Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-07-16

Military District, the soul founda.
tion Of law and justice. This is the
position. in which you would place
me.
I am now to protect all rights and
redress ell wrongs. How is it pos
sible for me to do it? Innumerable
questions arise, of which I am not
only igaorant, but to the solution OF
which military court is entirely un-
fitted. One would establish will,
another a deed; or the question is
one Of succession, or partnership,
or decentssor trust; suit of eject
mant, or claims to chattles; or the
application may relate to robbery,
theft, arson, or murder. How am l
to take the first step in any such
matters? If I turn to the acts OF
Congress, I find nothing on The SUBJ
ject. dare not open the authors
on the local code, for it has ceased
to exist.
And you tell me that in this per-
picking condition 1 am to furnish by
dint of my own hasty and crude
judgment, the legislation demanded
by the vast and manifold interests of
the people! I repeat, sir, that you,
and not Congress, are responsible
for the monstrous suggestion that
there are no local laws or institutions
here to be respected by me, outside
the acts of Congress. l say, un-
hesitatingly, If it were possible that
Congress should pass an act abolish
ing the codes for Louisiana and
Texas-whichx do not believe-and
it should fall to my lot to supply
their places with something of my
own, do not see how could do
better than follow the laws in force
here prior to the rebellion, except
ing whatever therein shall relate to
slavery. Power may destroy tho
forms, but not the principles of JUS
tice; these will live in spite of the
sword.
History tells that the Roman pan
dects were lost for long period
among the rubbish that war and re-
volution had heapsd upon them, but
at length were dug out of the ruins
asafa 10 Sc regarded as-u precious
treasure.
You are pleased to state that "since
the publication Of (my) general Or
ders No. 40, there has been a per-
ceptable increase of crime and man
Hesitation of hostile feeling toward
the Government and its supporters,
and add that it is an unpleasant
duty to give such a recital of the con-
dition of the county,"
You will permit me to say that I
deem it impossible the first OF. Those
statements can be true, and that l
dc very greatly doubt the correct
ness of the second. General order
No. 40 was issued at New Orleans,
Novembey 20, 1867, and your letter
was dated January II, 1868. Allow
ing time for order No, 40 to reach
Texas and become generally known,
some additional time must have
elapsed before its effect would be
manifested, and yet Il further time
must transpire before you would bs
able to collect the evidence of what
you term the condition Of the
country and yet, after all this, you
would have 10 make tine necessary
Investigations to ascertain if order
No. 40 or something else was the
cause. The time, therefore, remain
ing to enable you, before the 18th of
January, 1865, to reach a satiseac-
tory conclusion on so delicate and
nice a question must have been very
short. How you proceeded, wheth-
er you Investigated yourself or
through third persons, and if SO,
who they We're, what their compet-
cucy and fairness on what evidence
you reached your conclusions, or
whether you ascertained any facts
at all, are points upon which your
letter so discreetly omits all men
ton, that 1 may we'll be excused for
not relying implicitly upon it, nor is
my difficulty diminished by the fact
that in an other part of your letter
you state that ever since the close of
the war very large portion OF the
people have had no affection for the
Government, but bitterness of fecl-
ing only. Had the duty Of publish
ing and circulating through the
country long before it reached me,
your statement that the action OF the
District Commander was increasing
| crime and hostile feeling against the
Government, been less painful to
your sensibilities, it might possibly
have occurred to you to furnish some.
thing on the subject in addition to
your bare assertion.
But what was order No. 40, and
how could it have the effect you at
tribute to it? 1t sets forth that " the
great principles Of American Liberty
are still the inheritance of this peo
pie and ever should be, that thu
right of trial by jury, the habea'
corpus, the liberty of the press, the