San Andreas independent., 1858-05-15

DEMoCRATIC CoNyENTloN--.As an ipnnrton n |
news item, we publish the proceedings of the
recent meeting of the Democratic State Cen.
trail Committee. twill be seen that they have
called Democratic Convention to- meet in
Sacramento, on Wednesday, the 4th day of
August next It 10 Belse.recommendeJ that the
Democracy of tie different counties meet on
the goth day of July next, for the purpose of
selecting delegates to the State Convention
As Calaveras county has fifteen delegates, it is
very important that due action be taken so as
to have the choice of the entire democratic
party represented in the convention. Should
the primary meetings select delegates, not
sound national men, who seek to stifle the
opinions of the majority, and oppose popular
sovereignty, the result will be, as it WAS re-
Gently in Sacramento, Stockton, Oroyille and
Benicia- disastrous defeat. The democracy
but if they fail to guard their primary meet
ngs against the wiley machinery of political
tricksters, the stereotyped cry Of "coaition'
with Republicans" again may be their Salt
| rlfcI TequluHi-
The Butte Record of May 7th, thus reads the
sectional party 3" a lesson to dictation"
"The result of the election at Sacramento,
furnishes an important lesson to those who
constitute themselves leaders, and attempt to
control the masses by mperious and overbear-
ing dictation. We trust they will heed the
lesson. Wise counsels governed by princi--
pies and promulgated in a concliatory and
directory tone, instead of mandatory, as now
attempted by sectional Lecomptonism, has
heretofore given success to the Democratic
party. The right to create party tests has
heretofore rested with, and been exercised by,
the mass of the party. No measure or princi-
pie could be styled Democratic one, no mat
ter with whom it originated, until it had re-
ceived the Endorsement of the party in its pri-
mary capacity. The attempt of self consti-
tuted leaders, to repudate the people (the
national Democratic doctrine of Popular Sow
ereignty) and dictate party tests, has received
an indignant and overwhelming, but just and
merted rebuke.
sThe issue in Sacramento city and county,
was forced by sectional Lecomptonites. Their
chief organ in that city, on the eve of the as
sembling of the convention proclaimed that
the " issue must be met, and boldly avowed
the determination to bolt ticket unless Le-
comptoniteS were nominated. By the aid of a
secret caucus, they presented Lecompton
ticket-paying but little attention to the for
mer politics of the men placed upon it, one of
them having been the Know Nothing candi-
date for Sheriff of that county at the last gen.
eral election. The ticket placed in opposition
to this Lecomptonite concern, was composed
of popular sovereignty Democrats, acknowl-
edged to he such by one of the Lecompton
organs of that city, with single exception
The issue thus made, and the Lecompton ticket
had all the Federal assistance that could be
concentrated at the State capital resulted in
the triumph of the popular sovereignty Demo-
cratic ticket by majority of eighteen hund-
red
ain their chagrin and imbeclity at this
overwhelming defeat and reputation of their
course, the Lecomptonites can only give ut
terance to the insane cry Of " Republicanism."
To demonstrate the absurdty of this charge,
it need only be mentioned that, the last two or
three elections show the average Republican
strength in that county to be about seven
hundred votes. The full strength of the Re-
publican party of that county may, therefore,
| (supposing it to have been cast for the Demo-
cratic ticket be deducted from the majority
and counted in favor of the Lecompton swim
dlers' ticket. and the popular sovereignty De-
mocracy would still be triumphant. And this
! result demonstrates the correctness of the po-
sition we have heretofore assumed, that the
National Democratic principle of popular SOW
ereignty would triumph over the combined
forces ofsectional Republicanism and sectional
Lecomplonism, should they choose to unite in
opposition to it. Those who come up in good
faith on that plank of the Cincinnati platform,
and refuse at the bidding of sectional Lecomp-
tonism to denounce laboring, but free and
intelligent American citizens as the "mud-
sills' of society, are National Democrats good
and true.
THE principle must triumph at the ballot
box, when trckery and fraud, and corruption
are resorted to for the purpose of defeating its
operations elsewhere. Free and intelligent
American citizens will not approach the sa-
cred palladium of their liberties to deposit a |
sovereign ballot that degrades them, and as
signs them position the smud-sills of So
cety."
i" Let the people arouse in their primary
capacity and repel the insulting, degrading
doctrine of Lecomptonism. Let them repu-
diate the contemplate trickery it inculcates,
and seeks to introduce into our system of gov
ernment, and honor those noble champions of
popular sovereignty whose pride of place and
power has not caused them to forget the dig
nifty and character of American freemen"