The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-05-24
tFrOm the Chicago Esss.l
From an Occasional Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, March 81.


Absurd Abolitionists and ranting Re-
publicans take great pleasure in saying
and re.saying: slavery is the cause Of
the war; if you would have peace, you
must first remove the cause"
Day after day, Lovejoy, Bingham, Ash
ley, Julian, Sumner, Trumbull, Wilkin-
son, and Dry Goods Chandler proclaim
the above premise and conclusion.
But slavery is not the cause Of this war.
Allow inc an illustration: Suppose that
Long John Wentworth should take long
shotgun and Herewith shoot and kill
Deacon Bross Long John might be ar
rested and brought before his Honor Bob
Wilson, who would undoubtedly find
that Long John was the cause Of the
death of the dccedent, Deacon BrosS, and
that the gun was the instrument.
So, hereafter, when the grand and i'm
partial tribunal Of history shall hold SOL
emn inquest upon the death of good feel
ing and concord among the States of the
American Union, and investigate the
cause Of this war, it will find and pro-
nounce that slarery ,c'tS not the cause, but
! that it was tie instrument in the hands OC
.A6olitionists, md that they 'oere the cause.
Justice would be cheated, and the gal
lows robbed Of its reverSionary rights if
the courts Of the country should condemn
! the instruments with which murders are
committed, and acquit tbr pers"ns w}io
used them; but to do 50 would be equally
as equitable as it is to condemn slavery
and let the AboliinnSts escape. The
Jpy,nrr IS thc Instrument wirlds@ by 'bG
latter fOt The destruction OF our country.
The match in the hands of the incrndi-
airy is not the cause Of the cnutlasrattnu,
but the means Of bringing it about, but
to condemn the match, and let the house
burner 90 free, would be just as sensible
AS It would be to condemn slavery and
exempt the Abol,ioni>t> from ccn>urr.
Had there never been a rampant aho-
liiionist, there never would have been a
blatant sccr>SioniSt. The latter is the
logical sequence Of the former, and both
are antagoni>tic to the existence OF the
Union. Had Lincoln and Seward never
announced that the gnvcrnme tcould not
exist part free and part slave, or had the
Republican party never indnr>ed the ire
preS>:ble conflict doctiinr, jeff Davis and
ToumhS would never have attcm ted To
demonstrate the proposition, though the
/ four mn agree perfectly IN theory.
| 1t is timr inr conservative mrn OF all
parties to begin To impress upon the
minds OF Tue people c"rre'l tlcaS I" tho
cause oi inc war ne b'm"'rarv' ac'u-
a'e" ny 'he Pu'eNt pau ,"',>'', w ''''''
mon consent agreed 10 iorhrHr discussing
the cause OF the war uh'' a't'r 'Ht "''' oi
arms ta' gwen away |" tAe mum "i '"'',
tented industry Had the opponents OF
Democracy ais" remained H',ti'' II ""''"
nave "tth wen enough Tor all but tl'y
nave never ceased the t"draV"r |" c"'"'c'
their IDEAS upon the attention OF tht couH-
try, anu to make IL appear t"at slavery
was the cause OF tle war N"' on'y '!e
Ie"p'e at h"''e, ""t ti' Amy N>'''' -
flooded with 'h"ir perhic'onS 'each''G>'
thousands OF aoo'i'i"h ana emancipation
tracts are uiStrlhu''H dai'E among me
S"IH'rrS OF inc io'"na'' ana upon sun
days the |Hapia'nS- many OF 'hem-dec
ilVrr stump speeches. upon Tue cause OF
the war u. C., slavery ;" thcE >"!r lhe
eradication ct the cause the Niger ana
Inn cruc'h'd; an" Al! inns Is simply
part at regularly "rEhnized System i"r
poisoning the pubhc mad ana preparing
II To ind"TSe Prn',a'na""n "' "'''eiSA'
emancipation. Whlth tne r"li'a'N are ny
inE 10 persuade A"e lhhc"'h " MAKE,
and which he m"y-"nder the plea "i
neceSS'ty-haAe "l''i'" '"e "eA' s'A'!