The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-06-21

| ly invite the cooperation of ell men Of
every party who are opposed to the fell
spirit of Abolitionism, and who, in sinceri-
ty, desire the Constitution as it is and the
Union as it was. Let the dead past bury
its dead. Rally, lovers of the Union, the
Constitution, and of Liberty, to the stan
dard of the Democratic party, already in
the field and confident Of victory. The
party is the natural and persistent enemy
of Abolition. Upon this question its re-
cord as national organization, however
it may have been at times with pal ticular
men, or in particular States, is clear and
unquestionable. From the beginning of
the anti-slavery agitation to the period Of
the last Democratic National Convention,
It has held but one language in regard TO
it. Let the record speak:
ResOLred, That Congress has no pow
or under tSc Constitution to interfere with
or control the domestic institutions Of the
| several States, and that such States are
the sole and proper judges Of everything
appertainiDg TO their own Gda.n; not pro-
hiOited by the Constitution that all ef-
forts of the Aboltionists or others, made
to induce Congress to interfere with ques-
tions of slavery, or to take incipient steps
in relation thereto, are calculated TO lead
to the most alarming and dangerous con-
sequences, and that all such efforts have
an inevitable tendency to diminish the
! happiness of the people and endanger the
stability and permanancy of the Union,
and ought not to be countenanced by any
friend of our political institutions"
Upon these principles alone, so far as
relates to slavery, can the Union as it was
be restored and no other Union, except
the UNITY OF DEsPoTISM, can be maintain
ed in this country; and this last we will
resist, as our fathers did, with our lives,
olr Gsg!. -: -, = - - c:.. @-9--,Is12 Ecnors.
But it is said you must diSbapd the
Democratic party to Support the Gov
ernmcnt." We answer that the Demo-
cratic party has always supported TIE
GovERNMENT; and while it was in power,
preserved the Government in all its vigor
and integrity-not by force and arms, but
by wisdom. sound policy and peace. But
it never did admit. and never will, that
this Administration, or any Administra-
ton, is " the Government 1t holds, and
ever has held, that the Federal Govern
ment is the agent Of the PEOPLE Of the
several States composing the Union that
it consists of three distinct departments
the Legislative, the Executive and the
Judicial-each equally a part of the Gov
ernment, and equally entitled to the con-
fidence and support of the States and the
people; and that it is the duty of every
patriot to sustain the several departments
of the Government in the exercise OF all
the constitutional powers of each which
may he necessary and proper for the
preservation of the Government in its
principles and in its vigor and integrity ;
and to stand by and defend to the utmost
the flag which represents the Government,
the Union, and the country.
In this sense the Democratic party has
always sustained, and will now sustain the
Government, against all foes, at home and
abroad, in the North or the South open
or concealed, in office or out Of office, in
peace or in war.
If this is what the Republican party
mean by supporting the Government, il
is an idle thing to abandon the old and
tried Democratic party, which for so ma
ny years and through so many trials sup
ported, preserved, and maintained the
Government of the Union. But if their
real purpose be to aid the ancient enemies
of the Democracy in suhverting our pres
ent Constitution and form of Government,
and, under pretenSe of saving the Union
to erect a strong centralised despotism or
its ruins, the Democratic party will rcsis
them as the worst enemy to the Consti
tuition and the Union, and to free govern
mcnt everywhere.
We do not propose to consider now The
causes which led to the present unhappy
civil war. A filter time will come hereaf
ter for such discussion. But We remind
you now that compromise made your I'm
ion, and compromise fifteen months age
would have saved it. Repeated efforts
were made at the last session of the thir
ty-sixth Congress to this end. At every
stage, the great mass of the South. with
the whole Democratic party, and the whole
Constitutional Union party of the NORTH
and West united in favor Of certain amend
; mentS to the Constitution, and the chic
: among them was the well known "Crit
r tenden Proposition" which would hav'
averted civil war and maintained the Un
ion. AT every stage all proposed amend
ments inconsistent with the sectional doc
, trines of the Chicago Platform were siren
uouslv and unanimously resisted and de
l feated by the Republican party. TIN
Crittenden Propositions" never received
: a single Republican vote in either House
For this proof we appeal to the Journal
! Of Congress and TO the COngressiona
/ Globe. -
We scorn to reply to the charge that til
: Democratic party is opposed to granting
aid and support to the Federal Govern
ment in maintaining its safety, integrity
and constitutional supremacy, and in ia
vor Of disbanding our armies and sue
cumbing to the South. The charge
libellous and false. No man has advocate
any such proposition. Democrats recOg
nize it as their duty as patriots to supper
the Government in all constitutional, ne
cessary and proper efforts to maintain it
safety, integrity and constitutional author
: ity; but at the same time they are inilexi
bly, opposed to waging war against any c
the States or people Of this Union in an,
spirit OF oppression, or for any purpose c
conquest or Subiugation, or of overthrow
. ing Or interfering with the rights or estat
lished institutions Of any State. Abov
all, the Democratic party will not supper
the Administration in anything whic
i looks or tends to the loss of our politics
or personal rights or liberties, or chang
$ of our present Democratic form Of gov
ernment
: But no, Democrats! it is not the SUP
: port of the government in restoring tn
Union which the party in power requr
:, of you. You are asked to give up you
o principles, your policy and your party
r and to stand by the Administration Of tn
e party in power, in all its acts. Above al
: it is demanded of you that you yield q
e least silent support to their whole policy
4 Al =.