Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-04

Senator from a Republican State, from his
place in the National Congress, during the
nations struggle with the armed forces of
a shareholders rebellion, stopped to advo-
cate the unpaid employment as soldiers Of
slaves, and their re-enslavement in the
hour of victory which they had helped to
inaugurate. If there is a lower depth of
infamy within the reach of an Ohio Sena-
tor, we confess our inability to compre-
bend it and, in the name of the free peo-
pie of a State the peer of any in its devo-
ton to constitutional liberty and univer-
sal progress, we protest against returning
to q seat in the United States Senate one
who so grossly betrayed the best interests
of humanity and brought Odium upon the
cause entrusted to his keeping.
One who, while in the enjoyment of i'm
munity from the terrors of war, would
seek to be represented on the battlefield
by a slave, sending him forth to become
food for rebel powder and rebel vengeance,
denying him the poor pittance of a SOL
dier's pay, turning his salary over to the
lazy master who had through life robbed
him of the fruits of his honest industry,
and finally, after years of heroic services
and s~ufferings in the field, return him to
bondage to be whipped and scourged, per-
haps, for his very heroism, would hesitate
at nothing in the way of selfish, cOwardly
criminslity. Such a character is fit only
to receive the contempt of all honest men.
We have yet to learn of a Northern cop
perhead SO base as to propose such a crime
against humanity.
But this is not all. In 1863, after the
abolition of slavery by the proclamation of
President Lincoln, Mr.. Summer introduced
a bill to repeal all laws for the rendition
of fugitive slaves. Slavery had ceased to
exist by law, except in the three States of
Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware The
President had invited compensated IMAM
cipation, with a view to securing the Grad
ication of the last vestige of slavery by the
voluntary acts of those States. They had
declined the generous offer, and Mr.. Sum-
ner sought to relieve the nation from fur
Their Responsibility for the accursed insti-
tuition. Mr.. Sherman moved an amend
ment to Mr.. Summers bill, excepting
from repeal the Fugitive Slave Law of
1898. Failing to secure the adoption of his
amendment, MIR. Sherman, rather than
see all statutes for the return of fugitives
from slavery abrogated, voted against Mr..
Summers bill. John Sherman Uoted against
the repeal Of all Lases for the rendition of
fugitive @sLaves, eren after sLaUery had been
abolished IN the rebel States By Executive
proclamation. We have no words ade-
quate to describe the political baseness of
a Republican Senator from a free State
who would thus vote to retain upon the
statute books of the land the barbarous
enactments under the authority of which
men, women and children were hunted
like beasts and dragged back to stripes
and chains.
As Senator Sherman, as proved by his
record, does not represent the views
of the people of Ohio, it is plainly the
duty of the Legislature to select for Sena-
tor some other citizen of the State-one
imbued with the progressive spirit of the
age. Especially is this the duty of men,
bers from Northern Ohio, and we demand
such action of the delegation representing
C~uyahoga county.