Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-02-11

A rEzT or AxKkIcASrsM.

Oxpaciiy for self government is the
h,sbess Characteristic of the American
,sools. Very often il is said that ne
~ lsSino Is, and indeed it does seem
s,metiu1ss that xe lack the spirit of the
s,tbers Of the repubi;e; bns whenever
an American soil there is au emergency.
.oaraoe and patriotism a. high and As
oure az la the early days form the spirit
and rule OF the hour. At rare time=
o,dsr il violated and Iag defed, bat it
4 never for long. The patriotic els
s,ents Of disturbed co'omuuisy always
or9anizs isto force which pu-s down
d,sturbers and restores order. As else
shore In the United States, 80 in Seattle.
Here 1t has required the strons hand,
and It's grasp IL not yet relaxed. VIo-
lspce b. been met and forced TO retreat
II IL returns TO tue attack, it will be
again repuls-d. Spirit like that Of the
Home Guards was never oveyvhelmed
by mob, aud it will not be st Seattle.
The circumstances Of this case nave
usde the trial severe one. While in
its principles the contest has been clear
is<ue between Law and disorder, its as
pects ne gwen 1t, TO thorRhtless peo-
oye, very different character. The rist
Al Seattle, In its real character, has not
been 90 much that Of gar on the Chi
pese a. of war against the authority Of
lag. That its real point and efis have
been under TODD Ia proved by the event
Of yesterday. Not a man OF the hun
dred who stood two hoars With bayonets
In hand protecting the covering wretch
es whom they surrounded Was q friend
Of the Chinese In the sense Of desiring
that they should take the places of white
msn or even remain here permanently.
Nos Q man Of the many who patroiled
the city last night desired the presence
of the Chinese. Bot IL vas realized that
thsy we're there by authority OF the
Government and entitled to the protsc
ton Of ths lag. These men stood not
q the friends Of the Chinese. not even
% much in the interest of humanity a.
70 maintain the integrity and faith Of
the nation. There is the noble ooaraee
which trembling does its asty;r at Sc
attle ve find the patriotism which IN the
fsss Of danger protects In lie legal rights
aels9 utterly dsspised. There Vas never
Q trusr test Of American spirit.
10 vas infinitely better that this thing
should be done as IL vas dsns, by citi-
sc91 " ths 9n1oE
authority. than by Federal troops IL
10 not well to lean heiplsssly on the ma
sisnal power. The American capacity
TO govern itself. 40 admirably demon
sssstsd again at Seattle yesterday, would
not long exist without the habit and
sense Of responsibility. An occurrence
like this, at an early lime Ia the history
Of q State, IL likely to have great effect
upon its character for all future time.
Never, 20 long a. tsis affair is 70 mem
bersd, will it be imagined that the
Washington militia "won't Are" The
citizen soldiery has made itself respect
cd, not only st the present time, bot for
The future. And In making itself re-
spected, IL takes upon itself a ssvsrer
ssnse Of duty and an insp ring tradition.
II the riot had been quelled by national
tfoope, there would have been danger Of
its renewal rs sson ss the troops we're
withdrawn. The lesson is wholssomer
and more lasting from having been
fiyeu Dfeaisely as IL yaa- Ope0oDian