Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-08-16
[PIA, WASHINGTON TERRITORY, AUGUST l6 1862

voted little garrison. and think of it now, ant
teach it to your children, that they may learr
to loathe such treason. That glorious old
flag, the ensign of our and their country
which before had never been dishonored, now
"bccome the Target of the rebels
The fall Of Sumter carried great exultation
among traitors, and the conspirators agains,
the government. It was bloodlpss, boot.
less victory, gained by mighty host over q
starved garrison, numbering less than one.
SEVENTEEN of the besipging force. The vic.
tors ATTAINED no other result than display
Of their madness and folly. an exhibition Of
malignant hate to the flag of their country
The Governor of South Carolina was beside
himself with joy, and boas.cd that that flag
had been Inundated for the first time in sew.
enty years. Such boasting proved him
traitor to his country. to his oath of office, to
humanity. The rebel, acting as Secretary Of
War of the so.callcd Confederate States, gave
vent to his exubcrance of treasonable joy by
the foolish prophecy that by the 18th Of May,
1861, the flag of the so-callcl Confcderacy
would wave over the dome of the nation s
capitol.
These acts, these threats rendered it nee
cssary for the President to call for troops to
defend the capital, and prevent the national
archives falling into the hands of the rebels.
On the 10Th day Of April, lsGl-most men,
orablc in the American calendar. MS making
the anniversary of the day on which was shed
the first blood of the American Revolution at
Lexington, the loyal soldiery of Massach,l-
se,ts, in response to the call of the President
of the United States, were shot down in the
streets of Baltimore. peacefully passing on
their way to the defense Of the city Of Wash
inglcn.
Mad as were these acts, loathing and de-.
tcsable rs is the contemplation of such trca-
son-sad,lcning as was the prospect in that
April of gloomy memory. yet even then a
gloriously bril- ght side of the picture presents
itself. That was the mighty uprising Of an
outraged people to support the government,
to uphold lis acihority, to punish that wanton,
traitorous desecration of its flag. How proudly
you saw illustrated the hold it had upon the
popular heart. All appeared animated by one
soul-strrirS sentimen':-"The country de-
mands oiir love, our courage, our devotion, our
hearts blood" All frlt-.Our country is
the history of our fathprs-our country is the
tradition Of our mothcrs--our country is pnst
country is present pride and
power--our country is future hope and des.
tiny--our country is greatness, glory. truth,
constitutional libcr.y--above all, freedom for.
ever! These are the wnchworls under
which we fight, and We will shout them out
iii! the stars appear in the sky in the stormi-
est hour Of battle. The hour for Cancellation
is past 1t may return. but not tomorrow,
nor next week. 1t will return when the tat
tered flag o! Fort Sumter is avenged. 1t
will return when rebel traitors are taught obc-
dirnce and submission" SO spakc the soldier
orator of the war. whose fcrvid el0Quencp
called into the field the loyal ycomanry of
the country, whose vote and voice in the Sen.
ate gave strength 10 the government and hope
TO tho nation, Who, to fulfil Lis mission,
srasped the sword, and at the head Of armed
columns. set the example Of yielding up his
life in the service of his country. Many of
You knew him; all mourned the untimcly
death of the gallant soldier. the eloquent or
a.or. and chival,ic Sei ator of Oregon, Col.
Edward D. Baker. Peace to his ashes.
The acts Of the rebels in attempting to hui.
initiate the country, to desecrate its emblem Of
proved the salvation Of the M.
ton. Less ihdisnily might have failed to
roase the clements, at that period SD essential
to the Strengthening of the Government The
people could not believe. would not brlieve
that dissolution of the Union COS ID be at.
tempted. Scarcely had the echnes Of the ar
ti!lery at Sumter died away, before tho people
demanded to be led against the traitors who
had plotted the dismenbermrnt Of the nation.
Party lines were eff.ccd. party distinctions
consigned to oblivion. Men forgot their pol
.ics. All meyc An.cyicans. Tho clergy left
the pulpit, the lawyer the forum, tho Doctor
bis patient, the mechanic his workshop, the
Ilrrk his counting room, the merchant his
counter, the farmer his plough. All alike
contributed their means. all desired to DO
placed where the Union "most needed man
IN its defense. The sentiment Of tho patriot
Jackson in throttling notification in South
Carolina in 1889, was now the watchword ct
lie people, and in their majesty they res
pondel to the proclamation Of the President
1.-THE Union must and shall be preserved"
Divestrd Of these extraordinary circum-
stances, so worthy Of careful thought upon
his occasion, tho nn:i;c,sa,y of tie birth
lay of nation, or of the day which marks
iii epoch in its history, is eminent!y worthy
IF co,n,nemora:ion. The return of each ln-
dependence Day would justify all the warmth
# feeling. all the laudatory speech, all the
,ushings Of patriotic fervor, were it for moth.
ng but the bald fact of it being the day
which marks the emancipation Of high, holy
md sacred truths. Had We bat to express
,ur sympathy with, and cordial admiration Of
he sentiments of that great charter still
would the day justly claim that its each re-
urning anniversary should be joyfully conf
nemorated.
But when that declaration being made
,,od-;s n fact; when that charter was the