The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-08-17
A voice from the Dspartta,

Cotton States which will soon embrace q
large majority Of the people in those
States, and bring them back Of their own
free will and accord, and thus restore,
strengthen and perpetuate the glorious
old ULion forever.
r War il disunion. War Is final, eternal
separation. Hence, disguise Il as you
may, every Union man In America must
advocate such amendments to the Consti.
tuition ms will preserve peace and restore
the Union; while every disuniOnist, whe-
thcr openly or secretly plotting its des.
tructiOn, is the advocate Of peaceful So.
ceSson, or Of war, as the surest means Of
rendering reunion and reconstruction i'm
possible. have too much respect for
his intellect to believe, for one moment,
that there is . man for war who is not q
disunionist per@. Hence, | do not mean,
ii can prevent it, that the enemies Of the
Union plotting to destroy it-Shall
drag this country into war under the pre-.
text If protecting the public property,
nnd enforcing the laws, and collecting the
revenue, when their object is disuniOn,
and war the means Of accomplishing u
cherished purpose.
The diSunionistS, therefore, are divided
into two classes; the one open, the other
secret dsunionists. The one is for peace.
iul secession and = recognition Of inde.
dependence the other IL In favor Of war,
as the Surcst means Of accomplishing the
object, and Of making the separation 6nal
and eternal. am . Union man, and
hence against war; but the Union must
DC temporarily broken by . revolution,
and the establishment OF q de JdetO gov
crnment by some OF the States, let no act
be done that will prevent restoration and
future preservation. Peace Is the only
policy that can lead to that result.
But we are told, and we hear it repeat.
c'l everywhere, that We must find out
whether We have got = Government
Have We got q Government" is the
question, aud wc are told that we must
test that question by using the military
Z power to put down all discontented spir'
its. Sir, this question, "have we q Gov
crumcnt:" has been propounded by every
tyrant who has tried TO keep his feet on
the ncckS Of the people since the world
began. When the barons demanded Mag.
ma Chnrta from King John at Runney-
mr'!c. he exclaimed, "have We Govern
m,nt:" and called for his army to put
down the diScOntcntrd barons. When
Charles |. attempted to collect the ships
money in violation Of the Constitution Of
England, aud in disregard Of the rights Of
the people, and was resisted by them, he
exclaimed, "have we Government! !
We cannot treat with rebels; put down
the traitors; we must show that We have
Government" When James II. was
driven from the throne Of England for
trampling on the liberties Of the people,
he called for his army and exclaimed, "let
H. show that we have Government! !!
When George III. called upon his army
To put down rebellion in America, Lord
North cried out Justify, "no coIDprOIniSs
with the trnitors let us demonstrate that
we have Government" When in l848,
the people rose upon their tyrants all over
Europe, and demanded guarantees for
their rights, every crowned head exclairn'
ed have we n Government" and appeal.
ed to the army to vindicate their author
ity and enforce the law.
Sir, the history Of the world does not
fail to con1emn the folly, weakness and
wickcdncss Of that Government which
drew It's sword on its own people when
they demanded guarantees for their rights.
This cry, that we must have . Govern.
ment, is merely following the example OF
the brSOtted Bourbon, who never learned
anything by misfortune, never forgave an
injury, never forgot On AfIfont Must we
demonstrate that We have got Govern
mcnt and coerce obedience without refer.
encc to the justice or injustice Of the com.
plaintsH Sir, when ten million people
proclaim to you, with one Unanimous
voice. that they apprehend their rights,
their flresidea, and their family affairs, are
in danger, Il becomes Q wise Government
TO listen to the appeal, and remove the
apprehension. History does not record
An example where any human Govern.
meNt hes been strong enough to crush
ten millions Of people into subsection
when they believed their rights and lib
critics we're imperilled, without first con.
verting the Government itself into des-
potism, and destroying the last vestige Of
freedom.
/ Peace Il the only policy that can save
the country. Let peace be proclaimed as
the policy, and you will find that thrill
Of joy will animate the heart Of every pa.
triOt in the land; confidence will be res.
tored; business will be revived Joy will
gladden. every heart; bonRres will blaze
upon the hill.tops and in the valleys, and
the church. bells will proclaim the glad Il.
dings in every city, town and village in
America, and the applause Of n grateful
people will greet you everywhere. Pro-
claim the policy Of war, and there will be
gloom and sadness and despair pictured
on the face Of every patriot IN the land.
A war Of kindred, family and friends; fa-
ther against son, mother against daughter,
brother sgainst brother, to subjugate one
half Of this country in obedience to the
other half; IL you do not mean this, II
you mean peace, let this be adopted, and
give the President the opportunity,
through the Secretary Of War, to speak
the word "peace :" and thirty millions Of
people will bless him with their shouts Of
joy.
The foregoing should be printed in let
ters of gold, and blaze in characters Of
living light from every banner Of freedom,
so that the honest but now deluded fol.
lowers Of the departed Statesman might
see the prophetic warning Of their great
leader, and hasten to join the only peace
party in the countryside only party that
can reconstruct and preserve the Union
the only party that has ever been able to
govern by peaceable means-the only
Democratic party that ever Was or ever
will be in this countryside party who
has built up and governed the country
from It's infancy to its present power and
greatness-the party that acquired oil our
territOry-the party that admitted al eur
new Statss--the only party that under
stands The principles Of free government,