Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-03-07
Speech of Hon. Miles s. GrisWold on tho
Puritan Resolutions"

Griswold by especial request:
The resolution has not been introduced with
out duly weighing the probable effects, and cam
wasting the probable reception of subject, which
for II long time has been regarded rs foreign to
the objects OF legislation and it is here presented
in full confidence, however it may he dcridcd, that
tic sentiments must and will prevail.
The gentlemen evidently abors under the inn
prcssion that the sentiment of the resolution is
supcrStitious remnani OF Il former age, proper
enough for aid women, and simple minded men,
hut wholly out of order for wise legislators of this
age In this they show remarkable ignorance
of the history and the institutions of their own
country, as we'll as of general history in all ages
Of the world History teaches that all the
leading nations of the ancient world were based
upon some religious idea, and however coarse,
however darkcncd that idea, it adhered to.
with Il tcnacity, and n reverence which would
have pronounced the authors these amendments,
impious, and aajudgcd them worthy of death.
Not only have all leading nations been actua-
ted by the bcliefin the supremacy of their God or
gods but the leading men of their age and cOul-
try, from Socrates to Napoleon, have laborcd un-
der the impression that they were hut the instru
mcnts of Divine Providence, who with the good
and the wicked alike, works out his purposes
from age to age.
Then let me ask the gentleman, what would
have been modern civilization but for the ChOistian
religion. Before the ancestors of the modern
European nations were converted to Christianity
they were b,rbarians. dwelling in caves. clothed
with the skins of beasts, and tcrocious in dispo-
;siton as the wild beast they tcspoilcd for
their covering. Aud what but the influence Of
u religion taught ly men inspired of God, aud
appealing to the spiTitual principle of man, could
ever have humnnizcd them, and kept them
steadily progressing towards the light and
truth of the present time. In fact it is only the
religious idea that has the requisite cohcSvcncss
and power to bind men together for great nation
L..
more active, more prominent but it is a belief in
Il common origin. common destiny, that
ruises the alliance OF man with man, family with
family, AMI elan with elan, to operate in concert
for the common good.
The hight of absurlty, the climax of folly is
reached in charging the North with the dcpora-
BILE milady of :. mig ger on the brain, - by which
is meant, that we are fighting for the freedom Of
the negro. Can it he possible that gentlemen are
So deceived. or do they expect by such nonsense to
d ccivc others! Is is for the freedom of the ne
gro, or is it for the freedom of the white man
we fight? Did we commence to fight until the
government was assaulted, our people slain, our
flag imsultcd? And for what o!fcnse were we thus
attacked by the rebels? For none other, expires
scd or implied, but that a majority Of the people
had constitutioually elected to the Presidency Il
man abnOXious to their prc,ljudiccs. The rebels
then are fighting against the representative system
of our government, which is the basis of Dcmoc.
racy, the right Of majority to elect men to carry
out the principles of the majority. Itfolows then
that we Of the North are lighting for the first prn-
cplcs of our government, and the the rights of u
majority to elect its rulers, and constitutionally
carry out its principles. The cause for which we
fight is similar to that for which the Revolutions
"ry fathers fought for the liberty Of man ar
bitrary power, with this in addition. that we have
now q great Union TO maintain. 1t is unncccs-
sary, neither have we the time to refer to the as
sumptions of authority, to which the South asked
the North to acqmicscc. Concessions to her de-
mands have long been the order of the day, under
threats to break up the Union. Old compacts
were dircgarded and finally broken that dcspo-
tism, under the guisc Of negro slavery might
spread itself the continent, and take the
place of freedom, rs the controlling and govern
ing idea of the country. But though the pcoplc
might consent for a time to many minor wrongs,
and relinquish for the sake of peace their finan-
rial interests when they were asked to relnquish
the free principles Of the government, when they
called upon to surrender the herto g of free
men, to slaves and slave-drivcrs their blood for
badc, and neither force bribery could induce
their acceptance of the Lecompton Constitutions
andcr the notorious Kansas and Nebraska Act.
What then do gentlemen mean by this slur of
"nigger on the brain?' DO they mean to indi-
cate that when the Government and the Union
was attacked because ofthe free choice of the pco-
pie, that the North should have lain supiney
still. and plead for such dastardy peace rs the
rebels in their mercy would design to grant us :?
What we ask would have been the consequences
OF such cowardicc, such recrcancy to the first
principles of our training? Simply the dcstruc-
tion Of onr country as "A free power among the
nations of the earth. For the South will have all
or nothing, there is no natural line of separation,
aud the whole must inevitably he devoted to Lib
cry and Union, on the one hand, or to despotisn,,
secession and slavery ON the other. Which. sir
Of these alternatives do gentlemen wish? If the
latter, then their slur upon the people for fighting
for their country, is wei, pat, but the former,
then have they expressed themselves most unfor-
,nnately. Ii u determination to maintain the
Ennn fnrf the Of frnnI lam, hnn 1.