Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-08-13
Mashinotun Standard.
A Soldiers BayOnet Thrust.
One of he Boys in Blue thus
writes TO the Portland Standard:

A great deal is always SAT-. Ilst
before an election, about i".n.'v
to the United States Govelnh'n'.
One, to read Republican newspaper.
and hear Republican oratory, would
think that party alone was the en-
bodiment Of love of country; and
that if the control of the Government
should pass out of their hands, it
would all go to the dogs They
claim that their party put down the
Rebellion, and but tor them We
would now be enjoying the be etits
of q Government like Mexic ), in
stead of the great and good q =" we
have. Now let US just suppose taat
all the Democratic party had taken
up arms and joined the South in
1861, and LEFT The Republican party
alone to put down the Rebellion,
what should have been the result?
Suppose that Stephen A. Douglas,
Governor Seymour, General Grant,
Andrew johnson, and host of
other good and true Democrats, that
could be named, with their follow
ers, had espoused the cause of the
South, do you think the capitulation
would have been made on the South
side of the Potomac? Nay, verify.
Because, forsooth, the Democratic
party was in the majority in the
Southern States at the breakin, out
of the Rebellion, and those same
States now give Democratic ma jori-
ties, therefore the Democratic party
is disloyal. Now, / consider that
man taking his life in his hand, and
fighting in defense OF his principles,
is n true test of sincerity. It cost
nothing for politician in the North
to be loyal during the Rebellion.
Take the list of the leading Generals
of the Union Amy, who gained dis
tinction for their valor in the field,
ard it vii! be found that large per-
c"ntage of them were original Demo-
crsts. They fought for the unity of
the Government, and after that prin-
c,pie lad been established by the
capitulation, and submission of the
Rebel forces to the authority of the
United States Government, then
they considered that the object Of
the war had been gained, and the
next thing was to restore the Gov
eminent aS it existed prior to the
war, aud a. it was founded by its
original authors; ami not as the ia
natical portion of the Northern pol
iticians would have it. The war was
fought to re-establish the old Gov
eminent, and not to found q new
one. Following this idea out, after
the war was over, and the politicians
had taken the matter in hand, and
were endeayOring to treat the South
ern States as conquered provinces
instead of equal States, how many of
the leading Union Generals took
sides with the Democratic party, and
endeavored with the ballot to estab-
lish the very principle they had fought
90 nobly to maintain in the field :?
The list is long and the names ia
nous, and will be mentioned as long
az the history of that terrible conflict
is remembered. Standing nobly at
the head of the list is our noble aud
gallant chieftais. w. S. Hanco k,
the next President of tho United
States, who as military governor of
Louisiana and Texas declared the
military was subordinate to the civil
law. after the conflict of arms had
ceased, and armed Rebellion no
longer existed. After him come
su. names as Rosecran,z, Thomas,
Pai.a' n Seigel, Mcclellan. Hooker,
81 ~. Morgan, Ewing. Schofeld,
Me,' rnand, Steadman, Custer, Car
-, sele Corse and others, all of
A-. won laurels on the battle fields
Of the Rebellion, that will be bright
and green when those of the s'plumed
knight" and other political generals
will have faded. A great deal has
been said about the perfdy of Mr..
johnson. When the candid histori-
an comes to write Of his time, and
takes into consideration the fact that
he kept the same legal advisors that
Lincoln had before bis assassination.
aud among them the venerable VIM.
HI. Seward, one of the fathers of the
Republican party; and the further
fact that he was seconded in his ef-
forts Of reconstruction by Horace
Greeley, another of the fathers Of the
Republican party; it will be seen
that he, as President, carried out, or
attempted to, the very policy that
Mr.. Lincoln had marked ols FIR
himself. But after the war was over,
and there WAS no more danger OF
armed Rebels, the doughty Falstaffs
of the Republican party came to the
front in the perst n of such men as
Thaddeus Stevens, James G. Blaine,
Roscoe Conkling aud others, and
prescribed rules Of loyalty, and the
man who does not come up to their
standard, no difference what his rec
ord during the war, is traitor.
After fifteen long years of peace, it is
hfrh TINA fhot 4 hic or,y re ., 4