The Nevada journal., 1858-02-26

all signs OF dry weather fail when it
rains. The statesman who doubted on
the bank, and hedged on the tariff, and
quailed before notification, is no sooner
in power than he indulges in the largest
latitude of construction. The most
strained extra, judicial dicta of the Su-
preme Court become the texts of his
public responses. The bred Scott de-
cision, which in substance declares that
the Constitution perambulates the whole
country with a negro on its back, is so
clear to his strabismical vision that he
does not see how it could ever have
been doubted. Powers of Congress so
well settled heretofore by the practice
of the Government and the approval of
every President from Washington to
Polk, that they were never called in
question. are now elaborately ignored
by his Administration while others
never dreamed of during the first half
of the present century are now found
creeping out of every clause of the Fed
eral compact, and indiscriminately re-
sorted TO in defense of his ultraisms.
Mr.. Madison thought it wrong to admit
in the Constitution the idea that there
could be property in men," and the
phrase was avoided. Mr. Buchanan can
understand domestic relations" in law
of Congress to refer to Slavery alone,
and that Interpretation is to be enforced
at the point of the bavonet. And do
such positions embody the Democratic
notion of q strict construction? it would
be an arrant piece of absurdity, as well
as knavery, to assert such proposition.
Thus, then. we perceive how, one by
one, all the unities that attached the
masses of the people to the party have
been sundered-how its great and lead
ing principles have been violated-how
the foundations of its support have been
undermined. The Administration of
James Buchanan has been but Demo
cratic rave-yard-wherein we see the
fitting forms of popular sovereignty, the
Treasury system, the National Union,
and the Constitution itself, like sheeted
ghosts, hurryins along to the land of
shadows.
1t may be remarked, however, my
Democratic friends, that progress is
equally an incident to true democracy,
and that, tried by other standards than
those of usage and custom and prece-
dent, the conduct of the present Admin
istratior will be found more worthy of
estimation, and more consonant to the
welfare of the whole country. | ac-
knowledge the force of the proposition,
and to show my sincerity will consider it
in other lights than that of lineal des-
cent. Bastardy, | know, although it
might establish forfeiture, does not al
ways imply a lack of force and vigor
Waive then the question of illegitimacy,
and how does the matter stand ? We
have reviewed it in the abstract. let us
consider 1t in the concrete. 1t has been
Judged as whole, examine it in sepa-
rate parts. Has the conduct of the va
rious branches of the public service
been so praiseworthy that the Democ-
racy should overlook all faults, and ex-
tend clemency to the President and his
advisers Has the fame of our arms
been enhanced? Has American diplo-
macy awakened the jealousy of Europe!
Have the operations of the Treasury
the homage of the Rothschilds and the
Barings! q! Have the regulations of the
postal routes and the rendition of mail
facilities made martyrs of all village
postmasters Few, judge, would haz-
ard an answer to these questions in the
affirmative. On the contrary, the bu-
reaus present evidences of inefficiency,
tardiness, routine that would do no dis
credit to the Circumlocution Office itself.
Look at the War Department. presided
over by gentleman, very amiable he
may be, but possessed of neither the
knowledge, the military genius, nor the
official familiarity to set a squadron in
the field. A Territory situated in the
heart of the Continent is il. open rebel
lion against the laws and Government
of the United States, and he is called
upon to furnish an army for Utah lie
is apprised in advance of the difficulties
of approach. of the long distance to be
traversed, of the numbers of the hostile
tribes, the severity of exposure on the
plains, and consequently ample time is
given him for making all necessary pre-
paration. What is the result? Politi
cal views are sufficient to control the
sense of what is due to his executive DO
sition, and the troops selected in the
Spring for the expedition are detained
during the summer to surround the vot-
ing precincts in Kansas, and are then
thrown forward to Winter unsupported
amid the passes of the Rocky Noun
tains. If we are to judge of that army
of Utah from the extent of ground it
occupies, it is certainly greater than the
army of Xerxes. The advance of fif-
teen hundred men is beyond Fort Bird
ger, the rear of three thousand men is
at Fort Leavenworth-more than twelve
hundred miles apart-while between
them are only two companies of dra-
goons, situated at Fort Laramie, to
keep open the communications. Nor is
this all. Encamped in the valley of
Henry's Fork, half the men unfit for
duty the supply trains destroyed by
scouting parties the glass hurnad befora