Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-05-05

furious influence upon the water, without
which, in its comparatively pure state, life
itself would he .jeopardihrd
The want is felt bv all, but the office Of res
ponding to it is conceded only to a few whose
mechanical skill and taste qualify them for the
duty.
1t is the natural right Of any one to drink
and to adopt any method nf conveying water
to his mouth he wishes, but this right he is
perfectly willin. to conccdr to those who sup
! ply him with the acceptable vessels used for
such purposes. lie surrcndcrs the natural
right to acquire superior artificial cOnvcn-
iencc.
! 1t requires great deal of skill and ability
to manufacture such articles, but everybody
! can understand their necessity or their adap-
tation to the uses for which they are male.
No one would be so stupid as not quickly to
perceive the fact, did these vessels poison or
| p0llute the waters, which constitute the daily
iihations of life
So, all mankind. actuate1 by strong social
impulses and sympathy, recognized the nrccS'
sitv for the formation "i government aud laws
1t was easy to perceive that their intellectual
tastes and tnioymrn;S could be vastly promo.
ted 10y an association 0f interests. TO accom-
pliSh the objects of aS>nriatinn. there must he
concessions of those natural rights which all
inherited; and Of course such concessions
could only be made upon 4 platform of mutual
pledges OF fprotcction.--A necessary and yalua-
blc consideration was givcRi in cXcha &C for u
mutual interest, protection aud relief
The accomplishment of these objects was
sought for through the organization Of govern.
mcnt and laws, upon 50 nrcltrrt foundation
that they would -hecnmc the vehicles of un-
! IL tnI
! Justice and equity. because without these,
association cOulu not he maintained where n
general surrender of natural rights had evolved
the necessary obligations Of mutual depend
cnce, mutual sympathy and mutual protcc-
ton.
What pure water is to the thirsty lips, so
are justice and equity to all mankind in the
formation OF government and Sucirty.-
After thus stating the premises upon which
governments are erected, we hope to h" cX.
cnscd il we declare, from the springs of mi>an-
thropy, that while all make the sacrifices or
concessions in the contract, there are but few
who are comparatively benefited by the ne
gotiatiOn
What government has secured an adequate
and just protection to all of its citizcns: At
what era i'll the history Of the world can il be
shown that an adequate consideration, SYM
patty and protection had been extended to the
poor?
Among what people, with which century,
in what part Of the universe, did civilization
and government acquire Il state of perfection
so divine, so eminent and glorious tlnt all
were provided with the comforts and securities
of life? These are grave and important qucs-
! tons which AavelIueIl- -alteA ASKED but neV CT
yet answered to the credit of the bcncvocnce
! and sagaritv of man, nor to the >onndnesS, the
justice aud the practical equity of governments.
| In an examination OF the earliest written
history OF civilization that has ever been given
to the world, the inspired and unin>lircd his
tory of the Hebrews, with collateral refer
rnccS To the .\S>yriauS riu.niciarS and Egyp.
tiari>, nothiuy can he iou}d indicative Of pO-
iitirOmoral condition, il whrh >o ial equities
were not violated; where tiIc wants of the
poor were not only unanswered, but often
moCkcd with indifference, where the PitcOuS
appeals of distress were not ever falling upon
deaf ears and seeking in vain for the expected
Surcor OF kindly protection and fratcrnal sym
tpathy-So much so, that sacred historians are
often found rccounting aud rcbrobatng the
cruelty and abuses inflicted upon the poor
the u>urou$ and oppressive treatment they
received in their dependence and distress.
! Moses, the greatest Of law SivcrS, and Solo
m0n one Of his most eminent aud iustrious
successors. are pcrpctuaIly recurring not only
to the drStituton, dependence and necessities
of the poor. but to the involablc obligations
which require the rich and the favored to be.
stow upon them that kindness, consideration
and ilatcrnal sympathy which their hard and
incquitablc destiny demanded.
But in these governments, whose civi,iza-
tion seemed to have been evoked from the
special instructions Of the Almighty, whose
laws were written in Heaven and transmitted
through an ciiulgrnce OF light and glory para
lytacaly vivid, with whom the iniunctionS OF
bcncv0lencc Nere so ample, SO specific, so Sa-
cred and severe, even with them, the prin-
cipcS Of Charity, Of mutual protection, SYM
rathy and brotherhood were so badly mani.
Tested, that they became a source OF Omnipo.
tent rrproach and national decay.
In the palmic>t days OF the Roman Empire,
cnthroncd upon the highest cmlncncc of ma
tionaI prosperity, intcrminable in authority,
rcvcling in wealth and boundlrsS in its polti-
cal powcr-cvcn here, the poor, instead OF
being the tuSt"rcd recipients of an honest and
equitable consideration. sympathy and pro.
lection, were mere machines in the hands of a
favored few, to bc employed, uSctully, honor
ably, or to their own destruction. Just as in
trrc>t, caprice or pleasure suggested. But il
the equities of social organization were 50 badly
supported in the foregoing governments, What
could be expected from them throu I'll the long
and gloomy darkness of the .Ntd"rW .iNx
where barbarism rcigncd supreme, and tn,
lottcSt political maxim cminatcd from the dia
bolical rule of might against right z"
Nowhere in the records oi government, from
no annals of national life, nowhere along tn,
historic pages Of llcrodituS, Arrian, CurtiuS
livy, Plutarch, SalluSt, TactuS Bede, Glib
bon, down to the fresh printed works o
Prescott, Bancroft and Macaulcy, nowher,
amongst the accumulated annals of the wide
world, can we procure the evidence OF, "A single
solitary government, in which the principles
of mutual dependence, mutual protection ant
mutual sympathy received a development
which was becoming to the prctcnsions o
government, or the commonest obligations o
social compacts.
No traces of nationality that have ever yc
made an impression upon the pages of history
can guide the exploring footsteps of philan
thropist to agOvernmcnt SO perfect so Just, st
equitable, so kind and powerful as to hav,
been sustained in placing the degis of ade
quatc protection over all the aspirants of hap
piness, who contributed not only the origina
materials of which the government was com
| posed but the more essential, patient and for
bearing countcnance by which the authority
and laws were sustained and pcrpetuated.
There is nothing in the history of the world
or the practical operation Of government ant
laws, which relieves the masses of mankind
| OF tt,y Nf