Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-12-16
How Have the Mighty Fallen {!

The annexed resolution was tie
chief plank of the Republican plat
form in 1856. 1t was framed when
the party was led by statesmen, un-
tainted by :. suspicion of selfish mo-
tive, men whose sterling personal
character shaped and controlled its
policy. When the attempt was made
to f:sten slavery on Kansas, by
agencies almost identical with those
employed il the South to subvert the
will of the people, legally expressed,
they submitted this resolution which
became the backbone of the party,
and under it they achieved success.
But twenty years have passed. The
leaders who gave vitality to the cause
are numbered with the dead. Their
works still live, but vandal hands
within the camp are engaged in pull
ing down the fabric they reared.
Can honest Republicans view the sit
uation un,lismayed =? Is there n
single vestige of the old party re-
naming under its present leadership?
4" Resolcc;l, That while the Consti-
tuition of tie United States was Or
dained and established by the people
in order to form more perfect Union,
establish justice, insure domestic
tranquility. provide for the common
defence, and secure the blessings of
liberty, and contains ample provisions
for the protection of the life, liberty,
and property Of every citizen, the
dearest constitutional rights of the
people of Kansas have been fraudr-
lently and violently taken from them
their territory has been invaded b.
an armed f0rce--spurious and pre-
tended legislative, judicial, and exec
utive officers have been set over them,
by whose usurped authority, sus-
tanned by The military power of the
Government. tyrannical and uncon-
stitutional laws have been enforced
the rights of the people to keep and
bear arms have been infringed-test
oaths of TN extraordinary and Ell,
tangling nature have been imposed
as a condition of exercising the right
of suffrage and holding ofice-the
right of an accused person to speedy
and public trial by an impartial jury
has been denied-the right of the
people to I've secure in their persons,
houses, papers, and effects against
unreasonable searches and seizures
has been violated-they have been
deprived of life, liberty, and property
without due process of law-that the
freedom of speech and of the press
has been abridged-the right to choose
their Representatives has been made
of no effect-murders, robberies and
arsons have been instigated and en|
couraged, and the offenders have been
allowed to go unpunished-that all
these things have been done with the
knowledge, sanction, and procure
ment of tho present Administration,
and that for this high crime against
the Constitution, the Union, and
Humanity, we arraign the Admins.
tration, the President, his advisers,
agents, supporters, apologists, and
accessories, either before or after the
facts, before the country and before
the world, and that it is our fixed
purpose to bring the actual perpe;
traitors of these atrocious outrages,
and their accomplices, to q sure and
condign punishment hereafter"
Every word of this Arrangement OF
Mr.. Pierce's Administration, applies
with ten-fold force against the Ad-
minis.ration of the military autocrat
who now fills the Office of Chief
Magistrate; still SO gradual has been
the change under the skillful manage
ment of the corrupt ring at Wash
ington, that many fail to discover
how far they have drifted from tho
original landmarks.