, 1867-05-10
I Demoornt.s Response.

ever. this apology for my Intrusion On Sunday
last, whilst engaged in the meditations appros
pirate to the day, my privacy was intruded upon
BY messenger, who was pleased to place 10 my
hand, what be modestly termed second
Declaration of Independence r' must confess
that the high sounding title attracted my atten-
ton, an6 ] at once addressed to myself the
query: Have we Thomas Jefferson in our
midstrp Curiosity thus excited, proceeded to
q critical examination of the document, after
reading which l was forced to the conclusion
that our Thomas Jefferson is a very weak imita-
ton of the great original. Indeed, think that
" Bombastes Furioso would be an infinitely
more appropriate designation for the author Of
an 4" Address TO the Voters of Walla Walla
County" Starting out with plagiarism from
the Declaration of Independence, the Z" Address"
dwindes down to something very like the echo
of penny whistle.
have neither the time nor the inclination
10 wade through a of words, in which it is
impossible to detect either sense or argument
aud in which the raving of disappointed am
bItion is sll that the most careful reader can
detect. True, it is stated that we have bad
Vigilance Committee Ia this county, but it is not
attempted to show in what manner that orgaui>
zatop has Influenced political parties. Instead
of proof or argument, we have nothing more
than bare assertion, and knowing the tendency
of the author of the " address " to romancinR
mere assertion for proof The allegation Hhat
murders have been perpetrated within the linz
its of the county since the date of the organizaN
tion Of the Vigilance Committee, and that the
murderers have gone unpunished, | admit is
true. That the Jail has been broken open and
prisoners turned loose to prey upon society, is
equally true. But pray are occurrences of
this kind something new in the history OF this
valley? Has George Porterand his bloody crime
faded from the memory Of our citizens, aud is
it true that some of the siguers to the - address
| aided in releasing that red-handed murderer
from the county Jail? Those who voluntarily
come before the public in the character of &C
cusers, should at least be careful that their own
garments are unstaiued.
That crime has been rampant in this commu>
nifty, and that criminals have gone unwhipped
of justice" is a truth that none will gmnsay ;
butt this respect the past two years shows
gratifying Improvement, and to day | doubt
whether more pedceable or law abiding com
muuity can be found on the Pacific coast. a
few years since, ii was common thing to "have
a man for breakfast" and shooting atfrays were
Of almost daily and hourly occurrence. Now all
this is changed but whether the Improvement
| is to be attributed to the agency of the Vigi-
| lance Committee, is 4 question that do not
propose TO discuss. One good, at least, the
committee accomplished-it drove from our
Valley the bnDds of cattle thieves, and with
them fed the lawless characters who formerly
made our streets the scenes of target practice
| | have too much charity to believe that the
author or signers of the address" wish to
restore the rule of the "six- shooter" and
| " bowie knife"
Passing over the charges in which Bombases
eudeavOrs to initiate the counts in the indct-
ment against George ILL.,, come to the allega.
tiOn that the comfy officials have coLspired to
screen a certain caSs OF offenders and whilst
/ do z
author Of the address y using the following
language:
" In tbe present condition Of society, VIC do not
deem it polite to enter INTO Investigations of the
past, nor To prosecute persecue, prescribe any
man on that count, aud We pledge ourselves
neither TO Investigate, enter into nor counteuance
any legal Investigations proceedings Lgainst any
vigilante for any act whicn has bceu committed" D"
We have here degree Of qualification that
is withoutR parallel Starting out with the de.
claraiou that The failure 10 punish this class of
offenders afo' d just iic uiol for the overthrow
| OF parties and disregard OF the obligations
usually held cred a.nrus men, the signers of
the "address' pledge themselves to continue
The condition of affairs against which they pros
fess TO wage war.
In another part of the address" l find the
following:
"We propose to show some few things which
have rsnspired during the past two years. in which
1t has exercised controlling influence, to assert
our hrm conviction, that two years since defeated
| the dGmOcrHtic candidate for Sheriff and had con
spired to do at the coming election by stutif,
lSe, and voting against its nominee, ia case vgi
| ldnle could not be nomilatedh
The beauty and appropriateness of this e1-
tract will be understood, when | state that the
author of the "address" was himself au aspira n
for the nomination : democratic candidate for
| Sheriff, aud falling to secure r recognition Of
his claim, be now turns round aud stultlfies him
self by lnboring to de eat the regular nominee
Another point, and | wal have done All
| through this precious document il will be not.
iced that Bombustes and his associates prate
about honesty, and assume a monopoly of all
the virtues. In this respect, | incline TO the
| opinion that they "wear the livery of n saint to
serve the devil in 1t is usually found that
those who pirate most ABOUT "honesty" will
bear watching, and it has passed into proverb
that the rascal is the first to cry stop Theft
Disclaiming all intention of being personally
offensive, and conceding to the sgners of the
"address" the merit of good intentions, | have
to say that they have underttken a hopeless
task. The democratic party in this county is
too strongly rooted the affections of the people
to be overthrown by any combination of sore
heads" however numerous. The author of the
address MS also his colleagues, may find their
way into the republican camp, to which it is
evident they are fast gravitating, but beyond
cratic party they-tho leaders in this boiling
nomenclature been element of we k
ness, and now that they have abandoned the
faith and forfeited their pledges, the democracy
will be all the stronger for their desertou. Like
all boilers they find pfetext for their defec.
ton, but fail TO state the real cause for their
course fsi'u e TO obtain nom nations either
for themselves o. their ir ends. Had Bombsst
figured on the ticket candidate for Sheriff
and oue/or two Others OF the same stripe ob-
tanned places, "b"lI'' would never have bee q
heard Of Failing to control the County Con-
vention, they have hoisted their true colors
and now sail under a flag on which is inscribed
the motto, "Rule or ruinr' A portion Of their
followers are doubtless honest, but of the leaders
it may be truly said that they are those who
would rather "rule in hell thar serve in heaven -
Two years since, the author of the "address"
bolted democratic convention, and openly dis
regarded party usage. This year we find him
pursuing the same course, thus showing that
with him boiling" has become chronic As al.
ready remarked, the sooner men of this STAMP
get out of the party, the better. The great and
distinctive idea that underlies the democratic
Organization Is, Principles, not Men," aud re,