Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-13
THE SOLDIERS AND JUDGE
SPALDING.
Petition from Soldiers and their
Widows TO the Congress OF the Uni
ted States

/ To the Members of He Senate and Hous,
OF Representatives, in Congress Assem-
bLed:
Your petitioners respectfully represent
that on the I'd day of March, 1865, th(
fess00ifuTfffon, % Of which the following is 8
copy
"ResolDed, 5y the Senate and House ot
Representatives of the United States OF
America, IN Congress Assembled, That
persons honorably discharged from the
military and naval service by reason of
disability resulting from wounds or sick
ness incurred in the line of duty, should
be preferred for appointments to Civil
Offices, provided they shall be found to
possess the business capacity necessary
for the proper discharge of the duties Of
such offices"
A few days after The passage of the
above resolution, the then President of
the United States, the much lamenied
Abraham Lincoln, issued a certain Proc
lamation, wherein, among other things;
he specially approved of said resolution,
and expressed the hope that the same
would be carried out.
Relying upon said Resolution and Proc
lamation, and believing that the different
Departments in Washington would con-
slider themselves in honor bound thereby,
and believing further that disabled SOL
diers would stand at least an equal chance
with civilians, one Christian Reisse, of
this city, who in June, 1861, enlisted as a
private in the Seventh Regiment, o. V. l,
Company K, and who was at the battle
of Winchester seriously wounded by be-
ing shot through his right lungs, and in
consequence thereof h0nordbLy discharged,
and who possesses the business capacity
necessary for the proper discharge of the
duties of the office hereinafter mentioned,
applied in March, 1865, for the appoint
ment of Local Mail agent at this place,
and went well recommended TO Washing
ten to present his claim to President Lin
coin, who not only promised him the ap-
pointment, but made out az order TO the
Post Master General for such appoint
ment, which order, however, soon disap-
peared from the Office of the Post Master
General in mysterious manner Mr.. R.
p Spalding, the Representative of this
District, refused to sign the application of
said Reisse, stating as q reason that it
would be inconsistent with his former &C
tion, he having signed the application of
another man, and stating, also, that he
had not known that there were any disa-
bled soldiers in his District. Soon there
after, one Geo. c. Frisell, man who had
GeVer entered the military OF naval SER
vice, but who up to that time held the
position of Canal Collector at this place,
was, in direct violation of said Resolution
and Proclamation, appointed Local Mail
Agent at Cleveland his application had
the signature of our worthy Representa-
tive, r. P. Spalding.
The position of Steward of the Marine
Hospital at Cleveland, is at present va
cant, and it is well understood, that this
position will be given to man who never
shouldered musket in defence of his
country, and who never was in the ser
vice of the United States.
1t is a notorious fact, that so far as can
be.ascertained, there are bit tl0o soldiers in
this District, out of all those who were
honorably discharged from the military
and naval service by reason of disability
resulting from wounds or sickness incur
red in the line of duty, who have received
an appointment TO civil Office, namely:
"Light- House Tender" poorest pay-
ing Office IN the gift Of the United States
GoUernnentI and Night Watchman in
the Post Office; and in one instance
Post Master who was q Captain in the
army, was removed from his position as
Post Master, and nephew of Mr.. Spald-
ing placed in that Office. So, also, the
late Pension Agent, very polite and &C.
1aks -,1
brother-in-lsw of Hon. r. p. Spalding
appointed to that office
Judging from the fact that, with the
exception ofthe Lighthouse tender, none
of the soldiers mentioned in said Resolu-
ton of Congress and Proclamation of
Abraham Lincoln have at this place been
appointed to Civil Office, and Judging
further from the fact that allof the United
States Officers at this place, such IS Post
Master, Collector of Internal Revenue,
Custom Ho7se Collector, Assessor, Pension
Agent, &c, have utterly failed to appoint
in their respective Offices any one Of such
soldiers, one would think Congress had
passed Resolution discouraeing the en-
ployment of disabled and discharged SOL
diers.
But as this is not the fact, we, the un-
dersigned pensioners, having beon honor
ably discharged from the military or ma
val service by reason of disability result
ing from wounds or sickness incurred in
the line of duty, would respectfully but
earnestly request the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of
America, in Congress assembled, to use
their influence that said George G. Frisell
be removed from his Office of Local Mail
Agent, and some competent disabled and