Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-08-24
Dissatisfaction Of the South


True Dtlta, exhibits the condition of
things in the "Cotton States in light
not very fattering to the " statesmen
OF the so-called Confederate States.
In another ten days the Provisional
Congress of the Confederate States will
again have met for the dispatch of im-
portant business. From the little it has
already done in its secret sessions and
occult Committees, no very sanguine
aniicipations of its future are inspired;
nevertheless We do hope that its men,
bers will have sense, nerve, and retiec-
ton enough to see clearly and resolve
firmly all that the present emergencies
of the country require at their hands.
and what it is equally urgent aud expe-
dicnt to attend to. The people them
selves have up to this time, in spite of
the Ignorance and cupidity of local, and
the passivcness of general authority,
done all that the greatest zeal and in
tclligcuce and liberality could accom-
plish, but they can not be relied on do
ing so, while too, they see their SUBJ
stance daily lavishly wasted, and their
material resources sqnandercd without
anything to show for it. If this State
is to be taken rs a sample Of the way
things have been conducted, what do
we see? a treasury which a few
months ago, was iull to replction, now
collapsed, great city comparatively
defenceless, people full of chivalrous
feeling discouraged, an ardent and zeal
ous local militia disappointed and dis
gustcd, and while all this is notorious
ly SO, the inbecility which has pro-
duccd it is perpetualy taxing its inge-
nuity to devise some new eXpedients,
finding fresh pretexts for rewarding
hangers-on of disgraceful anteccdents,
or ctietc and useless appendages of the
old militia system. Surely such Grim
mai triiiing, while our city is exposed
to the insults of all audacious invader
at so many points cannot fail to impress
the minds of citizens with the most
gloomy forebodings, for what can be
more discouraging than to see means
greatly needed for absolutely indispen-
sable works of defense, scattered broad
cast among set Of impudent and
shameless svcophants, who have made
the gubernatorial Office seem as if adj
ministered by commission and not by
citizen elected for the purpose? 1t
would seem as if nothing but the ac-
tual occurrence of somo great calamity
can awaken the people to true sense
Of the imminencc OF the peril which
encompasses them; they pay out their
money, send their sons with heroic de-
votion to the war, arc sleeplessly vigi-
liant in doing, individually, all, and
that could have been deemed necessary
or possible in aid Of their country, and
at no point more spontaneously and ef-
fectively than here; yet their hired
servants have contented themselves all
the time in wallowing in Incidence or
prcsumptious unconcern rs to whether
the people themselves are or are not en-
posed to subjugation.
Should New Orleans fall, seventy
years of war would not compensate the
South for the disaster, and yet flippant
inpudcnce in high places declares, in
her exposed and helpless-"Oh! there
is no occasion for alarm; You are more
frightened than hurt" Making per-
manent Presidents, laying wires for life
long offices, log-rolling for enormous
jobs arc all no doubt, very important
considerations to politicians in and out
of the Provisional Government; at this
period, however, other matters Of grav-
ity deserve attention, and when the
Provisional Congress meets, it would
do well not to ignore or disregard them.
To issue millions Of bonds predicated
upon nothing more substantial or tam
glble than cotton promises. is not the
way men serious in revolution proceed
to carry their proceedings to a trium-
phant close; on the contrary, the lux
ury We have aspired to is expensive,
and the sooner we undertake to pay
for it in other modes than empty prom
iscs, the better will it be tor our cause,
our prosperity and our independence.
Governments cannot do everything. but
it is high time that they would show
here at least that they can do some
thing.
We have, We believe, been the only
Journal in the Confederate States that
has undertaken the duty of arousing
the people to true sense Of the actual
condition Of public affairs, and pointed
ont what, in our opinion. their import
ance urgently requires to be done in the
present revolutionary contingency. We
have :ncontrovertibly shown that the
men who have managed to get tho