The weekly ledger., 1857-06-06
For the Weekly Ledger.
To the Democracy.

rvof the Party in Cdiifovnid-1he Old Guard
in 1866 the Old Guard no,ot-- The Glorious
Campaign Of l856-Ihe Victory The .fP-
preaching Campaign-Poiscn at York Dis
countenance Disorganisers and the Fishy-1he
K. NJ Recruifs-Puf None out Democrats on
Guard Work to be Done!
MEssRs EDrroRs:-In my Introductory ar
ticle, which you published last week, en-
deavored to reach the ear of the Democracy
by calm and sober reason. Did / succeed to
any extent? If SO, then the object of that
article was accomplished. In this there may
be introduced a little more of pepper and
sal"--or as some would perhaps express it,
ginger
The "little cloud" is again the text, and
Old Guard Democrats are invited to spend a
second politico-astronomical observation of it.
Why is it in the horizon? how shall it be
driven away? Solve these questions, and the
sermon is complete.
The history of the Democratic party in
California is familiar to all. 1t is unneces-
sary to recapitulate it. 1t is unnecessary to
tear the scabs from any of the old sores that
at times afflicted it; none but disorganizerS
have any such desire, or harbor any such pur-
poSe Far be it from mine. The great trial
through which Democracy on this coast has
passed occurred in the campaign OF lo55.-
Not before had there been so severe test of
party allegiance presented Not before had
there been time, on this coast, when they
were called upon to sacrifice every hope OF
success upon the altar Of principle, and at
the same time fight the battle with more than
ordinary vigor We had before been divided
-quarreling among ourselves-and just AT
such time the storm of Know Nothlngism
broke forth IN all its fury. 1t had swept
everything before it in the Atlantic States,
and promised to do SO here. Its strides
were mysterious, and as rapid as they were
mysterious. Almost the entire former oppo-
siton to Democracy was at once engulphed,
and large numbers of Democrats, who had
never before faltered in the faith, sought the
wigwam and threw themselves into the popu-
lar current. The different causes that opera
ted upon different individuals need not now be
discussed. 1t is enough to know that at one
time it seemed impossible for the Democracy
to effect an organization at all. But the
skies frightened little. There was found
to be enough left to form Spartan band,
and with mere handful, so to express it,
the Democracy commenced the fight. There
was an Old Guard of the faithful who had
not gone astray, and they raised their colorS
as galantly as though they had not suffered
by the loss OF numbers.
Surely theJ were the Old Guard Democ-
racy. Surely they should be so called to this
day. But no matter The struggle was
fierce; but the schisms that had existed were
forgotten, and ere election day rolled around,
many who had been worsh'pping false gods
returned to the fold. Some Old Line Wings
also buckled on Democratic armor, and it
was only 10y comparatively small majority
that the Know Nothings carried the State.
The Democracy were III minority, 1t is true;
but that minority was united. Forty-liye
thousand votes uuited were better than would
be eighty thousand divided
THIS prepared the way for the glorious
campaign of 1856. DIsorganizers did not
dare to scatter their Internal poison, and it
would have been harmless even had they scat
tered it, for the stern Democracy had high
and holy duty to perform. Union, harmony
and good fellowship prevailed, and gorlou:
victory was the result.
Another campaign approaches, and 10! the
disorganiZers are at their old tricks. They
labor to produce confusion and strife. They
tell us there are two kinds Of Democracy il
California, aud the guilty ones begin to con
tend that party allegiance shall no longer
bind them unless their own peculiar whlm:
are satisfied | tell you Messrs. Editors
there is poison at work that must be coun
teracted or we shall shortly have only the
name without the substance OF Democracy
in California. These miserable harples, thest
political mounte-bapks, these unprlnclplet
adopts at political pettifogging, who are only
Democrats believing in the necessity oil Dem
ocratc harmony when it happens to sult'
their own sectional or selfish views, must b'
banished forever from the household, or Dem
ocracy will become a Kissing and by-word
1t would be folly to conceal the truth
These pretended Democrats-who create dis
sensions the moment a victory is won, anc
pave the way to certain defeat, must be reaC
out of the party, or we never can have per
manent success.
Let US have no disorganizers and let VI
have none of the "6shy"a a most disgusting
class of politicians who are all things to al
men, and never to be depended upon. Aboy'
all things discountenance the hshy;" they
live but to suck the bio ID of the party, ant
then betray it, Scratch their names from thu
record of the faithful.
A few words more, and / shall close TO
the present. The Know Nothings have dis
solved. They poled some thirty-six thousan'
votes last fall These thirty-six Thousand
must 90 with the Democracy or the Bacl
Republicans 1t is conceded that the grea
mass Of them will prefer Democracy to Re