State Government, l believe
the public interest would be promoted by
adding q clerkship to the office of the At
torney General.
The approaching pestilence of Asiatic
cholera, so soon, probably, to afiict the
hearts of our people by its distinctions of
life and happiness, must occupy your grav-
est deliberations. What you can do is
difficult to determine. 1t may be that the
best thing that you can do will be to
authprize the cities, towns and villages of
the State to legislate within your own
well7indicated and prescribed directions
and hmits) for its prevention and a~llevia-
tion. The usage Is bad one as a system
of legislation. But if there are some cases
in which the delegation Of such authority
mnst be granted, this would really seem to
be one of them.
Some of my predecessors have recon-
mended the establishment of Inebriate
Asylhms. Drunkenness is becoming much
to common a vice. And, in all probability,
as other excitements of the war shall sub
side, lit will continue and increase. It
may, therefore, perhaps, be we'll enough
for the General Assembly again to con-
slider this matter. If, in your judgment,
the finances of the State will justify the
expenditure, you can scarcely de better
than to initiate this benevolence.
The reports of the several State Depart
ments and Public Institutions, with the ex-
of the Commissioner of Common
Schools, Board Of Public Works and Com
of Statistics, have been received
and are submitted to your consideration.
THE DISCHARGE OF VOLUNTEERS.
Immediately after the collapse of the
C~onfederacy, and the consequent
termination of the wSr, l had oc-
in behalf of some of the volunteers
Of the Regiment which l formerly com
mandedAthen enlisted in the Veteran Re-
serve lOoFps-to examine into the question
their legal right to a prompt discharge.
Thought, eve then, there might be some
temptation and purpose to detsin the vol
in duties alien to their engage
nents both as to our own conflict and also
n regard to tais Mexican imbroglio. |
ponl this examination of the law, l was
hen convinced, as 1 still am, that there
no law, or equity, or good faith, in de-
the "Volunteers" with the "Reg-
liars it is otherwise) beyond Hthe end of
he war" And by the end of the .car,
here is no doubt, that Congress meant,
the volunteers an existing also unl
lerstood it to be, the close of open, public,
resistance to the National Authoritv.
t was no part of the intention, or expec-
alton of either party, that these noble
volunteering to fight the wal of
he MON, were TO be detained, as a policed
II Swiss Guard, to oversee political re-
the South, whether as to whites
7 blacks; still less to be marched to the
Rio Grande, in order either to menace or
ssanlt Maximilian's or any other despo-
ism. The despot they engaged to sup
,ress was Jefferson Davis, the traitor; and
Ie Is, and has been, safely and properly
aged ever since Hthe end of the war; In
ccordance with these views, 1 made an
ppHcation, through Governor Brough,
Or-the discharge of these men upon these
? tuaft
On entering upon the discharge of my
resent duties, I found in the office, and have
lnce received, large numbers of appIica-
ions from Ohio Volunteers, singly and by
ompany or regimental organizations, ar
protesting, begging, that the Gov
of Ohio should demand of the Gen
raj Government their immediate release.
thinking the public interest or theirs
be served either by a publication of
lese complaints or by an encouragement
+ their impotence or indignation at such
etention, l did what I could in nv re-
hes to them to allay that feeling, and to
eep their complaints from publicity.
As to the other party of these transac-
ons, the National Government, finding a !
ale or request of the War Department,
md q most questionable rule it is fora
zee country, that Governors of States
lould make no requests for discharges in /,
1ecial cases, upon the 10th of September /,
addressed to the Secretary of War a
eneral letter in behalf of the above prop :
sition, and which, of course, covered all /,
he individual cases of complaint. As +;
eceivsd no due answer to my application
r argument, (haying in the meantime
-ithheld these individual complaints),I +,
lbseqaently, in disregard of that rule of },
he War Department, sent forward each
ase as it came 70 me, with a special de-
land for the release, and referring in each :
TO the reasons assignee in nv
eneral letter. Upon the Sd of Novem-
er l received in replyto another commu- !
on the same subject, an acknowl-
i~gementto that letter, signed by General /,
hOmas M. Vincent. A, A. G.. Copies of
lese communications are hereto append
The Wa Department has meantime
erformed a great task in the rapid dis :
of this immense army. Whether /,
has detained, or does now detain volun- :
ers, with some reference to policing the !,
Outh, o to this Mexican question, l have !
st no means of knowing. If that depart
sent should have, and should admit such :
purpose, / know there are many very
BOD people (unrelecting, l think, as we'll :
pom the rights and claims of the volun- :
er, as upon the tendencies of such ire Z
,onsible military power, who would sns- !
it in that course. cannot concur in ;
lat approval. And hold it my clear duty, !
the proper time and opportunity, neither :
be silent nor ambiguous upon either Of !
Questions. That proper time and J