The Loyalty Oath of a Washington Surveyor
Public official James Tilton defends his reputation against accusations of secessionism during the onset of the Civil War.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
To the editor of the Washington Standard: I noticed in your newspaper of this date an article titled 'Action Vs. Words,' in which the writer quotes from a card of mine addressed to the San Francisco Bulletin. That card was emasculated—cut down, and certain expressions to the effect that an anonymous assailant calling himself 'Thomas' is a cowardly scoundrel and poltroon, omitted. The editor refused to give up the name of the assailant for the reason that they depended on him for news. I have held the editor of the Bulletin responsible and taken the proper steps to vindicate my honor from the stain this infamous aspersion of 'Traitor' casts upon it. You state you would be 'pleased to believe that Mr. Tilton has been unjustly charged with secession sympathies.' I am at a loss to know how to arrive at that desirable end if you don't take my word. With regard to making provision for openly acknowledged secessionists in the public surveys, I state that in pursuance of my duty, I entered into contracts for surveys with General Mason, Lewis Van Vleet, Mr. Terrell, Mr. Richardson, and Mr. Wm. H. Carleton of Olympia—and nobody else. I did not ask these gentlemen what their politics were. It was clearly my duty to put the work under contract as soon as possible so the lands might be ready for pre-emptors and settlers this fall. You state that my service in the war with Mexico is no evidence of my not being a reliable union man. Why do you couple my name with those I commanded? We all served together. I am a judge of questions of policy, vital to me and my country. I earnestly hope our Union may be restored, and I hold my loyalty to the government quite as strong as that of Mr. Lincoln. I fully recognize the duty of the administration to suppress all violations of the law, but so long as my life lasts, I shall claim and exercise the right I was born with, to vote and speak for that policy which in my opinion is best adapted to maintain or restore the Union, opposed to military despotism and the destruction of the best government yet made by man. - James Tilton
“I shall claim and exercise the right I was born with, to vote and speak for that policy which in my opinion is best adapted to maintain or restore the Union, opposed to military despotism.”
This piece captures the intense political polarization in Olympia as the Civil War began, where territorial officials were forced to publicly pledge loyalty to the Union to avoid local ostracization or job loss. Today, it reflects the enduring tension between professional public service and the pressure to perform political orthodoxy in a divided, small-town climate.
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