The Placer herald., 1856-03-22
The Coming Presidential Contest.

The Coming Presidential contest.
There is no portion Of the American Re
public more deeply interested in the result
of the next election of the Chief Magistrate,
than the Youngest State of the Contederacy
isolated as she is from the great body of the
Union; separated by thousands of miles OF
sea and land from the great heart OF the
nation; time and space preventing her speedy
communications with the various depart
ments of the Government, California Is, OF
all other States, most deeply interested in the
approaching contest. Formed from tetrrtiory
ACQUIRED by Democratic policy, held together
bv Constitution framed by Democratic
Congress- after Il fierce struggle against q
most formidable opposition, she is Democratic
in all her elementary constituents. Her
greatness as a State, is owing strictly to that
sterling Democratic policy that has charac-
terized her onward career-Although ad-
mitted into the Confederacy of the States by
q Democratic Congress, her infant growth
was checked by the narrow policy of an op
posing administration. but like the infant
Hercules, who strangled the serpcnts sur
rounding his cradle the young giant survived
the siege, until the results of this crippling
process have been overcome. To reward
pet partizans the last Administration sent
out a swarm of oflice-seekng leeches, who
had no 'local habitation and a name, in the
State whose young destinies they were to
control, who proved themselves only fitted to
harass our people and eat out their substance.
These official harpies-these unclean birds
cared nothing for the welfare of the State;
they attended only to the feathering Of their
own nests regardless of all other interests.
There was general division of the spoils-
and the "pickings and steaings' in these days
were rich between the Government officials
here, and parties high in power at the Capt.
tai of the Nation.
Money is all powerful, and bribery and
corruption were rife. The wheels of the
Departments, which ordinarily move at a
snais pace, were oiled to such a degree that
their speed, in passing accounts and claims
involving the most Stupendous frauds, was
augmented to the velocity of a locomotive.
The most plarng frauds in the way of rents of
buildings, leased of private parties for public
use, seizures and contiscations of vessels and
their cargoes, without warrant of law, and
through a thousand other corrupt channels,
were practised with impunity and sanctioned
pv corrupt Administration, whose yenaI
members divided the spoiis and participated
in the holesale plunder of the public treasury
through the means opened up in the conduct
of the affair of the Government in this quar-
ter. Although politically dead, sunk into
the foulest pit Of ignominy, some Of the par
ties implicated in these transactions still hold
stpendiary claims upon the Treasury, which,
it appears, the present Administration, with
all its efforts to that end. has been unable to
cut off Were the full history of the Govern
ment operations in California, during the last
Whig Administrations. to be written,-the
official corruptions of Mr.. Secretary Corwin,
Collectors Collier King d Co. to be written
out, the world could not show its parallel for
vilianv of the deepest dye. This corrupt set
are now luxuriating on theirilgotten spoils,
ENJOYING the fruits of their Internal machina-
tons to defraud the Treasury 1t is to be
hoped that California will never be cursed
with another such piratical crew. A more
dire calamity could not be visited upon our
great and growing State. War, pestilence
and famine itsefcouid not more thoroughly
retard our growth and progress.
The policy of the present Administration,
and of the Democratic Party, toward Caitor-
MA has been essentially liberal, while at the
same time an economical administration Of
the Federal policy in this portion of the
Government has been steadily and uncom-
promisingIy pursued, The broad and liberal
policy pursued by the Democratic party, is
essential to the advancement and healthy
growth of our State. 1t therefore behoves
every lover of his adopted home on the Pa
cifc, to use every exertion for the, success
of principles so necessary for our welfare
and prosperity. Let it then not be forgotten
in the great national contest which is gradu-
ally approaching, that California expects
every man who has her welfare at heart to
do his duty,-and that duty is to use every
effort for the success of true Democratic
principles. S. +. Sun.