The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-08-24

around on which they had stood for years,
and coming over to the Democratic doc
trine Of non.intervention, is worthy Of all
praise. In passing the territorial bills for
Colombo, Dakota and Nevada, on the
principle Of non-intervention and popular
sovereignty, without the Wilmot prOviso,
shows that they have really abandoned
their whole aggressive policy in the Ter
TitOFies. | do not refer to this in any
spirit of unkindness or elimination. !
do not do not do it as a taunt Of inconSis-
tency. refer to it as an evidence Of pa
triOtiSm on their part orwhich al! Union
loving men will give them due credit. |
havc always told them that they could
never carry out their principles without
destroying their country. They did not
believe it then; but the moment they got
into power, they discovered that had
been right, and they had been wrong the
whole time they had been abusing and
denouncing me. ltrcquired men of more
than ordinary courage, more than otdi.
nary magnanimity, more than ordinary
devotion to country, to abandon their err
rOrs 80 promptly. and to come over and
join their old adversary so quickly, and
with such unanimity. receive you.
kindly. Laughter. welcome you upon
the nOn-interventiOn platform. forgive
you all the acts Of unkindncsS, all the IN
suits and SANDERS that have been poured
upon my devoted head, for this one act
OF selfsacrifce and devotion to the coun.
try, in abandoning the aggressive policy
and coming to the doctrine Of non-inter-
vention upon the subject Of slavery in
the Territories.
Having done this much, it seems to me
there ought to be very little difficulty in
our arriving at fair and just compromise
on this question. believe this Union
would be safe; that every State now in it
would remain, and the cotton States wonld
come back, if the Republican party would
now consent to ingralt upon the ConStitu-
ton the identical principal that they have
unanimously voted for in both Houses of
Congress in organizing the Territories Of
Colorado, Dakota, and Nevada, at the late
session. II you never intend again to adj
vocate the Wilmot proviso, if you do not
intend any more to arouse the passions Of
the people in favor Of Congressional pro-
hibition, all you have to do, in order to
restore peace, is to agree to deprive your
self Of the power to do that which you
now say you do not intend to do, and
which you have just refused to do. All
the Territories are now organized. Evc:y
foot Of territory We have got, except that
dedicated to the Indians west of Arkansas
which could not be disturbed, is now or.
ganized on the principle Of non intcrven-
zion.
A pretty large number on the other side
OF the Chamber stood with me politically
IN le4e, when this slavery agitation was
first fairly inaugurated; beginning with
the presiding officer. and every second man
on the other side Of the Chamber. They
we're all good Democrats in 1913, and ma.
ny at them in 1852; many others as late
as 1855; but they dropped off one by one,
and went over 70 the common enemy, un.
I'll they have left US in small minority on
this side Of the CHAMBER. And upon
what principle did they leave us-did they
abandon the Democratic party-and 90 to
the Republicans On the simple propo-
sition that we were for non.intervention
and you were for Congressional prohibi.
ton. Well, it has proved good hobby
to ride into Office upon. You have ridden
into power upon it. We do not complain.
lou have since abandoned the principle
and rcpudiated the means by which you
attained power. Wedo not object to that.
AL we ask is, inasmuch as you have kick
cd over the ladder by which you assembled
to your position, and have now planted
yourselves firmly upon the ground upon
which VIC have stood from the beginning
OF the controversy, that you will not at
the next election attempt to intlamc the
passions Of the northern people upon the
slavery question, by pretending to be in
favor Of Congressional prohibition, while
we Democrats are advocating non-inter-
vention. You may succeed once in OBJ
taining power on one set Of principles and
administering the Government upon an.
other; but it is dangerous experiment to
attempt to play that game too often. The
first time it may very properly be called
patriotism, at least BY courtesy but the
second may possibly be another name.
| must do justice to that side of the
Chamber in citing another act of self.de-
NAL and patriotism on their part Last
year, before the election, they hurried
through the House Of Representatives, by
a strict party vote. a bill to repeal the
slave code Of New Mexico and to prohibit
slavery therein. They manifested great
Zeal in trying to get it up and pass it
through this body but VIC would not let
them doit They were exceedingly grievcd
because they could not at once pass the
bill, and thereby rescue New Mexico from
the evils aOd miseries Of slavery; and many
Of them showed signs of deep distress that
action on that subject should be postponed
for aRother year. Well, sir, they went to
the people, carried the election, and came
back here. Very soon twelve Senators
went out; and two others declining to vote
on questions Of this nature, the Rcpubli-
cans obtained the power to pass the bill
repeating the slave code and prohibiting
slavery in New Mexico; but not word
was said about it. 1t slept on the table,
tho sleep Of death. Evidently they re.
Trained from pushing that question to a
vote, when they had the power to pass it,
from considerations of patriotism. They
did not deem it patriotic to increase the
excitement and drive the border slave
holding States from the Union by carry
ing out the principles to which they stood
pledged before the people. Here is another
instance where patriotism has triumphed
over partisan policy and party platforms.
! honor them for it. But since experience
has proved to you that you cannot admin
ter the Government and preserve the I'm
ion on your policy of Congressional inter-
ference, and since you have adopted the
doctrine Of non-intervention as to all the
Territories we now possess, why not Just
eInbody that principle in the Constitution,
denying the power of Congress over the
subject Of slavery everywhere in the f.
ture? Do this, and We shall have peace
and harmony in the country. At all
events, sir, am in favor of such amend
ments to the Constitution as will take that
question out of Congress, and restore
peace to the country. That may be done