Weekly Trinity journal., 1859-08-20
WEAyERVILLE CALIFORNIA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 1889
RcpIx TO Anti-LccOImPtOn.

Mr.. EpIroR In the JOURNAL of last week
noticed an article signed Anti-Lecompton'
which professed to give history of the origin
and development to the present day, of the doc
trine Of popular sovereignty, and as the writer
identifies it as the basis of democratic priuc
PIES" the "coruer stone of democracy" etc.
wish, as a true Democrat, to deny these PROPOSE
tons and review his article at length.
have studied, with feelings OF pride and plea
sure the history Of the rise and progress OF our
institutions, and have seen them gradually
strengthened and adorned by the principles oil
pure democracy, but never before l read this
article of " Anti Lecompton's," had l heard it
asserted that the Pilgrim Fathers recognized the
principle of political popular sovereignty, or
that the Democratic party, as we know it, stands
upon any such 4" corner stone" | was surprised
at his assertions, and am persuaded that he never
read history, or, if he did, that he entirely mis-
took its import. From that source we learn very
different facts, and by it | am prepared to prove
that the doctrine of popular sovereignty (an alb
surdity in ITSELF was unknown to the Pilgrim
Fathers, that those fathers never landed on n
rock, that it was not felt during the period OF the
Colonial establishments nor of the Revolution,
that Jefferson was no Democrat, and that the
Democratic party, founded by that great states
man, John c. Calhoun has always repudated the
doctrine as new, absurd, and dangerously nno-
waiting in its tendencies In support of the first
two propositions | will quote the language of
" Pluribusah," q new and reliable authority
After describing the " tribe" of Pilgrim Fathers
living on the selfconceted" island, he says of
their principles:
But they always came out strongest
On the subject of religion;
They had their peculiar notions
OF the future state of mortals,
Had their own ideas of Tophet,
Had their own ideas Of Satan.'
Nothing is said about the doctrine of popular
sovereignty, or which could justify an inference
that they knew ANYTHING about it. The persecu-
tions from which they fed were of IA religious
character, eminently pious % but not political
He thus dlsposes Of the landing of those pilgrims
on our sh ores, while Ant-Lecompton" says
popular sovereignty was " impressed" on the
! Plymouth Rock
"Chief among those scedy martyrs,
Chief of these amphibious martyrs,
Was the hero, Plurbustab
lie it was who left the yawl boat,
Jumped up to his waist in water,
Weting both his boots and breeches,
Waded through the floating sea-weed,
Braving all the crabs aud Holsters,
Struggled, screeching, sprawling straddling,
Splurgng, scattering and splashing,
'rll he stood on solid graUet-
And The setting sun was shining
On his black and seedy breeches!"
win "Anti- -Lecompton" persist in saying that
popular sovereignty was impressed on Plymouth
rock, after having read the above positive asser-
tion of the historian that the first pilgrim landed
on gravel? But there is farther evidence upon
this point. The sea sickp crew OF martyrs"
soon followed, and having landed, knelt down in
prayer ON a rock? No!
"On the sand and on the gravel,
On the sea-weed and the clam shells,
Till these last testaeeous relics
Cut their breeches into tatters !"
Here we have the whole history of that mem
orable landing" and can discover nothing like
popular sovereignty doctrine in it. A to its
being known aud practised during the dark and
gloomy period of the Colonial establishments, |
conceive that bare reference to the infamous
laws against the domestic institutions of witch
craft, and the unholy indulgence" of long hair,
passed during that period, will sufficiently relute
the assertion Those colonies were all composed
of men who built