The Placer herald., 1862-05-10
The Sacramento Union endeavors to
produce q Reign of Terror.


stroys a city--even rat may nibbe until
by accident it becomes the incendiary Of
magnificent palace. Indeed there is no man
or animal however insignificant for good
purposes, but what may effect most positive
mischief and meanness. These reflections
most naturally bring the reader to reflect
upon the course of the Sacramento Union.
a paper that we occasionally notice because
i, is The leading abolition organ on the
Pacific coast. .
As a paper, it has not for the past seven
years been engaged in effecting good, but
has ofteu been potent for mischief. 1t was
the ardent advocate Of Know Nothngism
until that party met in convention, and one
Of the proprietors of that paper was defeated
for State Printer, when it cooled, visbIy-
vet advocated the ticket until the election.
They were scarcely in office until the same
paper shameessy admitted its former mean
ness, by opposing Governor johnson and his
entire administration. Having succeeded in
placing the men in Office who stole the mo.
ney from the State, it did-as the greatest
rascal ALWAYS does-turned States evidence.
Last year it advocated for a long time
great humbug-no party-mass meeting
nondescript- ticket, but this was such
a total miscarriage that the political grannies
could OF. even with the aid of most pow
erfu fat office-magnifying lens, discover par
tcle of the fetus. Had it succeeded, it
would undoubtedly have cursed its own off
spring With the energy of an active viper
it went to work in its jesutcal way to elect
Stanford and the Republican ticket. and is
now opposed TO all the State officers, and
repudia,es the Legislature.
The Republicans have done no more than
Democrats told the people they would and
which the Union had sense enough to know
they would do. It's avowed friendship is as
fstal as its enmity, this the honest Dougla las
men know to their sorrow-and the people
of Sacramento to their deep grief. Day
after day, its editorials TEEN with appeals to
the people, seeking to influence the passions
rather than appeal to the reason, to excite
prejudice rather than awake the understand
ing-it seizes the cap,trap of the moment
instead of intoxicating wholesome permanent
principles. Should man do these things
in the d, meslic circle of neghborhood, tie
would be denounced as lying scoundrel,
and in all probability receive personal chas
tisement. How much deeper is the crime in
one who seeks to array the people OF State
one against the other in throat cutting
civil war As early as April, 1861. this
paper commenced kissing its poisons into
the public ear. 1t denounced the supporters
of Breckenridge in 1860. as secesslonists
nveighed against the harmonizng of the two
wings of the Democracy-derlared the
breckenridge men the secession spmpathiz
ers;" wanted union Of party for their own
sakes, whilst they pretended it was for the
purpose of defeating the Republicans; that if
the Douglas men acceded to the proposition,
it would be but an infusion Of few broken
down Breckenridge politicians into the Doug
las ranks When the Breckenridge com
mttee met in May following, it said of it:
.'The Committee might as we'll have voluntarily
adjourned sine die; had they done so, credit
would have been awarded them for common sense
and political sagacity; whereas they will now be
adjourned as party sine die by vote of the
people, and ridiculed numerically for their sim
plicty in believing that the people of this State
entertained any sympathy for secessionists and
traitors"
Douglas men listened to this-no union of
the Democratic elements WAS had-but the
result shows that under the most un-
favorable circumstances it would have de
feated the Republican ticket-and moreover
that tine Breckenridge wing WAS the stronger
From that time forth it vomited it's vile inn
putations upon men with the view Of making
it unsafe to hold Convention or other pub
lie assemblage Of the party. 1t divided the
people into two parties, traitors and loyal
men-charging all that opposed the war
policy of the Republicans, as being Of the
former class. In speaking of the primary
election in Sacramento City, it said
Under the list of the Democratic Secession
party, We are curious to see who will go to the
polls and vote at the primary election. The
names should be taken by the judges and publish
ed for the benefit OF future generations"
TO demand the preservation of the Con,
stitution of the United States, was a proper
subject for its sneer, and it asked
"Why are these Secession sympathizers 20 very
anxious to preserve the Constitution? To men
who feel SO intensely hostile to the Federal Gov
ernment, and sympathize SO ardently with the
JEFF Davis Conederacy we should suppose the
United States Constitution would be matter of
supreme Indifference"
That was the same Constitution which it
now declares is "played out" but which
it then appealed to the people to sustain by
making war on 'those traitors" After the
party met in convention it declared that it
was BRIGHTLY named the secession conven-
tion," that the platform 'does not openly
proclaim secession, but no other inference
can be drawn from the resolutions other than
that those who adopted them sympathize
with secession, and under certain circumstan
ces would advocate the heresy."
From thenceforth this cowardly sheet COM
finnad to fnlminafa its slanderonS lies and