The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-04

= II o78UDoMD us4eA aagulas1y
sss9A snst S$S ths MsgnEAm DEn-
osaAIb Dsaeersey. ahoskiag - this b
10 our tssliass and n~sflSing to our ysn-
ity, Ne can't ny wsresSstiG To sd6srs
. principle uSdsr an circumstances, is
s0mething II seems the Uaios caa neither
understand nor appreciate. An iHftsctiO0
Of the Constitution Il considers trivial
affair; We regard Il as . serious matter.
10 this We differ ratsslly. The UHion
says:
"rhs rebels .sre Democrats all, until they
became rebels"
Is this true or falsei The Union as.
sured its readers, time and again, during
the Presidential canvass, that John Bell,
Of Tennessee, wns = sound Union man, =
great statesman and pure patriot He
was the nominee Of the self.styled Union
party for the Presidency. He was not a
Democrat He was the Acknowledged
leader Of the Opposition in the South
against the Democratic party. COOrAd
and Rives and Underwood and hundreds
Of others We could name, never were Dem.
OcratS. They are leaders in the rebellion.
The Union has q queer way Of reasoning.
Because Breckinridge is "a General in
the rebel army, therefore, says the Union,
ell who supported him must be rebels.
Are those who supported Bell rebels Z
Are those who supported Herschel V.
johnson rebelsI Herschel V. johnson
was . "genuine Democrat in the estima
ton Of the" Union; he is now an avowed
rebel" but just as good . Democrat as
he was in 1850, when he was urged upon
the people Of California by such papers
as the" Sacramento Union. Suppose the
Unions candidate for the Presidency
had been elected, Herschel v. johnson,
the "rebel and traitor" would be Presi-
dent. The Union, on more than one &C.
casiOn, vOuched for the patriotism Of Al
exander II. Stephens. ale is now an
avowed rebel; but would it be just tOr
Us to call the Union q diSlOyal sheet be-
cause it but short time ago published
apprOvingIy speeches Of Stephenss
The Union cannot perceive how . man
can be opposed to the war and yet be
loyal. When Lincoln and COrwin, and
number Ofhis pets and apPOintees opposed
the war with Mexico, were they traitOrsH
According to the UniOns logic, they we're.
We were educated in, and entertained for
many years certain political ideas and
opinions inculcated by the Statesmen Of
the party to which we belong, Of which
Jefferson WAS the founder, and which
ideas and opinions We had, heretofore,
honestly believed conformed to and were
in harmony with the principles Of the
Federal Constitution and the genius Of
free institutions. But the theory now
seems to be, that neither States nor indi-
viduaIs have any rights which the Admin.
is bound to respect. 1t is true
Mr.. Lincoln did swear to support the
Constitution Of the United States, and for
The present, at least, We are compelled to
lcquiesce in his construction Of that in.
;trument. Should we differ from the |
President and undertake to prove that he
1as resorted to unconstitutional means to
gain his ends, it might subject us to the
,everest penalties of some law we have
never read or to the punishment prescri-
bed in some provision Of the Constitution,
The true intent and meaning of which
re have heretofore entirely misappre-
nended. Should we dare reflect upon
The imbecility Of an officer or expose the
Of army contractors, it might
result in the suppression Of our paper
This makes Us . secessiOnist" in the
yves Of the bntton. '''7 '.E ~ 'e5-Te
Our treason" consists in adhering to
Democratic principles and refusing to en-
aOrse Republicanism. AS the Union
seems not to understand the principles Of
I" our party" we shall enlighten it ''Our
party" says that the liberties Of the cit.
izen, or the reserved powers Of the States,
shall not be crushsd out by the Admins
tsaaiSAs M 1hsB hols3 t$Gs1axs1-eT Sg ass
much traitor who urges our Govern.
ment to doorstep it, Constitutional fOso-
ers, as he who resists the exercise of its
rightful authority. We shall contend that
the rights of the States and the General
Government are equally sGercd. And
our motto is The Union and the Con.
and the Laws. The Union upon
equal terms, the whole Constitution, and
al the laws" This is the platform of
our party" and it affords us pleasure to
assure the Union that It is already quite
and growing moro so daily in