The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-09-13

Government" Il may be well, In these
exciting and trOuHlous and iniOIerant
timss. 10 not cOnGOund things; and we
therefore, in oil sincerity, ask what's "the
G0VsSRiAsHt"i Ne Eers Taught to be-
IieSe By Sn.ineRt jurists and profound
statesmen, that the Constitution, the laws,
Congress and the Supreme Court were
''th" Government" and that the executive
officers were the mere aVsats Of "Ihe Gov
ernment." II this b. true, and no man
who has the least claim TO intelligence
dare dispute 1t, every Republican in the
State Of California is liable TO arrest, and
if" General Wrights and the United States
Marshal" do their duty, they will instant.
~ arrest them for repeatedly " utteriug
reasonable language against the Govern
ment" They have denounced "thc Gov
eminent" in unmeasured terms, in num-
berIess instances; and during BUchansn'S
administration, they "Spit upon the Con-
stitution," violated the laws, and out.
rs; :592sEstg .ar6 Silely SlGUaEx ~ <.;I" and
his Cabinet. These are well SnO~D GAc'%
In doing So, did they not "utter treasOna-
bic language against the Government
Are they not more dangerous traitors than
the rebelsg
1.-THE G~seHNmeMt," as We understand
| il and = 80. taught to believe, is divided
into three separate and distinct depart.
mcnts-the Legislative, judicial and exec
utive. Congress is the legislative, the Su-
preme Court the judicial, and the Admin
iStration the executive. Congress makes
the laws, in harmony with the Constitu-
ton; the Supreme Court cxpounds them
the Administration merely executes them.
The Administration Is not 4" the Govern
ment, but its creature. An Administra-
ton has been and may be again over
thrown, but not the Government Will
any sane man have the hnrdihOod to as
sert that when President Lincoln retircs
from office the Government will cease to
exist? II the Administration Is the Gov
eminent we must keep it in power TO per-
petuate the Government; defeat il and
We destroy the Government. Suppose
Democrat had made such . silly and
reasonable assertion during Buchanan's
Administration; he would have been
laughed at as q fool and denounced Us II
traitor, and justly.
The Democratic party veneratcs the
Constitution, respects the Supreme Court,
Obeys the laws and suStains the Govern.
mcnt. 1t makes no war upon the Gov.
ernment; it does upon the Administra-
ton, for it's faithIessness, imbecility aud
corruption. This it has an undoubtcd
right to dO-a right guaranteed to it by
the Government, and he who moleSts
. man for exercising that rights right
dear to every free born American and
" formidable to tyrants only "a right
for which our fathers, the patriots Of the
Revolution, fought-is a traitor to the
Government and unfit to breathe the air
Of freemcn. If it be "trcNson to differ
from the Administration and hold it re-
sponsible for its inefflciency and unwar-
rantablc assumption Of power; its i'm
polite and unconstitutional acts and meas
ures its defense Of corruption and in.
sulting appointments; its arbitrary ar
rests and exccrable doctrines, then are
we satisfied that Q vast majority Of the
people Of the United States are trail
tors. They do not, cannot indOrSe all
the Administration has done, yet il they
say word against it, its partiSans un.
bluShingly declare they utter treAsOna-
bic language against the government!
Our Government is Republican In form,
at least, and while it remains so, It is the
right, nay the duty of every citizen to
oppose, openly and fearleSsly, all infringe
ments Of the Constitution, all violations
Oflaw. Deprive him Of his rights, take
from him his privileges, forbid him the
freedom Of speech, force him to agree
with the Administration and approve its
acts, and he at once is reduced to the
most ahject slavery. He is compelled, by
the strong arm Of power, to surrender the
priceless heritage bequeathed to him by
the patriots OF the Revolution. His indie
pendence is taken from him, free Govern.
ment-oncc the pride and boast Of the
American Pcople-is subverted, and on
its ruins is erected mOnStrouS despotisun.
lie who approves such policy is trail
tor to "thc Government" Q scOrner Of the
illustrious dead, a disgrace to manhood
and an enemy Of free institutions.
81 .,zs1S 70 JE-JWdsiRg from the re