The Georgetown news., 1855-11-22
An Address
To the american Party of the Stat. o<
California.

taxed and the worst governed countrr ~
which there IS any record. In vain IorII ~
the OnerouS exactlons of government ha,e
paid without stint. In vain have thrs -" 60
all the sources of peaceful reformation baaa
; exhausted. Long suffering has not nroS:
tiated our rulers, nor has indignant remdn eWp'
STRANGE been able to inspire terror. V4, Trs
has followed calamity has been besna11 avn
upon calamity, until the young State WIKI 5EioII
Yesterday filled the world with her rennnnI r,r1
to-day lies bankrupt, crime-ridden and aL
ect. Much-very much Of our misfortnTTa", ~"
| is the result of accidents and contingpnc,ass'
which no human foresight could have wv
vented, but that crime, fraud and insnor
should have aggravated our sorrow, W.
must blame ourselves and a reckless prbG.
policy. But there is always limit to TY'.' NO"
sive endurance of fragrant wrongs by q F"o, f.""
and enlightened people. The history oftSS
election campaign of So in our State is on
pie testimony that the people united to in, IN
augurate a stronger, wiser and better oor
ernment. Let it be our feryent hope. BTotb
ers, that this time they have not been Dc
ceived.
What have been the issues thrust rnor
US heretofore, in the political world? H.
our home interests-the political sanbedrin
of California has uniformly kept them from
the view of the people, and has cunningIv
fomented discord on issues foreign to ri.
State. In our legislative halls and in orr
cabinet councils, the interests of Califomi,
have been subordinate topics to the polt
cal issues which have convulsed the o1
States since 1898. What are these isspe,
to us? California has asked for reform, and
she has been answered by a clamor about
the annexation of Cuba. She has asked
for a railroad, and the response has been
howl upon the Nebraska Bill. She bs,
asked for protection against Lynch law, il.
dicial corruption and imbecility. She has
asked for a speedy settlement of our land i.
ties, and for a proper and just protection
Of the bona fide settlers, and disunioD !,
thundered upon our ears in reply. Haye
we not mission in the world-a separata
duty to perform, and distinct DESTINY to
work out? The broad Pacific lies befOreu,
to bring into commercial subiecton, and
wilderness behind US in hardly diminished
wealth invites the enterprise of the pioneer
and capitalist. Intemperance and corruD.
ton banquet in corruption in high places
in the land, and bold and bloody crime
stalks unchecked in our midst.
While these home duties are before ug IN
perform, these domestic wrongs to redress,
are we ever to hang loosely on the skirts Of
remote Scrambling factions over the NOM.
tains, kicked and trodden on by all, suffer.
ing all the heat and dust of the turmoil
without the hope of receiving any of the
trophies of the contest? Neither the sue
cess or defeat OF the Nebraska Bill-neitber
American or Spanish dominion in Cuba
neither the cotton spinners in Nassachu
sets, nor the cotton planters of Alabama.
could or would at the cost of dollar ad-
vance the interests Of California one lot
The main duty Of California at this unctur.
is to act for herself.
The questions which have caused such Sc.
rious agitations in the old States are the
ones which we wish to ignore and discard
from this State. Let us rest assured that
the Union is safe-that liberty strikes its
root too deep and strong in American soil
to be so easily and suddenly uprooted. But
even did danger impend, it is not in the
power of California to rescue the continen:
from its imminent DOOM Yet, we too, owe
a duty to the cOnfederacy in this question,
and our sectional isolation enables US to
take noble and impressive stand upon it.
Removed as we are, by position and actual
interest from its baneful influence, we should
allay instead Of participating in its agita-
tion.
Analyse this slavery question. 1t hasno
proud principle; it is the mere ebulIiton Of
sectional antipathies. Side by side, in
friendly contact, repose the historic States
of Pennsylvania anG Maryland-the one s
free and the other slave State-the Dor
der lines of the Hotspur State of Kentucky
come flush up to those of the young ga1:
Ohio, and the pioneer Of the Western plains
the Missourian, has only to stretch his arms
across an imaginary line to shake hands
with his friend from the granary of the west,
Illinois. Here at the very line of contact
between the free and slave States, there
comparatively little feeling on the subject
OF their different domestic institutions and
would be none at all were they let alone
but exactly in proportion as werecede from
this line, where, were the question one Of
principle, we would see deadly border
warfare, do we find the antagonism growing
stronger and stronger, and instead Of Penn
sylvania finding fault with her neghbOr
Massachusetts, and Mississippi are at log
gerheads. Why should we therefore lend
our voices to swell the clamor? Why en-
list in a cause so senseleSs and unprOftabie
in itself, which while it divides US to our
own destruction, is valuelesS to those with
whom we sympathise. Our true course 10
the confederacy and ourselves, is to mind
our own business, and let that question SINK
to that insignifcance its unproftablene's
| deserves.
The enunciation of abstract political the
OrieS is perhaps expedient Whensoever tler'
is necessity for promulgating doctrines