Oroville daily Butte record., 1857-11-02
A Miners Reply 90 aCaxfon.n

sure you that we claim exception from your
declaration that ingratitude sis the practice
OF man everywhere" Believe, sir, that
gratitude and admiration were the predomi-
nant emotions of our hearts, on learning
that your ''instinct of patriotism" and "call
OF duty" have secured to us so able and IL
lustrious an advocate, and defender of our
rights and interests, as may be anticipated
IN one who has already achieved the high
political and literary renown that, halo like,
| surrounds the name of "Caxton."
We humbly dsclaim any intention to die
tate to, or interfere with, champion who
has, so kindly and disin terestedly, volun-
teered "to aid, protect and foster" our inter-
ests. Believing, however, that your prac-
ticed pen may be somewhat unfamiliar with
the character Of the materials, through and
with whom you are, undoubtedly, destined
to accomplish the political, social moral and
physical regeneration of the Miners, we
venture few suggestions that have arisen
from the perusal of your letters
The Miners of California profess to be only
plain, practical, commOn-sense men, with
taste and intelligence sufficient TO fully ap-
preciate the style of an ordinary communi-
cation, as we'll as the motives by which it
is prompted. AS such, we are confused by
the gorgeous drapery of literary figures,
flowers and froth, with which you so artist
ically decorate a subject that in our simple
mindedness, requires only facts and sound
logical argument Especially, in your de-
lineations of the character Of the miner, she
sparkling and brilliant emanations of your
poetic and romantic genius, have completely
lazzled our powers of comprehension. la your
portrayal of their moral and physical condi-
tion the most learn'd among us we're confoun-
ded with the magnitude and multiplicity Of
your epithets and adiectives. None. however,
were disposed to deny that they formed
benevolent and dsintorested mediey Of Pity
praise and censure, bestowed upon us from
sympathetic commisseraton of the
grievances" "wrongs," ''toil," ''peril,"
"disease," 'grey-hairs," premature old
age" "wasted frames" "heart-sickness,"
"death," lonesome graves" gaming ta-
BILE habits" and the incentives to 'sucide,"
incident to our vocation, and ignored by
the legislatures Of the State"
Your aim, in both letters, appears to be to
impress the miner with belief that some
great danger is impending over his welfare,
and that he is actually suffering from polit-
ical oppression and neglect. 1t is feared,
sir, that you have failed of accomplishing
your aims. We have prospected in vain
through the whole of your literary deposit
of bold assertions, skiful insinuations and
generalities, and ingenious antiquities, in
search of the deep but hidden nature of the
impending evil which your superior sagacity
has alone discerned. Now, as humble CO.
workers, with you, in the great cause of
their emancipation, and before compliance
with the edict, that "they too must combine
can be expected, the miners may, perhaps,
require some further evidence that "every
other great interest of the State" las COM
bnea to "plundcr and oppress' them. They
would also esteem it % favor, if you would
designate wherein they suffered, from the
"studied contempt with which the legsla-
lures, courts and Governors have treated
them. We, poor "outcasts in California;
have deluded ourselves with belief that
the feature in the legislation of this State,
which permits the miners to make and es-
tablsh all laws pertaining to their immed-
ate interests. and vocation, and which re-
quires the courts to recognize such laws as
valid. extends to us privilege that the cit
zens of TO other State ever enjoyed. 1t has
been regarded as step, never before taken,
in advancement towards pure Democracy
The miners. sir, entertain the simple the
ory. that the sole, legitimate object of gov
ernment is the protection of the persons and
property of its citizens or subjects. They
have, hitherto, been unable to discover, from
their own experience, observation and limit
ell study, that the statutes Of California,
either in their enactment or administration,
fail in securing to them degree of protec-
ton equal. at least, TO that enjoyed by any
other class of her citizens. For the first
q, =. ,o,- rayao al IN fharn thu IN fhair