The Placer herald., 1861-12-21
The Lessons of the Hour,

swept from power in this country as the
Simeon sweeps away the sands of the desert
and blasts IN It's course every vestige of ami
NAL life. In vain that party pleaded for the
union OF the States and the integrity of the
Government In vain through its press and
by its orators-through every channel in fact
by which it could reach the public ear or
attract the public attention, did it admonisi
the people that the success of a sectional
organization would produce civil war and
dismemberment of the States. They would
not heed or hear. All branches of the pub.
lie service were filled with the opposition,
and for the third time since the organization
of the government, the Democracy hung its
harp on the willows d retired to mourn
for the sad fate of their country.
Their prophecies have been fulfilled their
predictions, in all their terrible reality, have
come to pass. War-murderous and desc
Iatng war now reigns in place of peace and
contentment We are rapidly becoming
nation of military accomp mplishments, and when
the end shall be no one can tell.
But "a change has come Ger the spirit o!
our dreams" Starting out long before the
campaign commenced with the idea that the
Democratic party was now dead, the poili'
cal element Of the country essayed to crush
out every vestige OF its vitality. Its presses
were mobbed or placed under the ban of an
exacting public opinion that would tolerate
nothing but an actual obedience to the be
hests OF the party in power. lis orators and
public men were subjected to indgnties
such as the Gar of all the Russians would
hardly dare to load upon one Of his subjects.
The final dissolution Of the Democratic party
WAS announced with SO much earnestness and
zeal, that everywhere the timid faltered and
fell back-the doubling hesitatel and looked
about to be sure which would be the end to
the strongest side; and that large of politi-
clans, who have no principles but the loaves
and fishes-wLo have in turn belonged to
all parties and adhered to none, went clear
over and joined the opposition under the
specious cry Of Union" But what has
been The result? Undlsmayed by the dsas
ters that have beftllen its country, or the
defeats that year ago overlook its party,
the everything, active, breathing sentiment
Of democracy, inherent to the hearts of the
people. has been at work and performed its
mission through the ballot box. Pennsyl.
vania has been relecm.d from the rule OF
the venal, redeemed from the rule Of sec
tionalism. and has returned TO her old and
ancient faith,
1t has often seemed strange to US that any
body can for 4 moment dstrust the recnpe
rative power Of the democlaric party. Yet
such there are. "lhe Democratic party is
dead" is a story that has been said aud
sung for several years; and yet how, from
the dust of sackro,h and humiliation. it al
4 6.
dation subdues it, Clad in the panopy of
right, embued with the principles of Uuon
and good government, once overthrow and
stripped of the robes of power, it always arises
with renewed vigor and energy to resume its
position as the conservator of good gov.
ernment and the protector of the national
integrity. Such has been its history, and
such it ever will be. The spirit of demo
cracy cannot be subdued or annihilated.
1t will live while free government shall live,
live in the hearts of men, live in the attr
butes of God, live forever.
This election then has written out the first
great lesson, often written but as often for
gotten that the Democratic party is not
dead. 1t is q thing of life as active and
elastic as when it was first breathed into an
organized existence by Thomas Jetferson.-
1t is rising up and reaching out for the con
troll of this Government, and it will as surely
grasp the object for which it reaches, as the
object itself shall exist to be grasped. The
acme of folly and madness has been gained,
and wearied with exhaustng war and sec
tional strife, the government will again fall
back into the hands of those who so long
and so successfully controlled it, to be again
united in a solid and enduring hold, or we
shall have none to unite. And this will
teach the people by an experience SO sad and
SO bitter, that they will never again forget,
never hereafter distrust the Democracy of
this country. Faults it may have, correc
ton it may sometimes need, but all these
must be made and cured within its own
organization. To 90 outside of that cures
them no better, and only imperils the coun
try. And it will teach another thing. To
those who are Democrats in sunshine and
desert US in storm, those who, when the tenn
pest lowers desert the ship and pray Justify
that it may go to the bottom, those who be-
tray their party, its principles and the friends
Of their whole life, to take refuge in the
bosom of their enemies and the enemies of
their party-it will teach them that there
is but one safe road to political distinction,
and that is the old and well trod pathway
that the democratic legions have travelled
since seventy years ago.
But there is another and practical lesson
taught by this election. 1t is that the peo.
pie Of this country have no confidence in the
ability of the present administration to settle
the difficulties that the country now finds
itself involved in We are not to say that
Mr.. Lincoln and his cabinet have not done
what they could to defend the government
no,oinct tbn robolltno Drekobl, tbay b,yo