The Placer herald., 1862-03-01
THE PLACER HERALD
AUBURN, MARCH /, 1852.
Shadows of the Future.

The hopes and fortunes OF individuals and
empires are the subject of equal considera-
tion--no greater for the latter than the for
mer. We speculate upon the future, and
in the pride of our wisdom fancy we see the
end-time passes, and Fate laughs at our
conclusions as the babble of AN IDIOT JOSEF
phine was divorced, that the French people
might have prince and ruler spring from
the loins of her great Emperor the web
has been woven, and 10! from the woof the
French have ruler descended from the dis.
carded woman. The deepest human wisdom
becomes folly in speculating upon the desti-
ny of nations-we only know what is to-day,
tomorrow is its own master.
Whilst these are truths, it is equally silly
to fold ones hands in despair; the same fl
mite wisdom has allotted to each his part to
be acted in the drama. We may not shut
our eyes to the facts surrounding us, for
upon these facts are the events of to morrow
built. Politically, we have made the facts of
to day, and are therefore responsible for the
conclusions of tomorrow. In the calendar
of nation, day may be several genera
tions-we have had our day of uninerrupt
ed union. and it has lasted some seventy
years. 1t has been bright, prosperous glo
rious day, yet cut of its long bright hours of
sunshine, has sprnng the hideous dissension
and the terrible civil war-what else is in
store for us, who can tell? We are entering
upon new era? Already the chant of the
witches are heard-already we see them
dance around the caudron, and as they cir
Gle around, pointing within at its contents,
shouting
double double, toll and trouble;
Fire burn. and caudron bubble"
From cut this SETTLING pot none can tell
what is to come, but all admit that never
again can we be as we have been. No omore
for us are the equal States, and the mutual
conference.-the perfect Union that has made
US prosperous, strong and influential. We
have undertaken to establish the sway Of
government by force, over one-third of the
people. 1t is proposed to base government
upon the theory of force, instead as former
y upon the consent If the governed.'
If we succeed in crushing rebellion, we
must enforce our laws ty force, and hence
the necessity of vast army. If we TAIL
then, it is said, there is a greater necessity
for large army TO watch our dangerous
neighbor Hence, a new and important ee
nent in our government is to come out of
the present-a fourth branch Of government
-the army. This is power the American
people have heretofore shown great jealousy
of-tbe civil and political branches of gov
ernment holding it closely in check. 1t was
said that large armies eat out the substance
Of the people, and were dangerous to the
liberties of t! e people, TO crush rebellion,
however, we forego these safe rules The
danger involves all the States of the Union
If the President by virtue of bayone,s may
transplant San Francisco lawyer to the
city of Saint Louis, and through bin, die
tate the terms upon which the citizens of
the State of Missouri sha! vote, may he not
as easily curtail the privileges of the citizen
of New York or Pennsylvania? If he may
imprison the members Of the Maryland legis
lature, may he not those of Ohio or Illinois?
You may appeal to the authority of your
State, but the President has decided that the
State is but subordinate branch, a political
off shoot of the central power, and your pro-
test is pronounced reasonable If any con
siderable number of the people should dsa
gree with the President, in this view, how
easy to establish test for the voter, that
would secure the administration success at
the polls. When this has been done, you
have established military dictatorship, the
civil authority has become subservient to the
military-the power of the citizen a nulitv.
1t is already query with quite number Of
the dominant party, whether "a dictator
the sword, and the close cabinet" are not
preferable to the "babbling Congress"
thot Is
heretofore taken by Republics to despotsm
it may be ours.
Never before in the history of the nation
has it been prohibited to speak or print
whatever the citizen chose in praise or blame
of the administration. Never before in the
history of this nation has the exercise of the
right Of the witt of habeas corpus been sus
pended by the President or his agents.
Never before in the history Of the nation,
has an agent of the Federal power assumed
to prescribe the rules by which the citizen of
State shall exercise the elective franchise
yet, we have passed through wars, and i'm
minent dangers, such as shook society to its
base. Are we not paving the way, to this
subversion of present constitutional rights?
absorbing in the Federal head all the powers
of the State and citizen? gradually moulding
government into dictatorship! Are these
not some of the ingredients now in the caul'
dron?
1t is possible none of these things may
come out Of the present by design, but be
produced step after STEP as matter of seem
ing necessity. 1t is possible and even prob
able that the President may not turn up the
dictator, but in the future, he himself become
servient to the man who has the subimmediate
command of six hundred thousand successful
soldiers, These are but fitting shadows