Oroville daily Butte record., 1856-07-15
Address To the Citizens of IuOi-
uMne County.

earnest man and Il patriot 10 understand
his own times. Ours are indeed portentious
of evil. Almost in torpid apathy, we are
walking over the slumbering fires OF rfvoln'
ton and civil war, which il once enNind'ed'
cannot bc extnguished, but will consume
Us and all we hold most dear
We, the Undersigned claiming the right
to speak only as your fellow Citizens rs
brothers in the love of common country,
desire to address you few words upon the
appalling events which have passed ana are
passing before our eyes like the fearful VS.
ious OF dream, filing every true Ameri-
cans heart with u sentiment OF the pro-
fOuudest melancholy, aud almost wriu2ng
from him the deSpairng confession that the
golden days Of the Republic are over. We
desire that these should be the words Of so.
! berness Of Wis Ion, OF moderation Last Of
all would we write one word taat could io>-
ter the excitement with which our State is
now recliug and staggering. or add fuel to
the infurate and malignant passions winch
| tor the moment seem to have driven justice,
charity, hor or, digui:y and deccncy from the
breasts of all of Us. We desire To- create no
heart burnings, no ranking, no a,perity,
no bitterness, nor "to set down aught in
malice, against the men who, however
pure their lives and motives, are surely
leading our people into chaos, ruin and
death.
We speak not to express our own opn-
| ions, but only to warn and TO call upon you
20 keep II steady eye upon the signs OF the
times; to pause, to reflect, and to see your
way through things which concern vitality
concern your dearest interest and your
country-to enkindle in your hearts, with
/ fresh purity of purpose, ctDa virtue, that
known to the hearts of freemen only. pecu-
/ liar to the race Through which our life
bio ID tracks its parent lake" and spring,ng
! from habit Of at once obeying and insist
| ing upon the laws Of free country. To
awaken in you that "bo!d and fearless, but
sharp sighted cautious, sagacious, dlscrim-
mating. tarseeing spirit OF Liberty" which
| built up this government and its insttu
tions, with a watchful eye to the rights Of
the lowliest in the land, and preparing for
| the assaults of all kinds Of arbitrary power,
whether those assaults should come from
the governmen, from individuals, or the
masses - that spirit which, jealous #
power, jealous Of encroachment, Jealous of
man, demands checks, seeks for guards,
insists on securities, entrenches itself behind
strong detences, and tortfes itself with all
possible care against the attacks Of ambi-
ton aud passion" That spirit which knows
that unchecked and irresponsible absOlutism
under whatever fair name it may come,
whether individual or collective, whether n
one man tyranny, or naked, unmitigated
democracy, is the very negatlOn of liberty
which Z" III looking to the end never forgets
the MEANS" and trusting nothing to the
weakness of human nature. nothing TO the
alternate principles OF good and evil, that
wage incessant war in fallen and erring man
--'never permits power to step beyond It's
prescribed bounds, though benevolence,
good intent, and patriotic purpose come with
! it" We btlieve that this spirit Can yet be
found in the race of men that planted free
empire on this Pacific shore, and that if once
awakened, it will sweep out Of sight the ex
aggerations, the chimeIas, and all the allu-
ring plausiblitie and fearful tallacies, false
in logic, unhallowed in theory, and destruc
tive in practice, with which our day is so
rife We desire then, simply to hold up,
even unto yourselves, the appalling evils
and dangers into which it is apparent We
are rapidly drifting, and which, if not turn
ed ASIDE by the hand of human wisdom or
Gods mercy, must destroy our State, her
government, her liberties, her dignity and
her happiness.
No man need be told of the things done in
San Francisco during the past six weeks
They have hurried by US like the shifting
scenes of a panorama, leaving US startled,
blinded, paralyzed, with vague terror i'll
our hearts that the end is not yet Every
man stands looking for some greater horror
We are yet to see--no man can yet realize the
enormity of those already committed, or has
raised the veil from the disastrous and de
plorable effects that lie beyond. Hereafter,
when heat and passion and intcmperance
are over--when confusion and violence are
calmed, simple statement OF facts, without
establishment or exaggeration, Will scarcely
obtain credence We have seen in the city
of San Francisco an organization which, 1t
is said, in the beginning embraced but
sin lie idea-that of Furnishing the murder
er of James King of Wm.--proceed with
armed bands, with cannon and all the ap-
pliance of wal, to the Jail Of that county,
drag forth two men therein detained in the
Gus ody of the law, and, without legal trial,
put them to death We have seen third
man driven to suicide through terror OF
like fate cruelty held up before his eyes
We have seen bands Of armed men, rudely'
without explanation, without W rrant or
other process of law, at the dead hour OF
midnight, break in upon the dwellings, OF
citizens, forcibly search. the premises, out
raging families and insulting females. Not
only in the dens of vice and shame have
these things been done, but in the dwellings
and nriyate apartments of honest. Deaceable