Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-02-23
The Pioneers Argument,

lSt AA"' "a r
lican creed, garbled the sentiments O
our leading statesmen, orators and wri
tiers, and heapcd upon III party obnox
ious epithets, VIC have attempted to OK
pose the injustice of this course, an,
have invited the proof of such charges
We have asked the authority for sucl
sweeping condemnation ofRepublicans
we have protested against the inter
polation of our Platform. W. hav,
merely asked that we shouldbc judgct
by our confession of political faith
adopted at Chicago, when ABRAHAM
LINCOLN was selected as the standard
bearer of III host.
The Pioneer has seen fit to make nc
response, satisfied in calling Rcpubli
cans, "Abolitionists," "John Brown.
~ists," etc. Other cpithets have been
rcsortcd to, which that editor must
know are unjust and undescrvcd. Has
he ever read the Chicago Platform, in
one of the resolves of Which similar
projects to John Browns raid upon
Virginia arc especially denounced:
Does he not know that at this very
time Joseph Lane, Gcrrit Smith, How
ell Cobb, Wendell Phillips, John
Brown, Jr., w. J.. Yanccy, Keitt,
Tombs, and divers other bright lumin-
aries in the present disunion-movcment
arc all working .tiuh,maUy together in
the dmmning plot Of Remembering our
National Union? Does he not know
that their only reason for this pestifcr-
GUS treason is because the people have
spoken, and under the forms of the
Constitution have said that ABRAHAM
LINCOLN shall be President of the Uni
ted States for four years, after the 4th
of March next?
We but acted upon the defensive,
when our party was assailcd. We
boldly challenged the Pioneer to its
proof of these accusations. 1t has ST.
lcntly admitted that it has no proof to
offer, and stands condemned rs tacitly
acquicscing in our charge, that it has
published matter susceptible OF flat con-
tradiction by us, which it cannot sus-
tain by evidence or arguincnt.
In its last issue, it did attempt to re-
tort-and how? 1t informs us how to
spell, the word ''divinc." Suppose We
plead ignorance, does that avail the
great Democratic party anything? Is
there in that ignorance any argument
why the people should frown down Re-
publicanism! We will not rctort on
the bad spelling of the Pioneer, though
would probably for the pride of the
craft be justified therein. But that
very article in which we are taken to
task for our mis-spclling contains Il
grosscr FRO When the great tutelar
saint of the Pioneer, in his Congress
sional canvNss two years ago, at the
Representatives, Hall in this city, BIAS
phcmously uttered that the Pioneer was
of the inspired mritings, because it advo-
Gated Democracy, and Democracy sig
niticd carrying into effect the voice of
the people, which was the voice Of God,
we were astoundcd at the logic, but
more Disguised at the profanity of
the orator. That remark is o
cqualcd by the Pioneers mis-quotation
OF the Sacred Scriptures, and intcrpolat.
ing a text to make it read that that pa
per ";snot as othcrpopers are" Surely
the text was indited before the art Of
printing was known. Of the anachron-
ism We say nothing, that is not much of
an error for our cotcmporary; but to
make q Scriptural text alludc to that
newspaper, whose editor says it is
obliged to print sermons to cleanse the
type which have long been used for the
propagation of disreputablc sentiments,
was quoting Scripture in a way we
deem altogether unjustitiable in a man
who undertakes to give instruction
upon "divine" subjects.
We covct no contest as to which pa
per is freer of typographical errors.
To mistakes VIC are all liable, but it
that be the criterion we accept the
banter. We would rather discuss, with