Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-10-04
"Grumblsrs."

seems to be to gru,nble "a class whose in.
fuence upon popular sentiment is not less per-
nicious than tll,t Of the avowed sscessionist,
or of him whose countenance brightens ut
the contemplation of Federal reverses, but
who has discretion enough to avoid an ex.
preston which would place him in any other
position than that Of u secret enemy to the
Govprnmeut-the worst form of treason
Have you not s.en them read the most glow
ing accounts of victories won to our arms OH
the battlefield. with the apparent wisdom Of
Solons. aud with owl-like gravity give it as
their opinion that no reliance should BE- place
in the dispatch, as some portions Of it " con.
Aict"; that Mcclellan was reported in previ-
GUS accounts to b. II ,rth Of tho Potomac. and
now. "don't you See" he is fighting on the
other sde Won lerfal sig .city! These
critics are always ready to shout every con-
fused and vague, to say the least" and thus
cast damper upon our most signal victories,
if tho dispatches happen to disagree in the
most minute particular. They must have
every line to agree with what has come before
and every date to correspond despite the many
insignificant errors which are attributable
alone to the lraste of the telegraph operator or
the carelessness of proof-reader, or else the
whole dispatch is entitled to no credence.
Another and larger class, composed princi-
pally of men of very ordinary intellectual pow.
ers, attempt TO display their knowledge by
capious criticisms of the official acts Of tho
President, the Cabinet, Mcclellan, and every
one. indiscriminaiely, who occupies anything
like prominent position, rs their fancy may
suggest. We here find man who thinks
Mcclellan sis good Engineer, but powerful
weak when it comes to sojerin' !" there we
find one who thinks it he was Secretary of
War the rebellion would be "wiped out in less
than no time" Here, again. one who thinks
hgtl-temder notes conflict with the Consti-
lulion," and there one who sheds crocodile
tears over the immensely of the war debt,
with about as much an idea OF the Govern.
mental capacity as the Southern stump orator
who declared the public debt Of Great Britain
had reached the colossal sum of five thousand
dollars. with the interest running right on all
the time! No one will pretend to deny that
these critics are more capable of conducting
the war than President Lincoln. Scott, Nc.
Clellan. Congress. and all the able men who
are at the head of affairs OF course not !;
ought not they know what they themselves
are capable of doingl They have better
means of judging of the fitness of our Generals
and members Of the Cabinet than are possessed
by even the President himself; don't they
live six thousand miles away, aud don't dis.
lance lend enchantment
We have done our best to believe such per-
SONS to be patriots, aud we must abandon the
task. These criticisms, and attempts to with.
er the laurels won by our gallant army cannot
bc the work Of concienscious loyal men. II
VIC sift the matter W.T. generally find that
wish is father to tho thought" and thus
they are generally regarded.
TIE EMANCIPATION PRocLAMArioN.--It
will b. seen by reference to dispatch We
publish in another column. that President
Lincoln has, in difference to the clearly ex-
pressed popular opinion Of the loyal portion
Of the nation, issued proclamation declaring
that the slaves in the States that are found in
rebellion against the authority Of the Govern
ment. after the LIST IF January. 1863. shall be
forever free. We hardly need say that We
most cordially approve this net OF the Presi'
dent. Our only regret is that it was not done
sooner; but We are willing to defer to tho
Judgement Of President Lincoln. 1t is prob.
ably better to have waited until tho public
mind have become convinced IF tho necessity
Of the measure. before adopting it. II the
people Of the rebel States wish 10 evade tho
consequences Of the proclamation, they have
only to return to the Union. where they will
DO protected under the Constitution. in the on
joyment Of their slave property. If they pro.
fer. however. to risk its loss. by taking the
chances Of establishing their independence.
they can do 50, but il they fail in this. as they
most certainly will. they must take the conse-
quences. and will have nobody but them
selves to blame.
We are prepared to hear the howl Of aboli-
ZIONIST raised against the President from the
Southern sympr,hizers. but we believe that
all truly loyal men who love their Government
better than they do slavery. will not, when