Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-11-05
s5eeiSe Contract Lava.

as,dss-. "a lie ''reSea >'4fam@s. By J. Q4iaE
Thsrlioa. TO tho reaFls at orrsln. justly
c-saszr,n- the actlsa 0f the Siaie L-xis,a; Grs
x the page Il the >Tesiss Ce1sr.c, Law
IL. a--z-scrts and sb- zz:hori:i>s esfsd ap-
fear - C. as vesy ossola-ive against tie csa-
,,ii4,i izsaii;y q ih- law. - VII - Il. P-lsev
zaA cHP,-ssncy. Th- 2 SPis Of the STATE
VII sas;zin tn sirWs sxEressd BY Mr.
Tiorzsun. We had ps,viozsly exanined the
Isaslin- Argument. II favor Of The l.w. inclzd
la- thr l~-1l o,lHsoa Of Jud-v Pr=it of Cab
lorna. Nj TLorusOa shows tbs f.l-aey and
sOpLss'rv of thea reasaains So elr=sly th2i ];
Gan hardly fail t. eOavise- all hOn -. eHquiF-
ess "a tie truth
We pgryt that VA; Il spaee forbi4s the
publication Of Mr. TLOrn;1n's allacsS, Ia;
VIC make f.w extracts 10 .how thu s,a-Eal
tone and spi,i; of the article The S'aio-
nsaa gives 1t a proa,in. 4, pllc- in lis columns.
without note OF comment. The iafcrcpcr Is
10 ~ drawn. however, from it- silence, that II
rcfrains from cri,icising the action of the Leg
isla,ure. lest j, nigh, injuro the Union cause
by diveriing a,tertion from the great ques-
,ions now pending before the people. 10 be
settled next Tuesday. 1t is proper that the
attention of onr people should be called TO the
subject now, for We have good reason to be-
lieve that an effort will be madcto induce our
Legislature to follow in the footsteps Of Cali
fornia and Oregon. Wenow stand sell upon
the Union record, so far as the action Of our
Legislature is concerned, and hope nothing
will he done to render our loyalty to the Gov
ernment, subject Of discussion.
In referring TO the passage of the law, we
said it was practical notification. In abiding
to the character of the bill and its effects, MIR.
Thornton says:
"1he passage Of the bill, BY its terms. COM
mits Oregon to the pcstilent doctrine of State
lights, in all its most objectionable forms. and
brings the state in direct antagonism with the
general government; since it practically an
nuls the law of Congress. hesitate not to
say, that no loyal man would have thong ht O:
exercising so dangerous prerogatvc. had
not madness, and sordid interests ruled the
hour. It's exercise is utterly incompatible
with the existence of the Union; is contra
diccd by the part of the constitution to which
l have referred; is unauthorized by its spirit !;
is inconsistent with the principles upon which
our fathers framed it; is subversivc OF the OBJ
iects for which it was formed, and it sinks the
State into measurclcs abasemcnt.'
"Iad the doctrine upon which the passage
of the law is justified, been established at an
earlier day. the Union would have been dis
solved long before the Inauguration of the ex-
listing rebellion; because it is the doctrine of
State sovereignty and States rights; it is the
doctrine of notification and secession; and it
is the doctrine upon which all the traitors
stand-whether in the North or in the South
and whether open and avowed, or secret
and deceptive"
In commenting upon the right of the Leg
islature to enact such a law, hc says:
at is not necessary for man to be law
yer to say nothing about his being a consti-
tutional lawyer, TO SEQ that to give any such
absurd exercise of power the name Of con-
stituiional tight, is to confound tho meaning
of terms, which can only be done through
gross error, or desire to deceive the unsus-
prcting. One of two things is true. either
that tho law of Congress making United
States treasury notes legal tender. in the
terms of the Act, is beyond the decision and
beyond the control of the Legislative Assem-
bly,, to make even a single exception among
tho vast number Of contracts, or else We have
no constitution of national government, and
are thrust back to the period of 1886, and the
days of the Confederation.
"That the bill strikes directly at the Gov
crnment, is proposition so plain that it seems
to be an ineult to my understanding for a man
to express doubt upon this subject. tits,
in the very nature Of things, impossible that
Congress has right to pass a law declnring
that treasury notes shall be legal tender in
the payment of all debts, mud that State
legislature may, notwithstanding this plain
law. then proceed 10 enact that it shall not be
a legal tender in certain class of enumerated
cases. How can a law of Congress be SUI
preme. in the sense Of the Constitution Of the
United States, if the Legislature may create
even single exception Because as soon "a
that one exception is created, then those
treasury notes. from that moment. cease to be
legal tender in payment Of air debts. And
if the Legislature Of Oregon can made one
exception, It Can make two or three hundred
exceptions"
Pending the passage of the bill it was de-
MED by its advocates that its effect would be
to contravene law Of Congress. TO test
the intention Of it's trainers, Mr.. Thornton Of
fcrcd the following As an amendment:
This act shall not be so construed. or so
executed a. in any manner to con'ravene the
act Of Congress- declaring L nitrd States treas.