The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-21

Thurlow Weed w".he. his Hands.

APPALLED, before the bleeding appartion Ot
his country which riSrs before him, aud,
shri king back, cries;
"Shakc not thy CORY locks at the;
Thou canst not say did it,
The article, which we copy in full, re-
viewing the history of the past six months,
aud throwing the guilt of the present state
Of affairs upon the radicals and fanatics
Of the Republican party, is full Of interest.
AS personal defence Of Mr.. Weed, it is
powerful and almost conclusive. But, as
a vindicatinn Of the course of the DcmOc-
rary, it is triumphant. II We should go
back and copy from our own columns, We
might easily show that We were six
months ahead of Mr.. Weed, in warnings
Of danger, as he was six months ahead
of his party and that he mockcd aud
sc0ii1d at us, last August, in the very
phrases in which the Tibune and Past,
and their echoes, denounced him. But il
is unnecessary to speak OF this, for We
need no vindication; aud the Drmocra-
cy, then u cloud by day. which the Nation
refused to follow and passed by, stands
out now u pillar Of fire in the night that
surrounds the Republic.
The defeat of the party terminated it.,
power to do good 10y action. 1t could
speak, however, and it offered its aid to
any party that would come to the rescue
Of the country. All Mr.. Weeds patriotic
ovcrturcS were seconded 10y us. We CO.
pied and endorsed them We called a
/ Convention of men Of all parties To meet
in January, aud try last effort to avert
the horrors Of Civil War. The C0nven.
ton urged a submission of Crittcndcn'S 5
amendment, or any other similar mra-
sure, TO the people; so that an expression
might be had from the electors on the
subject. The Republican State LrgiSla-
ture and the Republican Congress refused
to touch any measure Of Cancellation re
fused to let the people he heard. "The
Tribune wanted the Gulf States to Seccdc,
and to quote again from Mr.. Weed:
Congress adjourned, having done and
said nothing to strengthen or encourage
the Union men of the Border States.
Then came the struggle within those
States. Virginia, long time poised,
finally took the plunge North Carolina
and Tennessee followed. These great
and powerful States were lost to the
nion, because the Republican press and
Republican representatives were bcgullcd
with thePopular ilca that they discharged
their first aud highest duty in standing
by and on the Chicago Platform"
Then came civil war, menacing the
Capital, as its first consequence. Thv
city Of Baltimore rcvoltrd, etc.
And, advcrtins TO the Crittcndcn Res
olution, passed by Congress at its late
session, (aitcr the defeat of Bull Run-ior
n few days before it was clamurcd down.
Mr.. Weed says
"rhat Resolution, or any other breath
ing the same spirit, rouhi hare Kept
MrCc powtrtui States IN the Union, and
rendered Secession comparatively pow
erlcSs. That resolution, adopted in sea
son, though it would not have avcrtcd the
war, HOUH hare secured an carly dau
glorious riumM FER tie L."i"m."
But it was not Congress alone that suf
lrrcd its independence To be crushed by
the Chicago platform, or used that miscr'
able structure ITO shut the gates of mercy
on mankind" MIR. Lincoln, in his lnaI.
gural, declared ita law To him, and placed
il before the Constitution, insisting upon
preceding his official oath bya declaration
of fidelity to it.
His weakness and narowneSS conSti
tutcd the strength Of the predominant
faction in Congress. They ordered him
to give battle against the advice of hi,
Generals and when he hcsitatcd, they
told him the Republican party and it,
sacred Chicago Platform would be other
wise in danger, and he sacrificed the army
and the honor and fortunes of the Nation
to this idol Of party.
The Republicans would not rise abov,
party to prevent war, nor will they tt
carry it on. The President, the Cabinet
Congress, the pcnSionrd press, plung,
deeper in parti>anship AS the country
sinks deeper in disaster. When Mr.
Weed was pleading for the country, til,
Democrats Of the State Legislature wcrt
foremost in sending him to represent tn,
State in the Peace Congress at Washing
ton and a Democratic Convention, thcr
in session, voc(crouSly applaudeL tn,
choice. When Gov. Spraguc, of Rhode
Island, took ground for conciiiation To thu
South, the Democratic party Of his State
TO man, voted for him, aud elected him
and Democrats have since followed him I,
the field in defense of the Union by arms
Democrats are not less strong in prrin
diccs and antipathieS than other parti
sans; but they were conscious Of tn,
l magnitude of this crisis, and knew tina
the safety of the Republic called for tn,
sacrifice Of all other considerations. Ant
: since the commencement Of the war, they
have differed from their political oppo
c ncntS in a more lively appreciation OF tn
dangers that bcSet us, and in the diSpOsi
ton to avert them, by polite forbcarancc
by concession, 10y appeals TO the patriot
, ism Of the South, rs well rs by an adc
quate force Of arms.
! Their voice is unhcedel. Their com
! mentS are met by threats and cpithctS
They are prescribed and denounced
with a bitterness that no examples q
: service or Of devotion to the countr
, serve, in the least, to mitigate. Even Mt
Z Weed has his mocks and filings for then,
And meanwhile the Administration i
marching straight on to the point wher
D it has to chose between Emancipation All
r Separation. The road to Emancipation
t blocked up by successful armies an
r masked batteries, and throngcd with I'll
t united white population Of eleven State:
: Before this array Of force and imped
c nents the leaders Of RepublicaniSm stan
I aghast and they are turning their hand
y towards the open path Of Separation.
We cannot follow them on either roat
S In the Sepoy war Of Emancipation We sc
G only present horrors and future ruin I
white and black. AS TO Separation, tn
Democracy can never he guilty of partic
u patton in dissolution Of the UniOn-the
are for any compromise that will prcserv
it; against any course of policy, whcthe
' of war or peace, that looks to its ultimai
, , dissolution.
WESTERN ORAroM. -"Gentlcmen.
have heard of some persons who hold {
r. the opinion that just at the precise m,