The Trinity journal., 1856-12-13


their assumed official capacity, is an mop
perfume sequence to their late voluntary re-
nuncation of their abnormal powers. True,
/ the charges against them are of character
at once to conSign them to u criminals cell,
and alienate all sympathy for them from the
minds of their felloW-citzenS, were the of
fences they are charged with the mere result
of individual depravity But it is not fair
to abandon them to any such view of the
case. We regard these gentlemen as the
champions aud patriotic defenders Of the
purity Of their political Institutions, who had
vainly combated in their private capacities,
against the flood Of vlainy which over
whelmed their State, corrupting society to
its very core and running riot in every
criminal excess, until their existence as a So
cial and civilized community already began
to show signs of diSintegration. Desperate
diseases require desperate cures either the
ordcr-loviug portion Of the community had
TO abandon their new found homes aud give
up their avocatiouS aud the commercial un-
dertuklngS which their industry and enter
prise had struck out, to make room for these
| NandalS to indulge their savage instincts !;
or they had to stand their ground, look the
pcrvadng danger rcsoMtely in the face, and
concert their measures, like good and true
men, to purify their political atmosphere,
and rid society OF the human pests that out
ragged it, The condition of revolution thus
forced upon them like republicans accus-
toned to and capable of Sclf-goycrmneut,
they accepted the grave alternative with
spirit that does honor to themselves and is
! likewise the highest eulogium of our republi-
can Institutions. Standing remote from the
scene of action, rs We did in the Atlantic
States, an opportunity was Afforded us to
test the staunchness of these political vessels
by Watching the action Of II sister bark
when the winds Of civil conyulSon roarcd
around her, and the waves OF impending an
archy seemed ready to engulph her. Deeply
absorbed as we were in watching this out
riding OF the storm, we cannot conceal the
intese feeling ofpride that possessed us, as the
orderly, temperate and constitutional train
ing of our nationalmind was exhibited in the
whole action--from inception to dissolution
of the California Vigilance Committee
Not that, by thus speaking, we would be
understood to express any egotistical belief
that We as Americans, are IA people more
Intellectually aud yrtuously endowed than
other national communities in the admira-
ton we feel OF the peaceful and constitution
al accomplishment Of the revolution in Cali
lornia, we would be understood as deriving
our sentiment OF pride from the beautiful
working OF the political laws which preserve
to Us our national existence, We have cyi-
denced to u.s. in the example here afforded
us, with all the certainty of scientific dem
onstraton, that the principle of sclfgoycrn-
ment-upon which our political constitution
is baSed-is one correct in nature. and capa-
bic of practical application and this much
being proved in the hour of trying extremity,
the immunities it affords us, and the digni-
ty with which it surrounds us, are abundant
ly sufficient to commend it to our most treas
ured keeping.
What contrast does this spontaneous
resumption OF delegated powers from the
hands of officials who had proved unworthy
OF the trust, and the constitutional admins
/ tration of law 10y the people themselves,
who are the original source Of all power,-
what contrast we say, does this present 10y
the side of the crude and Ineffective attempts
of the European nations at violent and revo-
lutionary reforms In the American nation
we behold a people in whose minds, individ.
ually and from the cradle, is inculcated the
truth that they are themselves sovereign
that, by industry and integrity. there is no
let to their climbing to the higest honors Of
the state, and to give practical truth to
this, the advantages Of education are freely
offered TO all who ask il. Growing into citi-
zcnship with this sense OF unconincd liberty,
the American citizen naturally feels that he
is himself identified with the government,
and that il any evil develops itself, it rests
with HIM, as member of self-goycrning
community. to procure for it constitutional
remedy. Tutored by this conviction, when
any social distraction, as in the case under
consideration, suddenly occurs, he remains
calm, law-abidng, and consistent he per
ceiyes the nature OF the evil which has dis
turbed society, and at once sets about ap-
plying the only organic remedy. The mis-
chief is transicnt--a passing social conyuI-
son-and with the enectual purgation of
the disorganiziug element, the body polite
returns to health
But with the European nations, the case
| is widely different With them, when any
revolutionary movement is made by the peo
pie, there is SO serons an account Of tyranny
and misrule to be settled the clashug in
terests of class-separatism iniuse so general
feeling of hostility into the minds of all
and the people, too, suddenly finding them
selves released from the burdensome restraint
which had hitherto borne upon their shoul-
ders, are almost uniformly betrayed-by
natural rebound-iuto the widest excuses
all these consequences operating together,
dissolve every bond of society, aud reduce il
to bowling and anarchic chaos Out of
these tumuluous elements, it has ever been
found impossible to remodel society in any
natural shape their groupings after an OBJ
ject are but blind and incoherent, aud the
means of securing it they have never yet ac-
qulred Hence we see all revolutions in