The semi-weekly mountain Democrat. (Placerville, El Dorado Co. [Calif.]) 1860-1860, 1860-11-24
A Minority Party.

/
wisdom and honesty, the politicians rare
| ly investigate Senrchingly or reflect seri-
ously. They follow, without thinking, in
the footsteps Of those in whom they have
confidence. They move in masses. They
adopt the current opinion Of the hour
from their leaders, and from the public
press on which they are accustomed to
depend for their daily supply Of superb
cial thonght-for their morning dose Of
mental stimulus, in those flaming appeals
to their passions, their interest, or their
vanity, which it is the vocation Of the lat
ter daily to administer. They have little
inclination or leisure to reflect disposition
ately or independently for themselves
They are like men in an agitatcd crowd,
swept hithcr and thithcT by the current
Of the huge mass, with force which the
individual can rarely nerve himself to
stem. individuality, in fact, loses itself,
almost Of necessity, in the constant press
ure Of surrounding example, Of the gene
raj habit and tone of association, and in
the contagious excitcments Of the day.
1t is useless to disguise the fact, in this
State the tramnels Of the old and sadly
abused system Of party management and
party uSagcs has been TO great extent
cast of. The limbs Of the now free Dc.
mocracy, formerly so hampercd and
cramped as TO have become almost para
lyzed by the long process, have begun to
recover their healthy native vigor since
the election. Wcspcak plainly. Abuses
Of dangerous and discreditablc charac-
actcr have been tolerated, If not sanction.
ed, by the Democracy. There is no other
possible means by which a majority dc.
moralizcd by long-continucd system Of
party Encouragement, can recover its
pristine energies, and with them rc-cstab-
lish the crumblcd fabric of its asccndcn.
cy, than by going for a year or two into
minority, there to undergo, at the same
time, the process Of just punishment for
the past, aud Of necessary publication for
the future. The unprinciplcd and corrupt
invariably desert a defeated party. If
that majority has been but false pro-
Tossing Democracy, sustained by corrupt
means, and by the mere discipline Of par
~ organization, then this process Of de-
cline, by its own internal decay, must be
fatal. The disease is in that case a NOR
tai one, and no human skill or power can
arrest the progress Of canccrouS mortiti-
cation, or divert its certain result Of diSSo.
luton. But if, on the other hand, it was
indeed, rs it profcSscd itself, true Dc.
mocracy, however perverted and crampcd
in the freedom Of external development,
and however OverSpread by superficial
diseases, yet full Of all the healthy and
self-Purifyihg vigOr Of the Democratic
principles at its heart, then is its malady,
violent and convulsivc as it may seem, but
a transient and trining one. The ncccs
sary course Of its progress must be Sc
ceS$iOn Of small portion of the large ma
jOrity, led, possibly, by single bold,
strong, INSCRIPTIONS leader, such as Ste
phcn a. Douglas; n persecution of that
small faction by the leaders Of the domi-
nant majority, for the hateful radicaliSm
Of their dangerous and destructive hum
bug, "Squattcr Sovereignty" accompa.
MED with consequent general social pam
ic of adherence of the said doctrine and
its partsans; the gradual progress OF the
opinions of the fraction, until they have
made such encroachmcntS upon the for
mer numerical majority as to throw the
power into the hands Of the common en-.
envy, who meanwhile has been standing
coolly by, tanning the flame Of dscord.
and cxulting in the arrival of the moment
to profit by it; the complete ascendcncy
Of the latter for time and, finally, the
complete, decisive, and glorious rcinStatc.
mcnt Of the Democratic majority in pow.
er, purified, Refrigerated, renewed, and
let us hope, pcnitent, from the punish
mcnt it has so well deserved and so St.
verely suffered, and wise with the expo
ricncc which has been the precious jewel
in the head Of its adversely.
The duty, then, Of the Democracy Of
California is plain and nnmistakablc. Let
them keep constantly in mind that the
principles u the Democracy, as promul.
gated by Jefferson and adhered to by
every other Democratic President, and
never departed from without danger-as
also the great issue before the people
1.-The Constitution and the Equality of the
States"-arc founded on Truth and JUS
tice, and will assuredly prevail in this
State, as they have done and will contin-
ue to do in other States. Let, then, the
Democracy be true to themselves, and to
their cause; and let them not forget that
Gin the language Of JefFcrson) "thcsc
principles form the bright constellation
which has gone before us, and guided our
steps through an age of revolution and
reformation. The wisdom Of our sages
Il IL Il . L. l.