Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-09-12
Senator Harding and tho 0regonian.


the letter of Senator Harding to DR.. Hem
~, which we published fortnight ago. 1t
prefaces its publication by expressing de.
cided dissent to the views entertained by the
Senator, and rather disingeniously. We think.
makes for Mr.. Harding an issue not warrant
ed by the letter, ard condemns him for opin-
ions which he clearly disavows. 1t says:
1--WE do not agree with the Senator in his
ideas as to the conduct of Vallandigham. and
we supposed it was admitted by all, as it
certainly is so stated in the Presidents letter,
that the cause of arrest was not mere ex-
preston of opinion, but rather the discour-
agement of enlistments and the encourage
ment of desertion-overt acts necessarily
weakening the power of the Government,
and giving aid and comfort to the rebellion.
For this, he richly deserved the severcst pun
ishmcnt of treason, and we cannot under
stand why any loyal man should feel the
slightest sympathy for him, or what propriety
there is in drawing comparisons between him
and even extreme Abolitionists."
Those who have read the Senator'S letter,
will remember that he takes particular care
to disavow all sympathy with Vallandisham's
course or opinions. After expressing his
surprise that his private conversation should
have been so perverted as to make him say,
that if in Ohio he would vote for Vallan-
digham for Governor, he says:
IL dsapprove of his whole course since
the opening of the rebellion, and on all &C.
casions when speaking Of it, and in the con-
versation referred to, expressed my disappro-
ton, and usually in strong terms"
The Oregonian says, it does L" not agree
with the Senator in his ideas as to the con-
duct of Vallandigham." Does he approve
of his conduct: If he differs with the Sen
ator, this must be true, for Mr.. Harding
says he has disapproved of his mhole course
since the opening Of the rebellion" So
much for the ingenious attempt Of the Ore
gonian to identify Senator Harding with Val
landigham in sentiment and opinion; and
now word on the false issue he makes. All
candid men, after reading the letter, will say
that there is nothing in it t. justify even the
suspicion, that Mr.. Harding opposed his ar
and Imprisonment ON the ground that he had
done nothing to merit punishment. On the
contrary, he most explicitly puts his objcc-
tons to his arrest and imprisonment upon
the grounds Of policy and expediency. and to
be sure that he would not be again misrepre-
scented, he gives the following very cogent
reasons for his disapproval of the arrest, on
those grounds. He says:
His arrest, imprisonment and banish-
ment do not approve, because believe he
had made all the arguments in favor of his
erroneous views that he could make, and
they had been printed and widely scattered
over the county, and read by all who chose
to read them. His Punishment could not
stay the force of his reasoning, or turn the
point of his sarcasm, nor could it destroy his
jectionable time and manner of his arrest,
and the novel character of his sentence,
called forth the utmost activity of his friends
in his defense. Justification directed public
attention to him, and caused all he had said
to be read and repeated, with all the curiosi-
ty which martyrdom awakens, and made
new side Issue between the Administration
and its opponents upon the rights of citizens
in loyal States to personal liberty, subject
upon which the people are always justly SEN
sitive, and right which they will not allow
infringed without resentment; and thereby
believe the government has been weakened
more than it could have been done by all the
peace speeches that he could have made"
No attempt is made by the astute editor of
the Oregonian, to upset the force of the
Senator'S reasoning in justification of his dis
senting from this act of the Administration,
nor does he even call the attention of his
readers to the fact, that Mr.. Harding con-
demns the whole course of the traitor, and
places his objections to his arrest upon the
grounds Of expediency and policy alone.
This would not have so well suited his pur-
pose, which manifestly is, to create the inn
preston with the Republican wing of the
Union party, that they have been cheated
by false professions into the election Of
man to represent them in the Senate, who is
in sympathy with the Vallandigham Democ-
racy, and thus induce them to denounce him
for his treachery. and to repudiate all Repub-
licans who by their votes or influence con-
tributed to his election. This is the way he
attempts to accomplish the long cherished
object. which he, in conjunction with the Ore
gon Statesma~. have been covertly laboring
for months past to bring about,-a recon
struction Of the Republican and Democratic
organizations Of the State. In the mean
time he has no doubt induced the hone Of