The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-04-12
THE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT.
Fog the Democrat
Thoughts on Government.

At time Ike the present. Nhen the
political and social order Of the country is
disturbed material prosperity Of the
people paralyzed or destroyed, and the
whole structure Of American society
threatened with destruction it wOuld-be
well. for the people to pause and examine
the part the Administration is playing in
the terrible tragedy that is now being
enacted on the theatre of the American
continent A distinguished writer says,
Government, the State, the aggregate
citizenship, based on the great lunda-
mental truth Of equality, becomes sim.
pie, benefcent, and easily understood in
stitution. 1t leaves all men where God
and nature places them, in natural rela-
tons to each other. Its functions, how
ever complicated the details, are simply
protective, leaving individuals to ascend
or descend in the social scale, just AS their
industry, cultivation, and moral worth
may be appreciated by their fellow Cit.
GEMS 1t protects one man from the viO-
lencc or injustice Of another, and the ag-
gregate citizenship or nation from foreign
aggression"
II is misnomer to speak Of gagprn-
ment conierriUg rights; il may or the
thing called government in other lands
may) take away, suppress, or withhold
rights, but rights as declared by Mr.. JEFF
ferson arc inherent and in fact inscparable
from individual existence. God has en-
lowed every man with the capacity OF
sclfgovernment, and imposed this self.
government as a duty as well as a right.
AS citizen. he Of course does not, or
cannot surrender any of his natural rights
or control over himself. The State pro-
tectS him from wrong or injustice, but
himself a portion Of the citizenship, he
still governs himself 1t is an absurd
contradiction to suppose that one man
.<3.~T 80, = " -
govern himself Government, when lin.
tied or rather confined to its legitimate
functions of prott ction, leaves every one
complete and houuilc>S liberty 10 do
every thing or any thing that lis instincts,
wishes, cap'icc> even, may !h"mpt him
10 do, 50 lUEy a. he docs not infringe up
on the rights, interests, etc, vt others.
Suct, then, are the natural relations Wc
bear to each other, and the social AID
governments! Adaptations that spring
iIom them. The mere conventional for.
inula may be varied at timcs-thr circle
Of individual action contracted or expand
cd as the public cXi.rncic, may dcmand,
but the right and the duty Of every nan
TO an equal participation in the govern
1nent, or in lht creation Of lawS which
govern ali, are vital, and every man denied
Them is necessarily slave, Tor he is then
governed by the will Of others aad not
by his own, a. God ari nature have Or
daincd he should be.
Paine, one ui the ablc>t writer's nr gov.
ernmcnt, in his work entitled, Rights Of
NV .r.
Necessary evil" But il Paine could have
lived ill our day AMI cnu.l ; c the work.
,ofI;, cL.r;.i,J .,,,o,o &c .,or.rn
mc't in the hands of EaM Republican
Administrative, L,.yo,,l -, H., -, I,.l
u,o, III ,,x.,,,o.nt .x,.,, ..if,,y..ro.
man, a. ,..,.;,..,..y ~ c...r,
mon, ,y,,,,., d..,..,;.,, ...j ,.-,,o-
dim, r;,L..- - ,u'. u,., ~, 49,, II nu.,
either nv fare. ar G,ud -hv ~. mana.
ov-r IN. C.y ,r ,b,.. .,ro,, ,,,.v..,t
in all ,,.s oc in. voll t,x. ,r....r,.t
fine same a.n,rts. ,b,r.vcr mann In. ,
history that Li>,orv nrc,.nts rho sam.
cbaractrri>t;cs-thr sam. h,,1..t,inc.
n,c.s filled With ,hc wro,.s and orrr.s>.
ions. inflicted or the proul. by that re.
l.u,,.>s d.m,n yov.rnurnt
Much A. III. American Government in
il, nurr- DAYS has been Acknowledgement
nc !, has ody,uc.d u.,s, nation o,d h.,.
c,;,,cd ,r,,k;,d-u,c, &C ,,. wisdom nj
i,s fouod4rs bo. b..n vo,,r,,.d (,Imo.t
worsbiped) i, must nevertheless b. nd.
m;,,.d ,hot ,h.v w.re I'm, mortal and G,l.
I'LL. mon and eve, m. wi..,, among
,
about tho fnture of the Government which
they hod founded
J.f,rson one Of the crcot.>t and mn.
rest Of statesmen prcdic,cd the rise Of !
marty calling itself R,,pby;ror who would
a,temnt the destruction If tbc govern.
man, uh;.h Ia hod dor. CO ,n,cb TO as
toh,isb On ;ts ,rp. h,sis. and that croot