Butte record., 1854-02-25
Correspondence.
How long, o. Cataline wilt thou Abuse our Pa
tence."

itself to the consideration of the legislature,
March the 9th. That measures advocates,
finding themselves in minority in the Senate
when that measure was under consideration,
by dexterous movement, succeeded in having
it STAYED off until that time. This question
and its incidents, have absorbed every other
question: and the legislature, after forty days
session, have done nothing towards advancing
its legitimate business, and continue to sacrl-
fee its time & the public money, s. every other
question of public interest, to that one thing.
The people are getting disgusted with such con-
duct. They have now turned their attention
to that day's work, and anxiously await to see
what progeny it shall bring forth. They are
being aroused to this audacious effort, to steal
from them their power and prerogatives, to
be prostituted to personal ambition and ag-
grandzement, and their just Indignation will
be visited upon this measures advocates, that
has no parallel in the annals of American In
dependence in audadity, in usurpation, in tyr
ranny and oppression, that will make their
terrified souls quake and tremble, as if they
stood before the God of their existence. to an
swer for the abuse of that power and author
ity, given them for nobler purposes.
You who have not watched this conspiracy's
rise and progress against the peoples rights
and liberty, know not in this land, what cor
ruption and legislative usurpation is-what
base and unworthy efforts are being made to
abuse legislative power-to violate the spirit
of the constitution-to desecrate the cause OF
democracy, and to trail in the dust the power
and majesty of the people.
From the extraordinary efforts that are be-
ing made to consumate this outrage upon the
peoples prerogatives, one might suppose that
the States very existence-that the party's
salvation depended upon its triumph. The
people are interested in this matter. To them
it is principle, right. They have an in
terest in it that is paramount to party policy
to personal ambition and selfshness. And
those who seek to override this prerogative,
and to disregard this interest, may be assured
that they assume responsibility that will
crush them, when summoned to answer to
'sThat power behind the throne, which Is
greater than the throne itself"
Our governments great beauty consists In
its elective representative principles. with the
restrictions and limitations thrown around
those who govern. 1t is representative gov
ernment not merely in numerical numbers,
but in PRINCIPLES and measures; and our rep
resentatiyes should be chosen at a time when
those, who are interested may have voice IN
their selection, that they may be the expo
nents of their principles and feelings. The
people have right to know the principles
and views of aspirants to legislative or con-
pressional honors, and their representatives
should not attempt to forestall their action in
matter where they have not expressed them
selves, and in advance of the usual time for
such demonstration. In country like this
where interest is greatly diversified, new In
terests constantly springing up-with popu-
lation constantly increasing, shifting and
changing, who can say that the person who
might be chosen this winter, would te the de-
mocracy's or the peoples choice the coming
session. Judging from this States past
growth and history, we can safely say that
there will be at the coming general election
an increase of ten thousand qualified voters,
men who shall have identified themselves with
the country, whose prosperity or adversely
will be theirs, whose interest, pride and honor
will be as inseperable from their existence, as
the rich fragrance and sweetness that cling
to the rose. If therefore, this election is
forced upon the legislature and the people
this winter, you, by that arbitrary, tyrranl-
cal act, ostracize those ten thousand freemen;
YOU force upon them a Senator in whose cleo
ton they have had no part; whose character
principles they have neither canvassed or en-
dorsed. In addition, you give to the Senator,
the power and influence of his position one
year more than the conetitution has given.
The constitution limits the term to six years,
and you, by that act, give the Senator the po-
htical, moral force and power of the position
for seven years-an influence that is always
powerful with the powers that be. And we
are constrained to believe from the tenor, and
arguments used by the recent address of the
immortal forty -four, who 'sfrom their position
can see things that the people cannot % that
one object with them is to clothe some fdror-
ite with this influence, that it may be arrayed
against the administration in the federal ap-
pointments here.