The Placer herald., 1856-07-05
REPLY
SACRAMENTO, JUNE 25th, 1856.

propounded by you. For the first time IN the
history of our government the people have ar
rayed themselves against each other upon
sectional issues. The movement and declara
ton of political leaders indicate with lamen-
table certainty, that they intend to fight the
next political battle upon those issues.
In the organization Of parties for this conflict
many of those persons who have heretofore
been cassed as Democrats, who have done
good service in the great cause OF Equality
and Union, have deserted the true standard
of Liberty, and now found among the fac
tionists and disunonists. The history Of the
Democratic party in this country is pregnant
with instances of similar desertons Many of
those who have received the highest honors
the party could bestow, have subsequently re-
pudiated their principles and become recre
ant to their party obligations.
However unfaithtul such partizans may be and
however often they may change their party
affiliations, the principles of that great party
remain the same. 1t can no more be effected
by the recreancy of professed adherents, than
can Christianity by the hypocrisy Of its fol-
lowers. The fundamental principles of the
Democratic party have become the established
principles Of the general government The
policy which that party has inaugurated, as
the necessary means Of giving practical effect
to those principles has received the constant
and overwhelming approval Of the American
people, for more than a quarter of a century
Those principles are both conservative and
progressive in their character and effect
They may be briefly summed up as follows:
A strict construction of the Constitution.
Equal justice to all men, of whatever State
or persuasion, religious orpotical.
Strict economy and rigid accountability in
all the departments Of government.
The prompt arraignment and punishment
of all officers convicted of pcculation.
Liberal naturalization laws.
An undertaking adherence to the universal
standard value of gold and silver.
faithful discharge by the public officers
of all the duties deyolved upon them by the
Constitution and laws as the only security
against resistance, anarchy and revolution.
The support Of the State governments in its
whole Constitutional vigor.
Universal suffrage.
The honest payment of all our just debts
and the sacred preservation of the public faith
Absolute acquescence in the will of the ma
jority fairly and consttutionally expressed
Universal education, and the prompt ar
ragnment of abuses at the bar of the public
reason.
All those who approve ofthe bright constel
lation of principles above enumerated, belong
necessarily to the Democratic party. They
may dsapprove of the action of those
protessed adherents who, when in power,
have violated by their political action those
principles; but such violation proves the un-
taithtulness of party agents, and renders it the
more necessary that honest adherents should
multiply, that the party may be purgcd Of its
unfaithful representatives.
Now is the propitious period for honest and
patriotic citizens to unite their efforts and in
tluence with that party, which is the recogniz
ed exponent OF the true principles OF the gov
ernment, and by whose influence, alone, those
principles can be maintained and perpetual
ted The Constitution of the United States, as
understood and practically carried out by that
party, throws the broad agis of its protecting
power over all the interests of the country.
1t recognizes no local or sectional interests.
1t allies itself with no factions. 1t resorts to
no snbterfuges to secure its ends and objects.
1t tproclams its principles boldly and proudly,
and relies upon the the Judgment and patriot
ism of the people to sanction them. Such is
Democracy, faithfully carried out. TO illus
trate those principles and to give them pract
cal effect, acquires agents of capacity and in
tegrity. Unfortunately for the character of
the party, and the advancement of the great
and mutifarious interests Of the country such
agents have not always been selected.
| have thought proper, gentlemen, in re-
spending to your question, first, to define the
true character Of the Democratic party for the
purpose of exhibiting it's claims to the support
of all true patriots and Union-loving citizens
| will now proceed to discharge a much
more difficult duty imposed by that portion
of your note which directs attention to the
action and political effects of the Vigilance
Committee of San Francisco. This embraces
questions of the gravest moment, involving
consequences of momentlous interest.
Gentlemen of intelligence and honesty dis
agree as to the character of the proceedings
Of that Committee. Some denominate their
acts revolutionary. Others declare that they
are insurrectionary. All those opposed to
that committee dcnounce all their proceed
ings as destructive of law and violatve of all
the sacred obligations of citizenship.
The political definition of Revolution is
material or entire change in the constitu-
ton of government" So far as l am advi-
sed, the Vigilance committee propose no such
change neither is their action calculated to
produce such a result
An ''insurrecton" is declared to exist by
our statute, "where the execution of civil or
criminal process has been forciby resisted in
any county by bodies of men, or that comb