The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-12-27
Political CharIatnnrx.
we take the following able communicn

sins OF nation and their remedies. To
unVell such sins must be to reveal ma
tional degradation. and bring with il its
consequent humiliation, to prevent which
tnations have heaped sin on sin, concealed
guilt with guilt, until the poor, ovcrbur.
dened body polite, groaning, writhing ia
the most awful cgony under its accumu-
lated load Of evils, is finally rent asunder,
never again to resume its position among
the family of nations.
Such is the history Of the past. Is it
not the indication Of the PRESENT. To
say that such . fate awaits this boosted
Republic Of our, this worldwide rcputed
land of the free and home of the brave, "
=. -----.>,. -rrNsv,<, >,>s4ef ever emOy-
ed such blessings, has heretofore excited
only the ridicule of the weak and the
scorn Of the unthOughtfuI.
But to the mind that thinks-not super
hcially, but deeply thinks-that traces
with accuracy results back through every
intermediate stage to their final causes,
and from causes thoroughly understood
dlvlnes rcsuits--to such mind the indi.
cations OF the times present many dark
and iorbidding aspect, from which the
heart would turn away did not the mind
recall it to a subject for which it could
only feel a commingling of pride. pity,
hope and regret
The American Government is in danger
OF being overthrown. Institutions, The
like OF which the world never saw before,
'pleSenting the nearest example Of per-
tect representative government recorded
IN the annals Of ancient or modern hiSto-
ry, are being fearfully racked by the vio-
lencc Of internal discord. The indepen-
dence-and what is more, the freedom
Of thirty millions Of people, is endangcr.
ed. or all this, what is the cause!
This is the question a million tongues
are asking, and who has answered and
answered correctly? The truth should
never be disguised to hide the faults, TO-
lies or crimes Of friends, OF what is less,
Of partizans.
The answer is political charlatanry, po-
!itical favoriti>m, and corruption. The
| popular vote has been prostitutcd to po.
liucal intrigue, ard the public good has
/ been made suisse Went to personal emOlu-
/ mcnt; miSaprrrlcuded self interest, mis-
guided ambition, has taken the place Of
just regard for the public welfare and the
/ grniiiicatl0n Of an honorable ambition.
: SOvcrcignty has practically passed from
the hahd> of the many, aud become con-
centrated in the persons Of the few, and
/ this result has been attained through the
inattention and apathy Of the masses A
class Of men always stand ready to take
advantage Of the ignorance or inattenton
OF the multitude. Let the people awake.
Let them cultivate political intelligence
and foster political virtue-for the basis
o( all real liberty is intelligence and vir.
tue; when these are gone, al, is gone. -
The ignorant aud the drbaSed are til sub.
Jccts Tor king>-Gt objects Of 'l">noti:
rule; but the yirtuous Az! the :utel s.n,
are alone canal Of Sustaining the conli,
! aon =: iT.,men.
+, 1t is one thing to be subject, and quite
another thing to br citizen. The one
has freed IN # he chooss to be free, and
, the other has freedom il his rulers choose
to give it to him. The native bonn and
. naturalized American is both a citizen and
subject. As a citizen, he enjoys all the
rights accruing from the elective fan
chisc; as a subject, he obeys the laws
But pre-enincntly first stands his privi
lege to make laws; then, and not until
then, comes his duty to obey.
The present unhappy and unnecessary
condition Of our national affairs arose not
from any unequal distribution Of rights,
but from the imperfect aud improper use
Of those rights by their possessorS. AS
citizens, the people have remained igno-
rant Of many Of the important duties Of
citizenship; as subjects they have render.
cd . passive rather than an active ODE.
dieDce to the laws 1t is the active, and
never the passive power Of a people that
develops national character, sustains and
pcrpetuatcs national blessings, and builds
up national glory and power. This pas
sive character Of the people in political
matters has created a generation Of quackS.
In fact, this American political world has
been quackridden for years, and yet it has
never dared hold up it's head, and boldly
say to quackery. Begone! No; it has
rather hugged these quacks 10 its bosom,
carcsScd, encouraged and foStercd them
and now behold the fruits Of its labor
Yea, only portion Of the fruits; more is
to grow and ripen. The seed has been
sown, and the harvest must be reaped-
and such a harvest! Behold It in the
bleaching bones Of our brothers on the
battle fields, and in the wailings of our
sisters and mothers at the home tiresdc.
These are the legitimate fruits Of the seed
quackery has sown.
What is to be done? Can freemen ask
and not answer the question? ? Arouse
ye! Lay no longer supinely upon your
back, drinking in the fGtid, miasmatic
breath of corruption! Inhalc no longer
the noxious exhalations Of putrid and
poisonous demagogueism. Midas.cared
Mammon is its God, and shall we bow
down to him, much less to his abject
slaves? If so, then where is all our boast
ed virtue! Is it to be blown as chaff be-
fore the wind? Where our intelligence.
and its offspring, patriotism! lfa single
spark remain, let it be kindled into n
flame that shall brighten and endure to all
eternity.
1t is earnest men that now are needed,
and they will be found. They must and
will hold up to the public gaze and popu-
lar execration men who would unhesita-
tingly sacrifice the dearest and noblest
interests of their country, for the success
of some petty party intrigue or for per-
sonal aggrandisen
Quackery, when the people see its hy-
dra head, can palm off its nostrums no
longer. II loves darkness. 1t cannot
Withstand the light, and light is coming;
but oh at what a cost! Every ray has
been purchased at the expense of national
degradation and humiiation-yea, more
it has cost rivers Of blood. 1t is not only
we'll enough, but it is the duty of the peo-
pie to open their eyes to these startling
facts. But nothing is more difficult than
the eradication of these evils; nothing but
a decided protest of the people, and uni
1 lei ted d uprising ofthem to secure its enforce
ment, can produce such result.