The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-07-06
OR RATION,
rsLivERED nv JAMES II REYNOLDS. ESQ, AT THE
PLAcERvILLE THEATER. July g. IssI.

paLIN EHID ~ JANIS u XIII NOll'N, ENQs AT IHf
PLAcERvILLE THEATER July :. 1871.
We stand, to-day. in the shadow Of
great events. There is sorrow in many
manly heart-a trouble in many a
friendly eye. There is di>quict in the
very air There j. an underlined fear that
T the sold Earth beneath our feet is sick,
and the old sun is about to staggcr from
his daily Inc.
Standing, rs we do to-day. almost in
the shadow Of the great American Revo,
lution-while old men are vet living in
the villages If our land who heard Adam.
debate and saw Washington at the head
OF the army: while, hut day since. the
workmen on our National Capitol were
startled by the drum-bcat of rebellion on
the overlooking hills: while to-day the
soldiers OF Freedom ARE wheeling by rcgi-
, mentS into line, renewing their allegiance
to the flag of thirteen stripes; and, to-
dav, for the first time, of thirty flour stars
1t may we'll become Us, III the quiet ca
pacity Of loyal citizens, to meet the Sol
cmn question which now goes round. els
History about to re enact hcr old events"
! 20 purpose, briefly, to touch upon few
points OF our history, kindred with this
hour.
! 1t is an old tale, I know; but. If the
book is about to be closed, it NAV be well
to turn, once more, its brief, but sacred,
pages.
The var Of the Revolution was ended.
p The confederate States took their stand
amid the acknowledged powers Of the
World. \ new seal WAS recognized in
dipl macy, 4 new flag was unfurIel amid
! tho Nations. The last hostile sail had
! vanished from our coast the last Grip
Piled soldier Of the Il vOluti>n hal limpi
, to his home; and Washington, followed
by the bcncdictions Of eight millions Of
frpcmen, had gone to Mount Vernon to
rest and 70 die. Nav we dare follow him
! to that sacred retirement, and, from the
banks Of the Potomac, look ont upon our
country as ut that hour it looked To him?
There were thirteen confederate States
! No longer held together by the pressing
emergency Of n crashing war. they were,
! for most purpos :, separate, independent
and distinct. Each State, governed bv
! its own executive council, provided only
/ local legislation, for it's own protection
and growth. They were separated from
each other-SomctineS by a mountain
barrier: sometimes BY river, mostly bv
an imaginary line. Here, in this State,
existed certain LAWN that, a law di-
verse and conflicting. This community
must protect its fishermen that, its arti-
z1n; and that, again, its ag-icultura.ist
7 diverse interests mate diverse tawS-thC
s,iGrp CO nM.;iti1hs Of trade bred jealousy
and discard. Across narrow river,
whose breadth the schooi-bov could com
/ pass with sling and stone, shot the fiery
g'anceS Of growing hn'red. ForayS and
/ re ,,riSals grew more frequent and mroe
/ deadly. Good men trcmblcj.
As general governing power over
! these dScordant and conflicting States
sat Continental Congress. This Con-
gresS. acting by the votes Of not less than
nine States Of the thirteen. had power to
declare war and establish peace, and to
make acquisitions on the different St,tcS
for mer and monry-which acquisitions
the dtFtrrn: States might obey or not, rs
they chose. Congress had No power TO
relieve the pressing Indebtedness. incur
red by the Revolution. 1t had no power
| to regrlatc its own commerce. foreign or
domestic. The very men who composed
it recognized no allegiance, except to the
State that Delighted aud paid them.
Thus Stood this shadow Of Govern.
ment. Massachusetts, whose soil had
been consrcratcd by the first blood OF the
Revolution,
When the cmhattlcd farmers stood.
And fred the shot heard round the world.
was the first State to rebel against the
power and authority Of the Continental
Congress.
Fresh from the freedom Of camp life,
with occupation precarinuS, with labor
lily pal |. with private fortunes wasted,
and oppressed with public and private
debt, spirit of discomfort spread among
the citizens Of Massachusetts, which rap
idly reached rebellion.
Bands Of armed and excited men mar
audcl through the villages and made head
in cities. The arsenal Of the State was
threatened with attack. An agent, Slcci-
ally delegated by the Confederate Govern
ment to examine into these troubles re-
ported that majority Of the pcoplc OF
Massachusetts, stood in open opposition To
the Government; that the people Of Yer
mont were scarcely less seditious; and
that both were in league with Canada
That the force Of the di>allrctcd was not
less than $4,000 men; and that their
avow"d objects were, hnbvcrSi"n II the
Confederate Government, division VI
property, and "a reunion with Great Brit
ain.
The streets Of Boston echoed the ngra.
ran warcrv Of ancient Rome. Bought,
they cried, win common blood, property
is common They demanded division
Of all wealth, and the utter annhiiation Of
every debt. pnblic and private.
The Continental Congress was power
less to save; and it really seemed as If
the glnric> OF the Revolution were to be
thrown madly away, and Phnton to drive
again the chariot Of the sun.
But they who had conquered the first
power on earth, with the blood of the Rev
olution yet fresh upon their garments,
were, happily, strong enough to conquer
themselves.
The State appealed to her citizens
Loyal M III nncked to the standard Of
their country. In the depth Of winter
they gathered in day from the corners
of the State. The mu>kets thpt had first
flashed in the rising sun Of Freedom at
Lexington. been slept on thr"' the weary
nights at MorriStown, and finally illumi.
mated by the splendorS Of Saratoga, did
their work Many Of the leaders of the
rebellion were shot; Others fed to Cana
da. BY vote of the people they were
DISTINGUISHED forever.
Thus eliminated and cvaporated the
first American Rebellion, arising under
the Confederation, three years hefnre the
adoption Of the present Constitution.
Thus in tho cold climate Of The North, on
the barren coast of New England, first
SpranS those twin .Jungi of political death
Rebellion and Reputation ; and which
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