The Placer herald., 1855-11-17
From the Times e. Transcript.
The Future of the Democracy-What is it
TO he}

Democrats may well, and with great con-
fdence enquire, what is to be the future of
our party, Is it to be as successful in time
to come as it has been in the pasta Is its
vitaliaton to be extinguished by popular
reputation of its principles, or stimulated
to renewed vigor and more abundant useful
ness by a reiterated verdict Of approval by
the masses! Are we to continue our depen-
dence upon Democratic policy, for the pre-
servation Of the guarantees of the Federal
Constitution, for the expansion and settle
ment of our territory, for the increase of our
population, the spread of our commerce, the
repletion of our national exchequer, the as
sertion of civil and religious liberties and the
suppression of domestic disquietude; or is it
to be supplanted by new, untried and dog
matte policy, predicated upon a principle,
which, in its origin is nimical to the pro-
visions of the Constitution, averse to the
spread and population of the Republic, a
blight upon commercial intercourse, an i'm
pediment to the growth of the Treasury, the
foe of free suffrage and the exercise of relig-
Gus conscience, and fuel to the flames of do
mestic discord? Can the past history of the
Democratic party be forgotten! Is the flu
ture policy of the country to be void--a
blank-a chaos, and its shaping to be left
in the hands of men who have started upon
the elimination of an idea, chimercal at the
present, and uncertain in the future both as
to its existence and its fruits?
These are questions which the American
people must answer within short time, and
upon their answer, depends to no slight ex-
tent the welfare and perpetuity of the Fede-
raj Government Let the people Judge the
Democracy and the Opposition, under what
ever form it may be disguised, by their mu-
tual antecedents and accord to one or the
other their support-as therrespective merits
may demand. In such an ordeal Democracy
has nothing to apprehend. Its origin is in
itself proud one. Nursed in the storms of
popular commotion which preceded the com
mencement of the French revolutions and
the emancipation of the middle classes Of
England from aristocratc thraldom, it sprang
first into full life in our own country, when
men-patriotic enough in the main-but
deeply affected with the principles Of the
British constitution and ideas of a consoli-
dated government, sought to place the rights
of the States and even certain individual
immunities, into the hands OF the Executive
or the authorities of the Federal Government.
They sought to convert repubicanism into
Empire, which was then, and is yet, the
synonym of Monarchism. Power, and even
safety, was regarded as inseparabe from con-
soldation, and national progress, as the
bantling of federal surveillance. The effects
Of such ideas and policy soon became ap-
parent in the rapid absorption of the rights
of States and individuals in the functions OF
the central government, and awoke the guar
dians Of popular liberties, to the necessity Of
restricting the exercise of federal authorities
to matters which related exclusively to the
whole community of States and which had