The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-11-08

they have Regulated. We have advoca
ted the principles proclaimed by the WiSest
and pureSt statesmen of our country, and
insisted that 1t was dangerous to depart
from the teachings " the founders of our
once happy Republic. We have warned
the people Of the danger Of appro, Ing the
course Of weak, incompetent, unscrupu-
lous and fanatical leaders, and have quo.
ted from their letters lectures and speech
cs to prove that they are traitors to the
Government and have worked, persist
emily and zcalousy, to dissolve the Union.
This is our crime, a grave one in the eyes
of the Administration, and for this We
nave been prescribed and prosecuted by
the agent Of the Administration.
We are officially informed that "Gcn.
Wright, commanding the Department of
the Pacific, has issued an order prohib,
ing the transmission through the Mails
and Express Companies Of the MOUNTAIN
DEMOCRAT" This order is not aimed at
US alone, it does not only affect MS; it is
aimed at and affects every Democrat who
agrees with US in Sentiment-cVery man
who loves civil liberty, deprecateS need
less military rule, and venerates the Con
Stitution. They are singled out for per-
secution and vengeance. Thepowv that
can deprive US Of our rights with impuni
ty, can deprive all who agree with US OF
their rights. Cautiously, steadily and
surely will those in power rob the people
Of their liberties, unless they are speedily
arrested in their arbitrary course and
made to feel that they are the servants
and not the masters Of the people. Free
dom Of speech and of the press, once the
boast of an American citizen, is but
mockcry-a thing of the past. If the
people submit to it-for it is their bust
ness as much as ours--journaiiSm in this
country, under such martial law, must
run down to what it is in Constantinople
or Nienna--that is, into mere criticisms
upon the opera, or the fine arts. or putf>
I Of Court movements. None but sycO-
| plants and mendicantS will engage i'll
profession at once 50 servile and debasing.
We want to know whence Gen. Wright
derives the power to exclude the Demo
GRAFT from the United States Mails, the
common property Of the people, establish
ed for the benefit of all and not for par
ticuInr party? Where did he get his au.
thority Not from the Constitution, for
that sacred INSTRUMENTS sacred until VIC
lated and derided by the party III power
expressly forbids his exercising such
power. Congress could not delegate such
power to him, for Congress can pass no
law in dcroga,ion to the Constitution. -
The President had no right to authorize
him to do so, for the mails are as free to
the humbest citizen as to the highest of.
ticer Of our nation, and the President has
no authority to deprive any citizen Of mail
facilities. But what deserves especial
apprehension iS-iI We may be allowed to
criticise with halter about our ncckS-
the indulgence given to such men as Phil
lips, Garrison, Wade, Greeley and others,
to roam the country, teaching the sub.
version Of the Constitution and laws,
while other men, of opposite politics. for
merely differing from the Administration,
are prosecuted and inearcerated in Bas-
tiles. The Partially, the irregularity, ;he
injustice, the tyranny Of this mode of
treatment are so signal that We marvel
that t'ie PeOPse patiently submit TO it,
Upon all such partialitics and injustices
History is making up its record, and His
tory will hold President Lincoln and the
Republican party responsible for these
repeated injusticeS and tyrannies. Dem
ocrats are prescribed without cause and
deprived Of their rights without authority
We have been and are, to our hearts
core loyal to the Government, but opposed
to the Administration thing of to-day,
which will soon pass out of existence, and
be remembered only for its bgotry, imbe-
ciIity, mendaci;y, extravaganza, corrup-
ton and assumption of arbitrary power
pass out of existence amid the jeers and
excavations Of deceived and BETRAYED
and outraged people. But the Govern
ment will survive, but not in its organic
vigor and strength, through the criminal
! fanaticism and reckless legislation of the
once powerful but now weak anu despiscd
Abolitionized Republican party.
In 1885 NJ. Calhoun, Chairman Of the
Select Committee, reported bill to the
United States Senate, prohibiting the
circulation Of incendiary publications
through the United States Mails
Messrs. Webster, Clay, Benton and other
Statesmen opposed it. Mr.. Webster con-
tended, -recollect, reader, We quote his
own language" that the bill conflicted
with that provision in the constitution
which prohibited Congress from passing
any law to abridge the freedom of speech
or Of the press. What was the liberty of
the pressH 1t was the liberty Of printing
as we'll as the liberty Ofpublishing. in all
the ordinary modes Of publication aud
was not the circulation Of papers through