Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-10-07

SEATTLK, Oct. 5. 1855

ckAITLk- Ocf- D. l-o6.
EDrToE PosT-IsTxLLIGKxcKH:
In my remarks az the late labor con-
gress- held here on the 2eih slt.. in order
70 discourage violence and violent Ian
guase, SAID that violent force or any
forse which would Amount TO a breach
OF TIE peace should not be coauten
anced, and that before any one should
talk % yicleetiy a. one or tso had IN
regard 70 force. thsy shsald know what
II meant. | then said: Have yca
arms! III YOU have not, you had better
procure them" Now this language, in
eon.ecsion with the balance of NV
speech. vas we'll understood, by those
present, TO be disoouragemsut Of vio-
lenee and violent language: and vet. as
paoiished IN the papers, a very different
and opposite construction hss been
placed on II by those Who were nos
present Some, | think, have vilfulIy
miscoDstrued u: others unintep.isuaIIy.
FOR the latter ! wish to make this public
explanation. Also In regard 10 NV at
tefances So the public meeting in Yes
ler's Hall las, Saturday evening I would
say that, as published and taken down
without the aid OF a shorthand reporter.
and not being all published. nv remarks
tnen are liable, IS have been informed.
70 like misconstruction. 10 any un
biased mind think the entire reading
OF my remarks, as published in the
fosT lNrKLLIGEScKR OF YESTERDAY. will
be construed as encouraging nothing
bot peaceful measures; and yet the fol
lowing language, disconnected with the
whole of What was said by me, is liable
70 be tortured into the opposite sense by
unfriendly critics, viz:
IL 10 the same as the slavery oues.
tion. l don't know jost hos 1t viii be
settled. 1t may be BY q conflict of arms.
l hope not. II may be by tbe destruc
ton Of valuable property. 1 hope not:
but 10 Is coming like a var. There is an
element Of poison 10 the body polite,
which must be removed. The crisis
must come, and coms soon. The effort
to put the Chinese out will be resisted, |
thus bringing on . conflict"
The last sentence of the above don't |
remember 10 have said as thus reported, |
but the substa1c o! the language here
quoted Vas simply part of my argument |
that. unless the Chinese evil should not |
be rsnovsd soon, it would, like slavery,
Which vas like poison, a like irresisti-
ble conflict, ultimately grow to such |
proportions az to require var TO cru. b |
u eu'; or that, by Its natural conflict |
with the Institutions Of our country, il
would inevitably bring on serious trou.
bic eventually. In this sense I think
those present tsok nay remarks, and not
in any ssBse calculated to incite vio-
lenoe.
wish it distinctly understood that l
favor no violent measures, no breach of
tne peace, In any attempt to force the
Chinese to leave; not 90 much force,
sven. a. hss been threatesed by the
meeting held at the Opera House last
10 drive out white men, Who
are not greater disturbers of the public
peace than the Chinese; and think, il
shall have any influence with the work.
lnR unep, 10 Will be in favor of peace.
Ny hnmble opinien IL. however, that
The action OF the meeting at the Opera
House will do more to disturb the public
than anything that has yet occurred in
pablo meetings. Ii isand will be taken
are aeitating the Chinese Qu<D1nns Il
will convey a ( lse idea absuaA -
such an extraordinary aeeting UooD&1 II
But, while that mG0o1ne I'll
Impliedly drawn an issue for enni04 r. II
This city, it has, under the cd -
,iai authority, thrown disresp il - I,
free government, and on then 60 N
duct, by proposing to clothe an ofiicer
With authority to arrest, try, condemn
and punish by banishmeut suspicious
characters. In other words, one man 10
10 act as q police officer TO arrest, rs q
Jury to try, as judge to pass Judgment,
and as an officer again to put in execu-
ten the judgment on mere suspicion.
This does not only violate iaw, but every
principle Of free government.
Nov. to sun no, the only difference
between the meeting at the Opera House
md that at Yesler's Hall. last Saturday
10 that the Opera House meet
ing proposes TO force white men away
IN violation Of Law, and the Yssler Hall
meeting proposes TO force Cinnamon
away by lawful means.
GRo. VENABLE SMITH.