Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-08-23
GRAFTON OF ELWOOD EVANS, ESQ,
Delivered at tie Capitol on the Ah Of July, 1862.


Concludedl
Now have we arrived at the great crisis in
our history. Our beloved country is passing
through the last painful ordeal. before the
problem of self government is fully solved
Will that government relying for stability
on the popular support, Withstand the shock
of internal disscnsio,l-of rebellion against its
authority! Will those who administer it be
sustained at all hazards in maintaining the SUI
prrmacy of the Constitution and Laws! Cen
the attempted withdrawal of allegiance and
support by a large mass of our frllow-citizcns
be checked Can Il combination against its
integrity obtain such grand proportions as to
break up the Nation In other words, can
the Union be dissolved? These are the
questions now being answcrcd-thrsc the
mighty propositions now receiving solution.
Before civil war was inaug,,ratcd by the
attack on Fort Sumter, no loyal American
entertained fear. At this time. Heaven
be praised, all doubt is passing away, aud
the bright future is full of hope that popular
government and free institutions will survive
the shock that our glorious fabric Of consi-
tutional liberty will yet be pr, rvcd; that Col
umlia will yet remain the home of the free
the asylum of the worlds opprrssrd-thc
guile.star of political regeneration, of civil
and religious freedom.
1t cannot be that all the bright memories
of the past, all the lessons so gloriously taught
in each page of our annals, are TO be hope
lrssly forgotten and lost. 1t is no time to
discuss the causes of this accursrd rebellion.
to suggest plans for the settlement of these
difficulties, to intimate what conr.c should be
pursued to those wicked men who have mis-
led and misguided the hearts of our Southern
people to plunging the nation into civil war,
to armed resistance of the execution of the
laws. The evil exists; it has been met no.
bly, by the Government. which in turn has
been gloriouslv sustained by the army and
navy, and strengthened by til, mighty up
rising Of the loyal people. Let lis be thank
iul to God, that such means have been de-
visrd, such plans pat Tito execution. that now
there is every ground for belief that the re-
hcl!ion has exhausted its strength that ere
long peace will be restored 10 the nation, and
the supremacy Of the Constitution ;clnowl.
edged everywhere throughout tn" Union.
God grant that our hopes may be realized;
that Ike next anniversary of this day may he
commcmosa;cd will, proper respect in every
city, town and hamlet throughout our coun-
try; That the people of those States in rebel.
lion will have returned 20 & sense of loyalty
to their cou,liry and lis Constitution, TO the
memory oi the vrncratcd dead, to the Union,
which has been their sai,r-;ruard hcrrtolnTr--
their surrst protection and reliance i'll the tis-
tuyr.
But the struggle is still going on, and as
10 Sp..i: tn ~
its contemplation! While not in the inmc-
diate scene of action and danger. none the less
anxious are we IA to the contest. AS n por-
ton of that great people whose very national
ity depends upon the result. we, too, should
learn the moral that it teaches: To avoid.
hereafter, what is justly TO be condemned; /;
to learn. thereby, increased loyalty, and bet
ter perform the high and holy duty of Amer
lean citizen.
Let us examine In connection, the great
struggle for Independence, and the war now
being waSrd by the nation. to continue its
existence. and prrpetuate the Government on
the principles of, and as it came from the
Fathers. 1t is by such comparison or con-
trast. that the teachings of history accom-
plsh their mission. Not only is there great
analogy between the objects Of each, but 9TH
er features strikingly similar engage our at
tention. We find the American people actu-
atcd, then as now, by the same leading char
actcrstics. Ardent, iinpetuous, sclf-reliant,
they seek in the tasling. tangible and daz-
cling display upon the field of battle the
only evidence of military skill and general
slip-tle accomplishment Of military science.
BY the hard fighting, the loss Of life, they
~,
the success attained. Then. their ovcr.zcal-
ous desire at Once to attain results, well nigh
ruined tho cause of the Revolution. The
dark days of July, year ago, illustrate that
feature in this war. Doubt in their officers
capacity, because slow and sure was the pol.
ICY in tho darkest hours Of the Revolution,
provoked pressure, which Justify demanded
that our Washington should be superseded in
the chief command OF the army OF 1ndepen-
dcncc.
Recur to the mcmorably gloomy fall and
winter of 1777-.he enemy were in possession
of Philadelphia, then Capital of the Nation.
Public opinion then demanded that the army
under Washington, should "on to Phiadcl-
phia," and redeem it from the enemy. take
it by storm. humble the enemy, strike blow
which would revive tho dropping, despond-
ing spirits of our army, and restore confidence
to the people. Calling indeed was the pres.
ence Of the enemy in that blessed city. en-
deared to America as the place where the
liberty of our nation was proclaimed, where,
for the first time, mans equality and sclfgov-
ernment had been asserted. Dark was the
hour-desirable was victory over the British
at tina. .point, at that prriod-yet the immortal
hero Of the Revolution remained unmovable.
Conscious Of his own power, approaching
fully the mighty responsibilities with which
he was entrusted, he NEEDED not the clamor,