The Shasta courier., 1861-07-27
The Duties of Democrats.


have pursued a uniform course of urging
on Democrats the duty, atall times and under
all circumstances, of giving cordial and
generous support to their nominees-State
and County-in the coming election. We
have also assumed the strongest Union
grounds, and advocated the maintenance of
the Government of the United States against
all the dangers and menaces with which it
has been threatened, by domestic foes and
demogogues, whose only aim and Objects to
destroy the best Government on earth.
Our position is clear and we'll taken, and
it is simply not to sanction illegal acts, no
matter from what source they may emanate.
The Democracy love their country and its IN
stitutions, 'plebian though ingenious the.stock
from which her graces and her honors
spring. and therefore have we contended
that our support of the Government, and the
maintainance of its laws is no evidence OF our
homage to the plans or councils of President
Lincoln. The merest tyro is aware that the
| policy of the Administration is one thing,
and the Government is another In this
xpuntry the people have power, and have al
acted under the general principle that
~a4ae car deIeS- i--:sa-@Z& 2 ..e~s'--s -
| servants, for the public benefit. Nothing
came from Europe" says Bancroft, !" but a
free people" These people were self confd-
ing, nd had all the elements of civilization
in their nature, and, in the language of the
same historian, they had, !" like Moses es-
capped from Egyptian bondage to the wilder
ness, that God might there give them the pat
tern of the Tabernacle. Like the favored
Evangelist, the exiles in their western Pat
mos listened to the angel that dictated the
new gospel of freedom. Overwhelmed in
Europe, popular liberty, like the fablcd foun-
tain of the sacred Arethusa, gushed forth
profusely in remoter fields" American cit
liens will never occupy any position that
may trample under foot or jeopardize these
rights, that are esteemed to be, and are in
reality, part and parcel of their inheri-
tance.
The people constitute the Government Of
the United States, and this privilege they
never can or will surrender. Our national
troubles, therefore, cannot be compared to
the feuds existing between the Guelphs and
Ghibalines, the Yorks and Lancasters, of
Charles and the Parliament, represented by
g for Gods sake, Barebones-Cromwell'n nor
the times of William and Mary, at later
date, but rather disappointed political as,
tendency and individual grati6c' ton.
Our Interpretation of the present struggle
is that people defending constitutional free
dom from an unjust and ungenerous assault,
against party who, though they failed to
engraft policy on our country foreign to our
institutions, and at variance with the spirit of
the age and the we'll established practice of
our governmental system, have assumed the
present attitude of rebellion and treason
against our existence as a nation.
! That the rebellion should have met the
united opposition of the free States, and the
whole conservative element of the South. is
not to be wondered at. The dust that has
been thrown in the eyes of the people of the
South for years, under that specious plea of
State Rights, is at last discovered to be a
sophism of the most dangerous character, in
volving in it certain underlined and indiscrim-
mate duties that are subversive of all obliga-
tions and principles of free government This
| doctrine, we are aware, will not suit the Ma
rysville Express and Sierra Citizen, but for
tunately we do not write to suit the apollo
gists of treason and the advocates Of the dis
ruption of this Government.
| The duty, then, of Democrats, is plain and
distinct; not less SO than the hand writing
on the wall in Belshazzar's palace, and we
have no doubt will be faithfully and punctu-
ally carried out.
We have never made fight without John
CONFESS taking leading and important part
in it, and the Democratic party of California
owe him debt of gratitude that can only be
repaid by his elevation to gubernatorial hon
ors Every Union loving man in the State
remembers that last winter he fought the her.
esy of secession to the bitter end, and trium
phantly "cleaned out" that miserable faction
in the Legislature headed by Zach. Mont
gomery, and Sorrel, of Siskiyou-men whose
abilities have always been overrated, but
whose powers for mischief are undeniable-
The promptness, ability, and apt illustration
of argument so forcibly and powerfully
used and at the command of Conness, ha:
placed him in the front rank of the the Unior
sentiment of California, and makes him in
vincible before the people in the next elec
tion.
Such men, then, as are placed on our tick
ct, our party-the Democracy of the State
can afford to promote, aye, and we will dc
it with will and way that will cause thai
Black Republican, Leland Stanford, and his
secessionist friend, Misunderstanding
candidates-to tremble in their boots, fol
their fate will be the same that has ever at
tended this class of political nondescripts-
oblivion.
MassIEp.-We learn from a correspond
ent who signs himself "Namreh, that Mr.