Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-12-23
SATURDAY MORNING, DEC. %, 1871.
The Message.

Hc MSSSdSCs
This document is published in full, not
with the expectation that our readers will
be able to CLEAN much information from it,
or be much enlightened by its perusal, but
to place it in form for future reference.
and that they may be enabled to contrast
it with the statesmanlike utterances of the
gifted men who have preceded its author
a most remarkable feature of the message
is the slipshod manner in which it is
thrown together Instead of it being a
carefully digested exhibit Of national af-
affairs from which the people could form
an opinion upon all matters effecting thier
Interests as nation, it is merely rehash
of the correspondence, estimates and opin-
ions of the heads of the several Depart
ments, invariably concluding each SUBJ
division by referring the public to the
report of the Department in which the
subject is elabo rated, for all essential
particulars. About as near as the Chief
Executive comes to expressing decided
opinion is in the paragraph relating to
affairs in Utah. After asserting the trusm
that polygamy is repugnant to our present
civilization and in direct conflict with the
laws of the United States, he suggests that
lit may be advisable for Congress to
consider the prcpriety of passing an en-
abling act authorizing the Territorial lie.
gislature of Utah to legitimatizc all children
born prior to time fixed in the act" but
adds "This is q suggestion only, and not
a recommendation"
A large space in the message is taken
up with explaining and excusing the action
of the Executive in relation to the alleged
ku Klux outrages in South Carolina. He
asserts that at last accounts the number
of persons arrested was one hundred and
sixty eight" yet in the succeeding
sentence he admits that sereral hundred
whose crminality was ascertained to be of
an inferior degree, were released. SO the
previous assertion that the number of
persons arrested was only l6S, is untrue,
and acknowledged to be so by the context
which follows. He dds: "The prisoners
will be held for regular trial in the judicial
tribunals of the United States" Now we
should like to know how it was ascertaned
whose criminality was of an inferior de-
gree" before trial, and upon what prin-
ciple Of right he " holds" portion of those
arrested aud releases d" several hundred"
others. Ii they were guilty, and he pun
ishes any, he should punish all if they
are not guilty, and portion are released
with or without trial, the others should be
subject to the same treatment. His pro-
cedure is absolute tyranny, the Executive
usurping the prerogatives of judge and
jury, his will the law, and the people his
puppets to be set up or knocked down as
suits his within or fancy.
Upon the subject of amnesty the utter
ances are SO palpably in opposition to the
animus shown in the section to which we
have referred, that we can only regard it
as having been written for the purpose Of
claiming magnanimity the writer does
not possess. If, as he asserts, it is time for
the disabilities of the Fourteenth Amend.
ment to be removed" why has he declared
martial law, in many districts of the South,
arrested 1000 prisoners in South Carolina
alone, for opinions sake, charged with the
commission of newly-invented crimes of
which they scarcely know the nature. If
the Executive believed them TO be guilty
Of an Infamous crime against the liberties
ola portion Of the people, we appreheud
that he would scarcely declare them wor-
thy objects Of amnesty.
But space will not admit of our pointing
out more of the glazing inconsistencies
with which the document is overAowing.
10 expressing the hope that it will be gen.
orally read, We believe it will 20 farther
toward showing up the inhumanity as we'll