The Shasta courier., 1859-06-04
The Issue.

lproaches, and the various Eattisans have enter
cd the field to do battle for their respective fac
tions, it behooves all citizens who wish to act
intelligently before giving their countenance an
| aid, to enquire what will be the result of the
suffrages. To the close observer of passing ps
litical movements, many would suppose Il
| there was but party in the canvass, vi
those who insist upon the endorsement of Il
acts of the present Chief Magistrate ofthe Unio
and that all the opposition that exists is with
the limits of that harmonious organzation.-
Principle is to be ignored in the coming contes
by this faction, and men are to be substituted
do battle for. The issue thus far has been Dem
yer and Weller, Weller and Latham, Lathas
and Nugent, from one end Of the State to til
other. Not word about measures, but adhe
sion to the administration of James Buchanan
under the name of Democracy, with an occa
sional variation looming up in the dim distance
on banner, the old watchword of successful
Democracy, g Principles not men,"
presume that it is Democratic to hear al
sides, and as believer in the doctrines of the
Democratic party as enunciated by the Democ-
racy assembled at Cincinnati in 1856, claim the
privilege of being heard through the press and'
derstandingly, not through prejudice, to what
must be apparent to many of them, that there
is an issue In the present canvass that should be
investigated, compared with which the names of
the prominent politicians in California sink into
insignifcance.
5 The issue made by the Administration party
the test of Democracy under their ruling
r that person must endorse the acts of the pre-
sent President of the Union, seems to be mper-
atlve, and unless person can honestly endorse
i that test he has no business within their organ
: ization. The State Central Committee does not
f make this test directly, but as they require an
endorsement of the proceedings of the State
Convention presided over by Mr. Hardy, and that
d Convention endorsed the Administrations of Mr..
e Buchanan, its endorsement is required to be
within the organization as upheld by the power
at Washington and the revenue department il
: California attached to the Federal Government
It Many may deny this position, and reply that tn
Cincinnati Platform is their only guide and tha
, Presidents and Central Committees have no rgh
: to require adhesion except to doctrines enunci
= ated by the Democratic National Convention.
= That is correct hypothesis, but have the,
7 not done it Has not the President departe,
= from the T" true intent and meaning of the Kan
:. sas-Nebraska act? and has not the party claim
y ing to be the regular Democracy in this Stat,
# endorsed his departure, thereby making his ac
tion the test of Democracy, the Cincinnati: reso
lutions to the contrary Notwithstanding View
A the question in its most liberal sense, and ADM
;. that President Buchanan has acted within thl
- meaning of the resolutions of 1856, does not hi
action in turning out of Office all those who did
Of not coincide in his Interpretation of those res
p lutions, imply that his view the test to gov
1t ern, and that henceforth no one was to be con
b sidered a Democrat who opposed the views thu.
n advanced? The Administration party imrnedi.
lie ately put on this yoke in this State, and have
exacted an adherence to it from all who wish tC
be considered within the Democratic organiza
ID tion To be Democrat in California you mus
it be glorious follower, spoken ofby Bacon, "whe
is make themselves as trumpets of the commenda.
i, ton of those they follow, are full of inconyeni
e ence, for they taint business through want O
e sense, and export honor from man and make
d return in envy"
t. There Is wide difference of opinion existing
20 among the Democracy, and it cannot be denied
d but that those who will not endorse the Admin
) istraton of James Buchanan, in this State, are
considered outside of the Democratic party A
If person may partake of all the measures put forth
y by the Democratic party since the days OF Jack
son, but if he does not endorse the acts of James
/ Buchanan in refusing to let the people of Kansas
vote upon their Constitution, and uphold him in
: keeping her from becoming State until she has
a population OF ninety-four thousand souls
: whilst he admits the Territory of Oregon with a
II population of forty-fve thousand-ifh he does NOT
/ approve turning every officer of note in the
r. State OF Illinois out of position because Of their
adherence to the views of Senator Douglas-if
he does not believe that the President acted
o correctly in having mechanics discharged from
Navy Yards on account of their proclivities to-
! wards Senator Douglas, and deny that to levy
specific duties instead of dd palorun is not in ac-
a cordance with the policy of the Democracy, he
cannot possibly be Of them, under the decision
of the Administration wing of California.
= 1t was common cry of the Lccomptonites
! during the last canvass, that Senator Douglas
: occupied different position from the true Dem
: ocracy of California-that here we went outside
a of the regular organization to accomplish what
he reco mmended to be done inside. As Senator
Garter would say, % Let us sec how that matter
: stands. The position assumed by the Anti
t Lecompton Democracy is briefly explained =
/ They contended that no Democratic organiza-
S ton could successfully exist, or should exist,
e without fixed set of principles. They held
that Senator Douglas expressed the views and
D objects of the kansas-Nebraska measure in his
e opposition to the fraudulent Leeompton Consti-
s tuition, and as James Buchanan was sacrificing
every person who occupied e prominent position
for his refusal to partake of his obnoxious posi-
ton, and that his position was contrary to his
pledges, and contrary to the usages of the party.
: and that he had deviated from the Cincinnati
fiatiorm, they refused TO risk principle against
? power, and refused to be overcome by Federal
} patronage at the sacrifice of principle. They
t appealed to the Democracy of California and
were beaten-but are again in the arena, ready
for any contest and only ask that there shall be
: no dodging, as heretofore, but fair issue.
At the last State Convention in the Democratic
state OF Illinois, resolutions were introduced
endorsing Senator Douglas, and carried by
large majority, and substitute endorsing James
Buchanan was voted down, whereupon few
members, who held Federal positions, withdrew
, from the Convention, assembled together passed
/ resolutions endorsing James Buchanan, eeasured
Douglas and made separate nominations for
State Offices. This latter organization received
the countenance and support of the Federal Ad-
mlnlstration, and during an exciting canvass re-
ceived less than six thousand votes This fac
tion have also announced their intention to send
delegates to the Charleston Convention. claiming
to be the true Democracy of Illinois. According
to the Federal test in this State, they are the
legitimate Democracy of Illinois, and should be
received.
1t is useless to argue about Mr. Douglas DO
sition in Illinois. He is properly within the
Democratic national organization, and Mr. Bu-