The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-18


fails to be liberal in its protection to the
unfortunate, who arc proper objects Of
public charity, and dangerous to neglec
the educatfon Of the rising generation.
Let our appropriations for charitable and
educational purposes be Of that munihccnt
character that will reflect credit upon us
as people benevolent and wise. Upon
the intelligence and education Of the mass
es the hopes of democratic sentiment
can alone find n certain and reliable basis
We know to-day there would be no armed
resistance and unlawful appeal from the
will Of the majority, convulsing the cOun-
try. had the minority been possessed of
proper information as to the objects and
purposes Of the majority. 1t was this
want of correct information among the
masses where this most iniquitouS rebell-
ion that now troubles the land first found
foot hold, that caused the people in those
sections to become the willing though
blind instruments to serve the purposes
Of the selfish and aristocratic sentiment
that would destroy our republican Gov
ernment.
Among all people in free and civilized
nations, in greater or less activity. are to
he found two antagoniStic ideas. The one
| is, that every citizen is Of right the equal,
politically, Of his fellow citizen, and should
be permitted the enjoyment aud protected
in the exercise of that right; the other,
that he does not possess this right, and
that he ought not to be permitted its en-
! jOyment, nor protected in its exercise.
regard the struggle that is now cOnvuls-
! ing our country as one for the predomin-
ance between these two pntagonistic ideas.
{ YOa greater or less extent, there has been
a steady conflict between them since the
formation of our Government, but not al
ways so active as to attract the recOgni-
ton Of the unobServant, and, in fact, too
obscure even for tie observance of the
vigilant. But the conflict has, none the
less, surely existed, though it is only of
late years that the struggle assumed uro-
portions such as to alarm any considera,
ble number of those who believed in the
people, and that the majority should rule.
Out Of the just appreciation Of this
struggle, and the source from which it
sprung, and the means by which the an
ti-demOcratic or aristocratic side was
maintained, arose the party that placed
the present National Administration il
power, which, representing truly the car
dinal principles Of that party, is now Striv-
ing, with a true conservatism. to preserve
the guarantees of the Constitution, and
maintain the original idea upon which the
revolutionary struggle was fought by our
fathers, and implanted in the organization
of our Government, and supported in all
its vgor by the republican administrations
Of Jefferson, Madison aud Monroe.
The Union.lovng and intelligent dem
ocratic sentiment of the people, which is
to day arrayed against the gigantic insur'
rection, or armed refusal of the minority
to abide the decision if the majority, find,
itself ably represented in the National
Administration. to whom, in this time o.
trial and peril. the helm of State is so for
tunately entrusted. Upon the one mighty
issue, Of which alone the people care to
take cognizance, all true Union,loving
democratic citizens should unite in one
party, for the maintenance of their side
of that issue.
Political parties will always exist in al
free governments. There they have evrI
been recognized 10y the wiSest, the ablesl
and hest; while in deSPolic governments
they have little or no existence. .Recog
nlzing these facts, while the party, Ia
whose confidence and rartiality-l am
! mainly indebted for the high position, tho
duties Of which have this day Solemnly
sworn IL discharge, remains true to the
cause Of the people, shall not ignore OF
forget its existence, but rather ask that all
who agree with its cardinal and truly
conservative principles, shall unite to put
down the enemies Of free government.
and bear aloft the emblem of our nation
atty, and Of the hopes Of the freedOm-lov.
ing throughout the world.
! California has nobly and wisely pro-
nounced in favor Of the cause Of the peo-
pie. Let her prove her devotion to the
Union aud to civil liberty, by doing all in
her power to maintain both. Let her
part of the National Tax be chcrriulIy as
surned, and provision be made for its pay
/ ment out of the State Treasury. Every
one of us should feel that we are but
guardians, holding our lives and our for
tunes in trust, for the protection Of the
/ Government, around which cluster the
anxious hopes aud fears of millions who
have grown with its growth and strength
ened with its strength
Our Government is emphatically one of
the people; possessing all the power of
the people for their protection and defense,
but powerle>S Tor their oppression. 1t is
not only the best, but it is the strongest
form of Government the world ever saw.
Let it remain unchanged.
The citizens Of California are by birth
the representatives of all parts Of the
Union, and are naturally imbncd with
more or less local Sympathics. Let us be
as tolerant and charitable Of opinion as
possible. but none should ever forge: that
California is one of the United States,
that her citizens quite recently unmistak
ably declared their devotion to our nation.
al unity, their recognition of the Suprem-
acy of the National Government, and
their determination to maintain both in-
violate.
Every citizen Of California must rcmem-
Der his duty, and, remembering, discharge
it faithfully. His fellow citizens are now
in the field, armed against traitors and
treason, and for the preservation Of the
Union and the National Government
The whole power of the State should. If
necessary. be welded to encourage, sup
port and sustain those patriotic citizens
and their compatriotS. Let treason meet
a just and speedy punishment; and may
we soon, as doubt not, we shall, see
peace restored to our beloved Union. our
institutions more firmly implanted than
ever, and sustained by national senti
ment that shall pcrvade every section of
our country.
The new Administration enters upon
the discharge Of its duties at a moment
ous period of our nations history. con
tidently trust there will be concert of ac-
ton in all the departments of our State
Government, to strengthen the arm of the
Federal power, and also in whatever will
Il, al