The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-07-06

SerpcptS III his cradle u was the greate
Work Of manhood to Slay the hundred
headed dragon, and bear otI the colder
apples of the IIcSperidcs.
VINO shall fifty recount their noble
tolls, their wisdom, moderation and jus
ticc, when, after many weary months o
consultation, Of local sacrifice and pntri
otto warming. the Convention of 1851
pronounced the present Constitution O
the United States ready for the vote q
the people.
That Constitution was sublimated il
the crucihle Of mighty thought OF il
Washington wrote to La Fayettc, THE
Government hereby established can never
be in danger Of dcgcncrating into n mon
arrhy, an oligarchv, an ariStocracy, OF
any other oppressive or drSpotic form, sc
long aS there shall remain any virtue il
the body Of the people" OF it John
Quincy Adams finely said: at is st
nicely balanced, that, like the rocking
stone Of the DrudS. though the hand q
child may move it. the strength Of at
army cam huil it from its base"
That Constitution is your heritage and
mine. Poor. ignorant, obscure, alone, as
YOU and may he, it libcrntcS US from that
lnrily oppression. which, under many
names aud through many ages. has rested
rs a weary burden on tho hearts Of the
masses. -
1t lihcratcS alike from kingly inSanities,
from titled rxactinnS, and from pricStly
rowe's. 1t grants to no one the right u
msraui. hetray or rebel; but. intheplen.
itu'e Of its bencficcnce, it crcnmScibc.
individual Liberty only by the limits OF
Constitutional freedom.
According to thu legend Of the Talmud
the angel Sandalphon stands AT the gatt
of the Celestial City; and. gathering the
prayers Of humanity as they arise, they
turn to flowers in his hands, and Their
fragrance is waited through the city q
the EmmortalS.
The Constitution Of the United States
is the Sandalph on Of Nations. 1t has
gathered the tears of the martyr wherever
wrpt, the groans of the down troddeu
wherever uttered. the prayers Of the pa
trint wherever spoken, the blood Of lib.
erty wherever shed. 1t has gathered the
tears, groanS, hopes, prayers. aspiration.
Of humanity, for many ages; and on the
affairs Of American civilization they were
turning to flowers.
Five years after the adoption Of the
present Constitution, in the second tern,
Of Wushinston's administration, occurred
the second American rcbellinn-th whiS.
Ky in ,urrcction of PrnnSylvania-a rebel.
linn Of such .na-nitnlt as to i,npcril tn,
Government. and the history and bear.
ings Of which are of especial momen,
now, because the questions then evolved
for the first time under the Constitution
and now confronting Us, were w,ighrd
examined and settled, by III" boldySt
c!carc>t. mos; acute and phi'o>ophic minds
our country has ever given birth to.
Whatever can he SAID in favor Of re.
bcliipn under the Constitution is contain.
Ell in the prot st If Thomas j, fFcrSon
while the right a'l duty Of n Govern.
ment Of the minority to protect and per.
pctuatc its"lf is Ms clearly nn:! boldly de.
fined by Alexander Hamilton and the
other members Of the Cabinet.
This rebellion made rapid head. II
spread into the adjnining States Of Mary.
land and Virginia. Seven thousand men
stood in arms, supported by the active
sympathy Of the whole population NJ
Western Pennsylvania, not less than six
+ en- thousand lighting men. The hour
grew dark. 5,
The Cabinet mt. They were divided
Mr.. Jefferson said TINT he was startled al
tn" widespread d;sa!ftction. at the Sudden
strength Of the insurgents and their un.
d>rSton! relations with other States that
the militia Of Pennsylvania could not put
them down; that the Mi Tia of other
States mist be called for; ttiat the militia
# those other States would refuse to
move. or if they did move, compliance
would be worse than diSObedicnce that
the introduction Of the militia Of one
State into the ttrritory Of another, would
drive even Loyalty to REBELLION; and that
the attempt 10 restore tranquility by co.
ercivc means, would I've failure.
The remainder Of the Cabinet-Alex.
Hamilton. Secretary Of the Treasury.
Gen. Knox. Secretary Of War, and Ed
mund Randolph, Attorney General, were
Of opinion that an emergency, happily
provided for by Congress. had come; that
the President was compelled to perform
the duty imposed on him by the COnhti.
tuition" to take care that tho laws be
faithfully executed; :" that he was bound
by the issIeSt and most solemn obliSa-
tons to employ the whole force Of Gov.
eminent to put down criminal and un.
holy rebellion; that the occasion aud the
hour demanded Il full. fair trial Of the abil.
ity Of the people to enforce the laws oi
their own creation; and that policy and
humanity alike dictated that the blow
should be quick and heavy.
With this latter opinion, Washington
conceded. A requisition was made OH
Nrw Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and
Virginia for fifteen thousand troops. They
were ready. Commanded by the Cow
c:nors If these several States. these troops
passed through their own, and from oppn-
site directions, into the territory Of a
ncishborng State; no Gorgon Of State
Rights stood in their path no Mcdusa' :
head Of State Sovereignty turned them to
stone. They scaled the Allcghanic% and
fell like thunder cloud on W estcrn Penn.
sylvania.
But with this gathering storm had come
the sober. painful thought. The dcIusion
Of an hour had passed. The people ap.
pealed from Phillip drunk to Phillip sober.
The States were loyal, the Government
strong. Tho rebels departed to their
homes. Not a gun. was fired; bnt. for
many months thereafter, large detach.
mcnts of troops, from neishhoring States,
held possession of the dlsafIccted region.
To day. the great heart of Western
Pennsylvania is loyal to tho core. To.
day, the sons of the whisky rebels of
1894 are enrolled in the armies Of Consti.
tutional Freedom.
Thus to the Northern States Of the
Union belongs the unhappy fame Of the
first two American rrbrlions. Each with.
cred at the frown Of Washington. To.
day, as il in very mockrry Of the past,
the unholy banners Of the third American
rebellion, are unfurled within sight Of his