Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-02-14
Party Leaders.

1t is popular error with the writers in
the opposition press, to speak eff prominent
men in the Democratic party as being the
leaders. In doing this they are careful to
select those whom they think least likely to
meet with the appreciation of the people.
Their error consists in assigning .sleader'
to the Democratic party. That party is
composed of the masses of the people, foun-
ded upon principle, and is guided and con-
trolled by their voice alone. The difference
between the men composing the party is not
so great as these writer's would fain believe.
Yet when circumstances have rendered
man somewhat conspicuous who is acting
with the Democracy, he is Immediately
pointed out as a ''leader," more partitularly
if there is anything that may be objectiona-
able in his former associations or actions
There can be no ssleaders" in a party guild
ed by principle. There may be those among
them who, surprising others in intellect,
vigor of mind and research may be first to
proclaim certain results to which the prin-
ciples of the party tend, before they become
manifest to the multitude, as the sun illu-
inmates the hills while it is still below the
horizon But the inequalities of intellect
among the people, like the inequalitie of the
surface of our Globe, bear so small pro-
portion to the mass, that in calculating the
actions of party, they may be safely omitted.
Experience has repeatedly proven the
fact that when the Democratic party have
acknowledged ''leader'' they have degen-
Grated into factions, divided among them
selves, and have fallen a prey to their po
litical adversaries, whom they have gener-
ally led captives while acting under the ac
knowledged leadership of Clay and Web
ster men who rank among the most pro-
found statesmen our natikn has ever pro-
duced. Those who have read the history Of
our country with proper discrimination, will
readily agree with US, and the position is
fully sustained by the political experience
of California.
We have been lead into these remarks by
the EFFORTS OF the opposition press TO sl1Sma-
tie the Democratic party, as one controlled
by ''leaders'' They thrust those whom the
party have just elevated to the highest, most
exalted and responsible positions in the gift
of the State, to one side, and point to another
member of the party, who has become some
what conspicuous in the present legislature.
as the leader" These same writer's bindly
followed the lead of Gen. Estell little more
than a year ago, and they are now endeay-
oring to make themselves believe that the
Democracy are doing the same thing. By
signalling himself as the most daring, and
taking the lead in its widest excesses, he
obtained the absolute guidance of the Know
Nothing organization, and raised himself to
his present position He had too much sa-
gacity to remain the ''leader" of the organ
ization until it should fall to pieces and
leave him pre- eminent and alone, the relic
of the institution, his ''right of dover" con-
sisting of the remembrance that he had once
led victorious squad. Their success and
happiness under his leadership, taught them
to love and reward him; he left them, and
their defeat and consequent misery disposes
them to hatred. They vent their peevish
ness upon the man who alleviated their suf-
ferings