The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-05-04
The ARRreaaoF.

such as aspire to be considered statesmen,
instead Of striving to quench the confla.
grafton which threatens to consume the
temple OF our libel ties, arc engaged in the
vain task Of seeking TO fasten the Otlium
Of the commencement Of the struggle upon
the North or the South. No effort is made
to ferret out the primary cause Of our ma
lio1al difficulties. No rcsHme Of the his.
tory Of the country is laid before the peO-
pie, so clear In its outlines as to enable
them to see when and where tho present
controversy between the North aud South
had its true origin The whole wordy
war is confined to the one point, "who
fired the first gum" The Black Repub.
leans declare il was fired by South Caro-.
lima. and endeavOr to arouse the indisna.
lion Of those whose sense Of justice and
propricty may be shocked by the declare.
ton that the South has been anxiouslv
prcciPitating the present contest. They
aver that the South, and the South alone,
is responsible for all the lamentable con.
sequences likely to cnSuc from the dissen-
Sions now agitating tho country. What
are the facts, briefly and diSpaSsionatrly
viewed as to the firing the first gun, and
the absolute Inauguration Of the struggle y
The South, (whcther right or wrong we
will not stop here to inquire had as.
sumcd certain political position which
she deemed essential to her future exist.
encc and welfare. In the maintenance Of
this position she considered it important
that no achievements should DC furnished
to the United States forts within her bnr.
dcrs. At the same time she expressed an
earnest desire to avoid hostile collision
with her Northern brethren She npenlx
uttered determination to prevent the re-.
Inducements of the United States troopS
in her midSt, by force, if necessary.
Knowing these to DC the sentiments of
the South, the President Of the United
States, either from his own bad judgment
o. at the inStiSation of prcjuJiccd and il.
norant counselOrs, attempted to do that
which the South had solcmnly avcrrrd
would he regarded as the commencement
Of hOStilitics. Because the South kent
the promise, and use force to prevent the
conSummation Of an act which she had
declared to all the world she would prc.
vent, IL within her power, she is now held
up to Christendom as having fired the
first gun,-a being the aggrcssor in the
horrible war which now seems impending
over our unhappy land. Common sense
SPurns such an accusation, in its applica.
ton to the South, as the result of the
vilest SophiStry. Look at it . moment.
An individual has strong reason to sus.
poet the friendly intention of another.
tie warns the suspected person not to
approach him lie tells him of the dan.
ger Of such approach, duly cautions him
and expresses hope that he will profit
by his admOnitions, and not drive him TO
extremities. In defiance Of advice thus
frankly given, the suspected foe comes to
the homs Of the man apprchenSive Of an
attack, armed, and belligcrant in his as
pect When he seeks to set his foot upon
The threshold Of his alarmed adversary.
what else can he expect than to be re.
PEELED by force? Who would say that he
was not the aggressor: And upon a calm
observation Of the conduct Of South Car.
DINA and the Administration, who can
say that the Administration is not the
guilty party in the Inauguration Of civil
war at this time! But the question as to
who fired the first gun, is imrnatcrial to
the great issue now pending. Seneca
says: "Dydimus, the grammarian, wrote
four thousand hooks on questions Of vain
literature, which was the principal study
Of the ancient grammarians. In some of
these books was an inquiry into IIomcr's
native country; in others, who was the
true mother Of Eneas; in some, whether
AOacreOn was chOked to death By grape.
stone; in others, whether Sappho was q
common strumpet; and the like things
which were better unlcarned IL you knew
them" Equally vain and frivolous as the
tour thousand books Of Dydimus, are dis
sertatiOnS upon the proposition that the
first gun was fired by the Ad,ninistrat
or the South.
1t is well enough to examine the
record Of the past, to ascertain who com.
United the fret wrong for knowledge
OF this is Indispensable TO q just settle
ment Of the matters in dispute. What
does that examination disclose? What
candid man can investigate the chain of
causes which has terminated in the pres
ent rupture between the North and South,
without being irrcsistibly forced to the
conclusion that the primal cause produc-
tive Of its legitimate cooperating causes,
which has led to the fatal results VIC now
behold, was the Gnti,sLaeery sentiment Of
the NORTH AbOlitiOnisln is the origin Of
all Of our National woes. An unhOly dis.
regard Of the rights Of property Of their
Southern neighbOrs, on the part Of North.
ern fanatics, first awakened that sectional
jealousy which has ever since been on the
alert to seize upon any subject of discOrd,
which could widen tho breach between
the North and the South. Had Adolf.
tionism been smOthered in its CRADLE
had African slavery been regarded by the
men Of the North as lamentablc, but
.Ered fact, not to be disturbed 6ecduAe re.
cO0ni1cd by tie Consultation Of our com
a