The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-08-17
Intolerance, F.nsticism, F.rOois


denunciations Of any plan Of compromise
which may avert the evils Of the existing
hOrrid civil war. 1t makes war upon the
word compromise" II says I'VE utterly
detest and ahOminate the word, and each
and every letter that goes to make up the
hated name" This rabid hate Of a very
innocent word, and the letters Of which it
is composed, does not evince very sound
state of mind on the part Of the writer.
A man that can hate so terribly can hard
ly think, judge or act correctly upon any
subject. The word compromise" is q
very old word in the English language and
conveys heaven.bOrn idea. 1t has ever
been used to produce pacifcatiOn.
blessed arc tho peacemakers, for they
shall be called the children Of God"
ItadmOnishes the overbearing and stur-
dy rogue to "agree with thine adversary
quickly"-that is, distinctly, compromise
settle.
Civil law and the administration Of JUS
tice among men, are based upon this Di-
vine authority. The savage duel in the
trial of right which once existed in bar
barous and superstitious age, has long
since been abolished. Courts Of ConCilia-
ton and the trial by jury have been sub
stituted. What is the trial by jury, but
the result Of compromise? Here are
twelve men. They seldom all think alike,
yet the law requires that they shall agree
upon their verdict. This cannot be done
without some yielding or difference to the
opinion OF anothcr-Or compromise.
The entire history Of our country from
the birth Of the Confederacy until the in
nuguration Of the present Black Republi'
can era, is one continued illustration Oi
the benign influence Of the spirit Of Com
promise. by the peace Of 1888 the Colo
MES became free and Independent Sover
eighties They met, by their delegates,
and formed Federal Government, and
clothed it with special, not general powers
say Federal Government, because neither
the term nation, or national appears In
the Constitution. Both were unanimous
ly stricken from the proceedings Of the
Convention which adopted it. The royal
charters granted to the colonies, in many
instances, extended from q limited dis.
tance Oh the Atlantic, across the Cont
neut, often lapping upon and conflicting
with each other. | need not speak Of the
first wonderful compromise by which the
Colonies granted 10 the Federal Govern
ment all territory contained in their sew
eral charters beyond certain limits.
Similar compromises MS to territory and
boundaries were made among the individ'
ual States. Massachusetts, under its char
ter, made claim to oil Of the State Of New
York west of Seneca Lake. This claim
was compromised and settled by the tive
StatcS-Ncw York conccding to Massa
chusctts the right of SOIL or the right tC
purchase the same Of the Indians; and
Massachusetts, conceded to New York the
right Of jurisdiction over the same. New
York also settled difficulties rs to bounda
ries with Connecticut and New jersey
by compromised difficulty with New
Jersey was settled at late day. New
York claimed both the right of soil ant
the right Of jurisdiction to high wGte'
mark on the Jersey shore. After scvcrn
fruitless Commissions or Conventions O
delegates between the two States to settle
the difficulties, it was finally compromised
New York cedcd to New Jersey the righ
Of territory for the purpose Of fishing
building docks, piers, &c, to the middle
of the Hudson River, and New Jersey
ceded to New York the right Of jurisdic
ton over all the waters in the river ant
j harbor.
need not speak of the compromises or
the slavery question. II is sufficient L
say that without those provisions upOT
the subject found irfthc Constitution, tina
instrument would not have been adopted
BY the States, and that without the com
promise legislation by Congress in 1920
81, 1888 and 1850, the Great Confedera
cy would have been dissolved at either o
these important eraS, or the present STATE
of affairs would have been precipitatet
upon the country. The evil day has q
least been postponed by compromise, anC
our country has witnessed . career o
prosperity and progress in wealth anC
power, without a parallel on the globe
Nearly every other government In tn
civilized world, has, within tho last 81
years, experienced revolution OF sOsn'
change both in its ruling power and th'
limits of its territory. Great Britain
although regaining her royal dynasty, hal
been engaged in a continued change ant
advance in the liberal principles Of heI
Government. The Reform Bill-Catholi'
Emancipation the extension Of tho Elec
tive Franchise e. abolition OF her Corr
Laws and continued appropriation to fret
trade. has given to her people really I
new Constitution. The various changes
in the government and territory of France
during that period need not be mentioned
In the German Empire, the Confederation
Of the Rhine, and the present Germani'
Confederation, we have witnessed thu
same changes.
"If You wish for Sh0rtlivcd peace,
says the Mirror, followed after no grea
interval, by deadly and bitter war again
20 for compromise" The same logic, !
not the same language might have pro
duced the other alternative. 1 c, civil va
instead Of compromise in 1921, 1888, ant
1860. answer the Mirror, yes, ! woulC
prefer compromise now if the civil wal
would thereby be postponed even for I
short interval, because should hope tina
ouSu pOStpOhVubVut m'BuS tSouN ~ VApO
sing more of the guilty and less of thu
innocent in this deadly conflict Th'
great body Of the people Of the SOutt
are in frenzy Of excitement. They hav'
been deceived and misled by ambitiOul
and unprinciplcd men, and have rushed
to the battlefield in defence, as they be
lieve Of their liberties, their altOrs, anC
their tiresidcs.
A large portion of the rank-an file o
the Southern army, l have no doubt, arr
innocent Of any offence, in thought ant
intent at least, as the editor Of the Mir
rOr. Separate the innocent Fl ON the gull
ty, and | should then be willing to say
"no compromise with traitors" but lei
them suffer the punishment they meri
according to the usages of war. To pun
ish Alikc the righteous with the un, ight
eous-the innocent with the guilty, isab
horrent to all law, human and divine
But in war, where all laws are silent, ev
cry discharge Of a battery Of cannon or o
A platoon of muSketrV streWs the deaC