Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-28
HOUSE Oh REPRESENTATIVES,, !
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Hon. THOMAS Bolton, CLEVELAND, 0.
NJ Dear Sir-Your letter of the ID inst.
came duly to hand, and 1 am glad to find
you Endorsed the ground I have taken in
regard to the commission.
Having received considerable blame for
voting against the proposition for sending
commissioner 10 Washington to meet the
commissioners appointed by Virginia, L
deem it but proper TO give, to the party
that has honored me with the position of
| Speaker of the House Of Representatives,
and 70 my Immediate constituents some
what In detail, the reasons that prompted
the vote. That it gave me pain TO differ
with my brethren, who stood almost unsn-
imously for the proposition Is certainly
true; rs well as to fnd myself In opposi-
ton to the Recommendation of Governor
Dcnhiscn, whose high character as a Re-
1 publican and statesman Is admired and
appreciated By all who know him. Rest
ing, however, in the firm belief that Ohio
has done nothing wrong-that her past
history has been that of = State loyal TO
the Constitution and the Union-that her
people, intelligently, and with the sane
ton of the Constitution and the law, had
exercised their right to veto for the man
of their choice for the Presidency-that in
no manner was she accountable for the
extraordinary position that the South had
taken against her, 1 felt compelled, while
the South assumed q hostile attitude to
the Government, had seized the ommon
property of the Union, fired upon its YES
sels, maltreated Northern citizens, and
even now WIS contemplating a seizure of
the Federal capital, to vote against any
proposition that should look like a qaasi
admission that we were in the wrong, or
that we could yield at this time, under
threats of violence and disunion, any
thing of these principles that the people
have Just sOlemnly sanctioned BY their
deliberate act Our only safety seemed o
me to be found in standing by the Consti-
tuition as it Is, and demanding those rights
under it which, until this stormy period.
have never been doubted or called in que.-
ton. To admit for q moment that we ea1,
do aught to satisfy the present demands
of the South, consistent with right and
duty, and TO agree upon 8 Convention fe-
that purpose, is TO admit that We should
do SO; and that we have after all been
mistaken in the true objects and aims of
the Republican party, and that the South
has reason, or q pretext of reason, fer the
course she is pursuing.
1 eheerfully admit that ours is a Gov
eminent resting for its perpetuity and
power upon the consent of the governed.
And If a majority or a large share of its
people have become dissatisfied with our
present government, it is their privilege
to use ali proper means to alter or abolish
It. BUTT is not, in my opinion, Z proper
way TO commence q req government by
violating tho rights Of the I'D, or attempt
ing by force, violence and civil war to
end a distasteful contract before all the
parties to it have had a chance to consider
upon the subject and hare their eaa IN
court Let the people of Inc South Law
down their arms and restore their stolen
goods-let them repudiate the traitors
that are leading them to ruin-let the
Federal Capitol, bought and paid for
with our common treasure, be kept sacred
let the President of the peoples choice
be inaugursted, and the wish Of the peu-
pie be respected and obeycd, and then if
any of the States of this Union desire a
convention, where they can be represent
ed, to take into consideration any Difficult
tics that exist between them as a people,
l am willing to consent But to agree to
arbltrate at the point of the bayonet, or
make concessions demanded at the north
of the cannon, will never meet nv sp-
proval nor that of the people I have the
honor to represent.
It is idle to deny that we have reached
a most alarming crisis in the history of
our nation. We are, disguise it as we
may, in the midst of a revolution. The
public await with an immense and eager
interest the progress of events. The next
hour may bring tidings that armed trait
ors are shedding the blood of our breth-
rem Is this the lime for freemen who
believe they have rights, to yield them up,
to satisfy a mock philanthropy Are we
Il race OF towards, to shrink abashed from
a contest where honor, right, duty, loyal
ty and love Of country all conspire to en-
courage us to go forward The path of
duty Is the path OF safety, and if the peo-
pie of the North are right in what thew
nave done, then they will demand that
their rights be respected, and the long
struggle in which they have been engaged
in o%verthrowing a wicked and corrupt
party be made to yield the fruits of vic
tory-peaceably if it can, forcibly if it
must.
Ipropose, therefore, as briefly as posi-
bic, to review the grounds of complaint
against the Republican party, and exam
inc some of the reasons offered for the
wanton attack upon 1t made by our South
ern brethren.
The Republican party, protected by the
Constitution, and in conformity with its
letter and spirit nave elected a President
the United States. On the fourth of I
March next they will assume the control i
of the Government for the ensuing four
years. During a contest of unprecedent-
ed bitterness, the principles of our party
have been freely and carefully placed be-
fore the people by its friends, and they
have been wantonly, and with acrimoni-
Gus hate attacked and misrepresented by
its enemies. All that malice and unchar-
itableness-sll that selfishneSS and politi-
al interest could do has been done, but
avail. The people have given
their verdict, and it must be obeyed.
Heretofore, when a Presidential contest
has been decided, the defeated parties
quietly obeyed thewin of the people,
and acquiesced, as good citizens, in a de-
cision they could nYt control.
Now all is changed. The minority, de-
feated Of their will, decline to submit TO
he supreme law, and threaten to dissolve
he Union-seize upon its property-cre-
ate panics-destroy public confidence, and
;presd ruin and distress wherever thew
have the power. No n can fail TO per
,eive that all the public prints opposed TO
be Republicans, msliclously and persis-
emily asssil our party disappearing
Is aims and objects, and with a hostility
lever before known in political warfare
all who profess its principles as
%.raitors to their country and their God.
L has been said that "a lie we'll stuck TO
S as good as the truth" Events are
good the assertion. The constant,
lnceasing attacks Of the opposition press
the vOmitings of Southern bile from
disappointed office seekers and ambi-
ious knaves, have at last produced an eff
ect, and many well meaning, intelligent
nd respectable Republicans have been
ed to view their past conduct, and in al
.eriousness ask themselves whether they
re not actually in the wrong ?" Repub-
lean leaders, in their haste to avert an
impending evil, have made haste t offer
and compromises, where none ]
been asked or desired; and northern !
nen. dirt eaters and grovellers BY nature.
occupying high places Of public trust and
confidence, have Joined the chorus of com {
,laints against the Northern States {
and sunc with the traitors of the I