The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-06-14


Senator Wilson of Massachusetts has intro.
duced in the Senate number of imlbTtant
amendments to the Fugitive Slave Law ,Yestab-
fishing Iral bv jury for the ruuawayS, abolish
ing the cruel features Of the present law, and
debarring rebels from recovering slaves under
any circumstances.
The scceSsiOniSts of the South have
Steaily given as the reason why they
wished to leave the Union, that it was
the policy of the Republicans to repeal,
or essentially modify, the fugitive slave
law, abolish slavery in the District Of
Columbia, prohibit it in the Territories.
and interfere with it in the States.
,> ,..,.. -. <,'.>.'.- '-,.. c':~;.3
most Indignantly, that they had any de-
sire to do anything more than to prohibit
slavery in the Territories; and some have
gnne 50 FAR as to say that this was no part
Of their policy. Indeed, aher~a large
number Of Southern Senator's and Repre-
srntativeS had withdrawn from Congress,
leaving the control Of both bodies to the
Republicans, several Territorial bills we're
passed, in which there was no prohibition
of slavery or any other Interference with
or reference to the institution.
Mr.. Douglas understood this to mean
that the Administration and the party
supporting it had planted themselves on
conservative ground, and as no Kepubli-
can declared or hintcl that his inference
was 1,o,'to,rcNRe = T<H.a;,;..i I that t',e
South had no longer anything to complain
OF, and urged the people OF the seeded
and seeding States to give their conf.
dtnce again to the Government and return
to their allegiance.
Douglas has not been one year dead,
but mark the change that has come over
the Republican dream \ bill to abolish
slavery in the District of Columbia, in
Std'ly, and without any reference to the
wishes of the people, has passed the S,n
ate by a strict PARTY vote; every Ecpub-
lican who was in his seat voting for it, and
every anti,Republican, including all the
Senators from the border States, voting
against it! y resolution, pledging the
cooperation of the Government, tinan
ciAlly as well as morally, in State cman
cipalion schemes, has passed both houses
thus making the Government party
to a purely local question, over which
even the most radical Republicans have
not heretofore claimed federal control
y bill to emancipate all the slaves, will
compensation only to loyal owners, la:
been before Congress for months, ant
finds many friends. Another to conG,rat,
she slaves Of rebels, and colouiz then
omrwhrrc-dcumcl somewhat less ola
jectionab!e by whi!)m conservative Re
publicanS-iS still receiving attention
and its friends boast that it will pass. \
bill to prohibit slavery in all the Terrific
rieS, is only " hung up" because it is at
tached to one for the organization o
Arizona, a Territory which is just nov
supposed to be almost without white in
habitantS. And now, at last, comes from
the Republican leader in the Senate, ;
bill to modify the fugitive slave law so a.
to render vi imperative in every free
State il the Union!
Verify, here is progress! Just wha
was elfaTged by the South as the R1pub
lican policy; and ju>tw what, they ciaimc!
justified secession; is being adopted by
the party, in spite Of all remonstrancc.
Said Governor William SpraGue. in hi:
letter to the New England Dinner Com
mittce Of New York -" trust that We
shall not forget that this rebellion is basct
upon Il mistake that the masses Of the
South have been deceived by reckless anl
ambitious men, touching our sentiments
and purposes 1t should be our object
while vigorously prosecuting the war, to
give the lie to, and not Substantiate, the
statements by which thousands on thou
sands of honest men of the South have
been mi>lcd. Let us see to it that wher
the war is ended, the Southern people
shall blame their own leaders for having
deceived them, and not us for having
confirmed the stories these leaders have
circulated in reference to our motives"
How has this counSe! been regarded
Looking into Congress to-day, can Gov.
ernor SPragde repeat that this rebellion
jS based upon Il mistake"-a mistakc a,
to the purposes of the Republican party
No! the Republicans are confirming all
that the SrceSsionistS declared in relation
to their policy. Congress, instead OF
giving the lie to- is SuhStantiating what
Southern leaders asserted, and confirming
the stories circulated in reference to our
motives! This is our view of the matter
and we know also that it is the view taken
Of it by the writer of the patriotic letter
from which we have quoted.
1t is unpleasant TO dwell upon these
devclopemcntS Of the Republican policy
We are in the midst of civil war, and
would gladly have old party lines, for a
time at least, obltcrated. But the Re.
publicans will not permit us to be silent
They are pressing forward their ultra
partisan measures. They demand eternal
separation, and not restoration. We
have warned them against their course,
and we warn them again. If they would
keep the North united, let them stop this
dsunion work in Congress.
WHILE his mother lives, a man has one
friend on earth who will not desert him
when he is needy. Her affection flows