The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-03-02
{ Rrtatea ~ ne kssnssfa Dsneerst. !
THE Crisis.

WTtatss r. sAs ks~nssfa D.~serss.l
THE CRISIS.
In looking at the present condition Of
our country, how fOrcibIy is the mind i'm.
pressed with the truth of the old Latin
prOverh, QUos Dew rult prTdtre prius
demrmtat. This ration must certainly be
doomed to destruction, for, in looking at
the actions and reading the speeches Of
the men who are at the head Of affairs, II
is very evident they have been deprived
Of understanding.
The terrible condition in which the
country is now placed is not the growth
Of . single night; II is no nero ebuIiiion
Of feeling, or sudden Outburst Of passion,
but lOng.cOntlnued, welI-arranged sys.
TEN Of attack and defense bctween the
two great sections OF the country. The
North (undcr the impulse Of miSdirected
and false pl'ilanthropy-a fanatical senti-
mcntslism-a perverted understanding
q terrible ignorance Of the nature Of the
real question at iSsuc.) have rcsortcd IA
every conceivable mode Of attack on their
Southern neishbors.
Tie South, from the continuous, unrc.
mittcd assaults made upon their people,
their property and institutions, were com.
PEELED, from the insidious, a. well as bold
and daring nature Of the assaults, to be in
a continual state Of training, preparation
and defence, until they have become uni
ted, disciplined, confident In their strength
and now, when the North are about "a
assume the powers Of the Federal govern
ment, and WELD them for the destruction
Of their Southern brethren, they at once
throw of the gloves, and draw the sword
determined to defend their rights, or di'
in the attempt-they are now ready fol
the ultima ratio rSOWR.
Plain, patent and unmistAkabIe to the
mind Of the statesman - the condition o.
the country was at the @ssting Of Con
gress, yet what have We witnessed! No
thing but the most blind, determined OBJ
stinacy, the most lamentable ignorance o.
their duty-lhe condition Of the country
and the nature Of the real issue, have
been displayed by those whom the people
and the country had entrusted with th'
settlement Of the difficulty.
For weeks and moNths we aec tile ab
Stract question Of the constitutional righ
Of State to secede debated, ~hile th'
liSintcgrAtiOn Of the Government was ra
pidly going on, and secession was becom
ing permanent and fixed fact.
An equal length Of time is spent in th'
examination Of the constitutional right o
coercion. Finally, the rOuld.bs wiSe met
have come to the conclusion that they can
not declare war aSainst State; but, say
these wise ones, VIC can punish individual
for treason-but it never entered into thei
Obtuse intellect that they cannot maxi
war on an individual. How, then, arI
they going to punish individuals, wher
whole States, communities and people g
out iO . bOdyf But, before this all-ab
sorbing question csn be satisfactorily de
termined, the whole system Of gOvernmen
has fallen to pieces, and already the SOutl
is at work In tho erection Of . new ant
more stable (but not perpetual nor i'm
mOrtaD government, for the security o
their rights of person aud property. Th'
South can form Q confederation, and .
once, adopt the present Constitution. will
such amendments as tune and the cOndi
ton Of the new confederation may fnC
necessary.
But the North will have 10 construct aI
entirely new Constitution, based upon aO'
suited to the views Of the AbOlitiOn.Re
publican majority. The government o
Hayti, or that for tho Island Of Jamaica
might form proper model from which
government, suited to their peculiar views
might be constructed.
In referring 70 the North, ! do not wisl
to Be understood 90 including the Who'll
people Of that section Of the country. !
is the Stewards, GresIsys, Summers. WIl
sons, HaIss, Wadss. Giddings. LasosAi
Beechers. sG hoo eSaws o~HS. and thsi
dupes and supporters, that ere meant 3!
the use Of the term NeEGA ] knew ther
are hundreds Of thousands Of good mel
and true, at the North, "who have no
bowed the knee to Baal," nor wOruhipe'
at the shrine Of the E0oAy EOL
Assuming. as . hxed fact, that th
Government Of the United States is to b
destroyed, It might Be well to sxamin
the causes which ere ct work TO prOduC
90 terrible, 90 DISASTROUS . result.
It is well known to every reader Ofhi
torv that African slnves werc brouRht