The Shasta courier., 1860-09-08
SHASTA COURIER.
John b. Weller and Principle.

Gov. Weller has recently made a speech
wherein he declares that if he believed Douglas
received 2o2 votes at Baltimore, or thirds OF
the entire Electoral College, he would to-day be
supporting him. This is precisely what the
leading Breckenridge men of this county have
again and again said to u.s. And yet they claim
to be governed by love of certain political prin-
ciples-that in supporting Breckenridge they
are following time -honored Democratic princi-
plesl How can that be2 How can they be
actuated by love of certain Democratic princi-
pies in opposing Douglas, when they confess
that they would be supporting him cheerfully il
it was clear to their minds that be received
twelve or fifteen votes more than they now
think he did at Baltimore? Clearly it is not a
matter of principle with them, but rather a
mere question of numbers2
But Mr.. Weller has said as an old line Demo-
crat be felt it his duty to support Breckinrdge.
How old? He cannot hunt bis record very far
back and oppose the views ofDouglas. He GER
tainly cannot go behind 1854 On the 18th of
February OF that year, he made speech in ia
vor of the Kansas Nebraska Bill, which speech
is now before US, wherein he utters the following
sentiments:
Establish as a settled politely, the doctrine
for which we contend, of non intervention by the
Federal Government, and it is matter of little
Importance whether the North or the South has
a majority in Congress. Why is it you cannot
leave this question (of slavery where all other
laft tt,of vol, do
cisons of the people who may emigrate to those
regions (the Terrtories)? We (of California;
ask no exclusive privileges, and we are unwil-
ling to discriminate between the different Sec
tions Of the Union. We willing to- extend
to others that justice which we demand for our
selves. Sir, the Father of his Coun-
try, in his Farewell Address, foresaw that the
formation of parties in this country upon geo.
graphical grounds-Northern, Southern, East
and Western-was calculated in itself to
engender a feeling which must ultimately un-
dermine the foundations of this Government ;
and hold now, that no man who truly loves
his country and who desires to perpetuate the
blessings of civil liberty, will give his aid and
encouragement to the organization support
of a party whose design is to perpetuate these
geographical distinctions.
We propose that the people, the original source
OF all power, those who spoke this Government
into exi tence and whose agents we are, shall
be allowed to decide for themselves what local
institutions shall exist among them. On the
other hand the opponents of this measure advo-
cate slavery. They contend that the American
people shall not exercise this right; that their
minds shall he enslaved; that their hands shall
be tied up and they prevented from a free deci-
sion whether slavery shall exist there or not
". occupy the broad ground of freedom.
You n ho are invested with political power are
claiming now that you are better judges of what
sort of government the people shall have than
the people themselves. Our whole
system is base upon the principle that man is
capable of self-government. The moment YOU
violate this principle you transcend your au-
thority and destroy the vital element of the Re-
public. We propose that this, like all other
questions, shall be left to the free decision of
The people. fGu can only preserve the peace
ana harmony of the whole by taking care that
each State manages its own affairs and abstains
from intermeddling with its neighbors. \ \
Let the Federal Government rgidly adhere to
the principle so widely recognized in 1850, of
non intervention, and the Union will exist for
ever
Again, on March I'd, 1854, Senator Weller
said
When it is asserted that we who are assem-
bled here, with the Federal Government in our
hands, are better judges of what sort of institu-
tons shall exist in the Territories than the peo-
pie, must be allowed to say | do not regard
that as Democratic doctrine. Our Government is
based upon the capacity of man to govern him
self, and If we have discovered that this is a
mistake, we may as well disband at once.