Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-08-22
Victor Finds q Defender.

Victor Finds Defender.
"Victor Smith, Esq. Collector Of Customs
ut Port Angeles, w. r., has met with come
considerable opposition in enforcing the order
from Washington prohibiting further ship.
ments Of live stock to Victoria. The peopl.
over in Washington Territory have been car
rying on profitable trade in live stock with
our British neighbors. TO put an immediate
stop to this trade Seems hard to such a. can
See no good reason why tue order should be
enforced. We are inclined to be believe that
the people of Washington Territory do moi
understand the authority upon which Collect.
or Smith has been acting, otherwise all good
law-abidng citizens would have cheerfully &C.
quiesced, and honored the Collector in doing
his duty as faithful public servant, instead
of throwing obstacles in the way of dis.
charge of his duty, and then heaping re-
proacL upon him for doing what he was bound
by the law and his oath to do-as we hear
some of our friends over OH the Sound have
DONE"
We find the above language in the Oregon
Argus, Of the 18th inst, in an article defend.
ing the course of Victor Smith in his enforce
msnt Of the "beef embargo" The editor
seems to think We have done Mr.. Smith in.
justice, and that We do not understand the a,l.
thority under which lie las been acting. 1t
is likewise assumed that our people have .un.
dertaken to force shipments Of live stock to
Victoria in defiance Of the proclamation of the
President, and because the Collector mas in
terftred to prevent it, We have denounced him.
We are prepared to show that the Argxs
is entirely mistaken in all its assumptions, and
We hope it will correct the erroneous impress
sions its article is instrumental in producing.
1t is not true that any attempts have been
made by our traders to violate the order, not
withstanding they felt that its enforcement
was a grievous burden. They confidently
expected that it would be rescinded soon as
the facts were known at Washington. The
people Of Victoria likewise were satisfied that
it was not intended as an unfriendly act to.
wards them.
1t was claimed, however, that the people of
the Territory had tho same right to land
stock on the Island Of San Juan, now under
tho joint occupation Of the two governments,
that they had to land it on any part of the
Sound under our exclusive CONTROL and we are
informed that the Deputy Collector, who hap.
pened to be at Olympia when shipment Of
cattle was made for San Juan, concurrcd in
this opinion. But when Capt. Finch called at
Port Angeles for clearance to Victoria, al
ltging his intention to land the cattle at San
Juan, on her way to Victoria, the Collector
assumed that this was an attempt to evade the
order, refused to grant her n clearance for Vic
toria. aud seized her for a violation of the rev.
enne laws. The cattle were then put ashore
at Port Angeles. and the steamer was permit
ted to resume her trips upon the Sound. No
one denounced Collector Smith for refusing to
permit the cattle to be landed at Victoria
it was not asked. But his offer to permit the
animals after being slaughtered at his town Of
Port Angeles to be sent to Victoria. proves
his conviction that the order was not intended
for apple alton here; and We insist that an alb
solute refusal to enforce it before hearing from
Washington would have been more creditable
than the resort to such a contemplate evasion
Of its spirit and intention. If it means any.
thing, it is to prohibit the shipping Of cattle,
slaughtered or alive.
We claim TO understand tho state of things
resulting from this beef embargo" better
than our contemporary. and We apprehend that
i'll is disposed to cultivate amicnble relations
with our people, he will hereafter be more
careful to learn the facts before vtnturing to
apologize for that visionary. spiritual fanatic.
Victor Smith.