Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-10-23
Strange Gods.


injurious effect, vet ut other times it has served Us
an rScapci" to the high-prcssurc fanatic, and has
thus IRE, vented his explosion in another direction.
The most disastrous effects Of slavery agitation
have been Witnessed in the halls Of Congress-
TIL re- il has been the constant theme u the widest
defamation and intiammatOry appeals 10 the pas
s"nS. Tirr il has more inn cded Who'll me and
hcc s>ary legislation, than all other causes, besides.
Measures the most needed and Sautaiy most
impcrativrlv required BY the great interests If the
country, and especially by the people of remote
tionS, have been stopped in their passage. often On
the very eve Of their enactment to give place To the
renewed clanOrs Of sectional agators, rrvvng, for
the houSanth time the discussion uf negro slavery.
But for this baeful obstacle, the Pacific Rail Road
Bill would, before now, have become Law. hut
for the dirty diatribcs of drmagUgucs the advocates
If that grand project of the nineteenth century,
would now be exempt from the viainous assaults
made upon them. for their falsely putaiive drrec-
tnn of duty, Oh this important matter.
Not, however, the Pacific Rail Road Bill alone,
but other measures involving more or less the lead
ing interests Of the country nnd the dearest rghts0f
American citizcns ut home and abroad, have VAN
ishcd into the charnrhnusc Of indefinite poStpon-
mept, to make way for" Bunc"mbc' speeches onlllc
question IL negro slavery. The debates in Congress
have become narsratng to the honest masses Of the
American people an,l I" furrign nations, have pre-
scented the huniIlatirg spectacle, of great nation,
pnu>ng in its If glory, to listen I" rawlings
and rantings, which. II they hnd issued fIWin an
asylum tr luuaiic-. would only lave awakened
administration fur the unhappy inmates.
What good all this furious talk has dome, we have
never found sage to rXlNmnd. What harvest Of
hunui ~ gain has been rcaJwd in this field Of angry
controversy. or how single man, white or black,
except noisy and unScrupulnu> politicians. has ever
been benefited 10y the bitter rcscnlmcntS, which
now inilamc one portion If our common country
against the other, is Yet to be discovered That it
has been fruitful source of evil, no can deny.
That we should htvr trr happier, better, and fur
ther advanced on our march IL" greatness, I.cu.
pie without this cnvcnoIncd and lnnG.contnucd
dispute. every candid man must admit. Why, CON
tnuct? Thr.EnSl Bill. Offered by Mr. English
and adopted by Congress, recognizes the principle
Of "mpular sovereignty" by having referred, in
effect the Constitution Of Kansas back 10 The pco-
pie of that Territory, to be accepted or rejected, as
they please. This Was the last fragment left Of the
whole matter ab~ut which Democrats diilrrrd.-
The right Of the people Of Territory To form the
Constitution which is to be their fundamental law,
and tlrr right to rcpudiac or ndOrsc negro slavery
are nu longer dcbntnbc questions among Demo
+ Gratis The fact whether the Constitution Of Nam
>aS before Congress, at its last session, MAS nr MAS
not the expressed will Of the people of that region
was referred back to those very people, to Say"y
or "no," and thereby settle the doubt that existed
The doabt has been solved, that Constitution was
rejected and there that matter rests. VIVA, is
there left To create discard among Democrats
Absolutely nothing. That the Blacks should strive
to fan the cmbcrs of this expiring controversy, is
not at all singular. 1t would be wonderful il they
did not.
Slavery, and the antagoui>tic transportation it pro-
ducrS, constitutes their entire stock in trade. With
ont il they arc ieot .st. The faction would expire
from simple lnaniiun. Without il, that political
Catalina W. II. Seward could not aspire to the
Presidency Of the Republic he seeks To disrupt
Without it the New York TIL"ne would have Ia
find the staple Of its s"urrous editorials in the
drlcctablc Celebrations &c WomanS ny
gcmc qualities If Graham bread, and the delicious
flavor Of "ilot Corn" But is far ns Democrats are
concerned, the Kansas issue has been disposed Of,
as tho; have always commended il should he; that
is, it has been removed from the Halls If Congress
and referred to the people of Kansas themselves
Democrats naturally. Us well rs other men, have
their own opinions Of slavery in the abstract. At
least respectable minority, if not majority Of
them, dislike tile institution. But practically, they
understand their constitutional obligations To il,e
Southland are willing and anxious tn abide hy
them. Yet they contend strcnuOusly for the right
of every n.r Territory To determine for themselves
whether they will tolerate slavery within their bGr-
ders or not. THIS point is now settled, and adiudi-
Gated in favor of the principle of popular sovereign
~ in its broadcast Interpretation. The Democratic
partv can sec that there nrc some other things oi
importance, besides nrgro-Slavcry. The Blacks do
not or will not admit this. They hold slavery To
lie the paramount subject. Like ASr"n's rcd, it
swallows all the rest. What political insanity or
stupidity!
Have Democrats ever held that everything else
should Weld. to give place to the agitation of sa-
ycryy They have never 50 considered Aud now,
when the subject is really put aside, and the coun-
try demands respite from the barren striic-shoul'l
Democrats abandon their long.ch9rislicd party as
snciatiuns To ''cnd aid and comfort" to the Black
Republican gnngy The ground these wavcring and
intlrm ot purpose DemocIaIS nave h'h'r""V"P'U"'
would Scru To forbid the suspicion that they conld
be- melted to such suicidal movement. Their po-
stiou hrrctuf re- has been lofty one. They have
been proud to steer by the chart Of the Constitution
and have chung to the Union as an ark of safety.
They have met and vanuuirhcd the incendiarics of
the Republic, on many tented field. Are they +"
tlv to their companion>hip, now: Totho>rwLo arc
really Douglas Democrats, who have been Seduccd
from the paths of political rcctiiudc by II" sinister
temptations, hut by their simple admiration for the
Senator from lllinois,-Mc say, Mr.. Douglas gave i'll
his adhesion to the doctrines OF the English ILL.,
He declared ii was all he desired had he been
here prior to the late election. and seen sci ni
men deserving from the Democratic party, under
the designation Of the "Douglns wing, his aston
ishmcnt and DISCUS, would have been bnundlcss.-
Fatrrng Democrats, il was, aud is, all u dclnsion
and A snare II is the halfway house 10 the BLACK
Republican camp. 1t is trap set for you. viii
Won be caught in ity--Or, if already caught, will
vnu rr,,ain the victims of device so shallow: Are
vnu rr,nurcd to abandon the cause Of Democracy
which is Identical with national glory, with equal
riuhts. with our advancement ms mighty nation,
with all that makes US one people, and one grand
union Of Statcs,--to enlist under the black flag Of
A.. tN EII Neesf It.