The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-12-20
Again, in his speech at Albany, Oct.

FN~~NNsay
stitution, or it will work the sUbversiON
Of the Constitution, together with its own
overthrow. Then the Shareholders would
perish in the struggle.
Again, in his--spcech in the Senate,
March II, 1850, Mr.. Seward threatens
the South with "civiI war" unless they
emancipate their slaves. He said:
When thia enswer shall be given, il
will appear thg the question Of dissOlving
the Union is . complex question; that Il
embraces the fearful issue whether the
Union shall stand, and slavery, under the
steady, peaceful action of moral, social
.0'7f peliticai causes, be remOved by grad
ual voluntary effort and with F7e- 7-<~x,r4
lsOn, OF whether the onion shan be dis
solved and civil wars ensue, bringing on
violent but complete AaAimDediate eman-
cipation. We are nov arrived at that
stage when that crisis can be s0teseca-
when we must foreSee it. 1t is directly
before us. Its shadow is upon us.
In plain words, Mr.. Seward says to the
South: You can have union and the
gradual emancipation of slavery, or you
shall have disunion, civil war, and imme-
diate emancipation This, in plain Eng
liSh, was his proposition.
HON. FRANCIS E. SPINNER.
We next quote from speech delivered
in 1856, by the Hon. Francis f. Spinner,
now Register of the Treasury Department
under Mr.. Chase:
Should this (the election of Frcmont)
fail, no true man would be any longer
safe here from the assaults Of the arrogant
slave oligarchy, who would then rule with
an iron hand. For the free North would
be left the choice Of peaceful dissolution
Of the Union, civil war which would
end in the same, or an unconditional sur
render Of every principle held dear by
freemen.
HENRY WARD BEECl1ER.
To the same effect spoke that " bright
and shining light" Of Republicanism, the
Rev. Henry Ward Beccher, in that cele.
brated speech of his at New Haven, in
1866, where he proclaimed that "Sharpe's
rife was truly moral agency" Hear
him:
The people will not levy war, nor inau-
gurate a revolution even to relieve Kan
sas, until they have first tried what they
can do by voting. II this peaceful RENE
dy should fail to be applied this year,
then the people will count the cost wise.
ly, and decide for themselves, boldly and
firmly, which is the better way, to rise in
arms and throw off q government worse
than that of old King George, or endure
it another four years, and then vote again.
In the same speech, Mr.. Beechcr thus
denounced the Constitution and the Un-
ion:
The Constitution is the cause of every
division which this vexcd question Of
slavery has ever occasiOned in this coun.
try. 1t has been the fountain and father
of our troubles, by attempting to hold to.
gether, as rcconciled, two opposition
principles, which will not harmonic, nor
agree. The only hope Of the slave is
over the ruins OF the Government and Of
the American Church. The dissolution
OF tho cnion is thc abolition of slavery. =,
GEN. JAMES WATSON wEBB. ...',a
Mr.. Lincoln's Minister to Brazil, was a
delegate to the convention that nominated
Fremont in 1855, and Lincoln in 1860.
In the former convention he made o
speech, which was loudly applaudcd, but
no sentence receivd more boistcrous ap-
plause than the following:
Our pcople-loving order, loving law,
and willing TO abide by the ballot-box--
come together from all parts of the Union
and asks Us to give them q nomination,
which, when fairly put before the people,
will unite public sentiment, and through
the ballOt.b box will restrain and repel this
pro-slavery extension, and this aggression
of the slaveocracy. What else are they
doings They tell you they are willing to
abide by that ballot box, and are willing
to make that last appeal. IL we fail
there, what then? We will drive it back,
sword in hand, and so help me God, be-
lievins that to be right l am with them.
Loud cheers and cries of Good ~
Northern gentlemen, on your action dc
pends tine result You may, with Gods
blessings, present to this country name
rallying around it all the elements of the
opposition, and thus we will become SC
strong that, through the ballot-box, We
shall save the country. But if name bt
presented on which we may not rally
and the consequence is civil war-nOth
ing more, nothing less, but civil war
ask then, what is orr first duty?
HON. ERAsTUs HOPKINS.
In the same strain spoke the Hon
Eaastus Hopkins, another member of thu
convention. He said:
Tfpeaceful means fail us, and VIC ar,
driven to the last extremity, when ballot
are useless, then we will make bullet
effective.
non. totiN r. HALE.
Hon. John P. Hale, Of New Hampshire
was also . delegate to the Convention
and addressed it in a long speech, il
which he said:
He congratulated the Convention upor
the spirit of unanimity with which it haC
done its work. l believe, said he, tha
this is not SO much convention Il
change the administration of the Govern
ment, as to say whether there shall b,
any government to be administered
You have assembled, not to say whethe
this Union shall be preserved, but to say
whether it shall be q blessing or q scorI
and kissing among nations.
AS this gentleman is one Of tho mali
pillars in the Republican edi6ce, and ha
been twice elected by them to the Unitec
States Senate, we have examined his re
cord pretty closely, rs developed in hi
speeches in the Senate. On the 31st O
May, 184s, he said:
Let the consequences &c what they may
am willing to place myself upon the prin
ciple of human right; to stand where tn