The Placer herald., 1862-06-28

keep watch in the temple while the watchmen
sleep at their postsf
Reconstruction.
Why should we disguise the truth? There
are enough of men who are bind-enough
who, though not blind, are mute-enough
who, though they talk, talk round the issue
that is before us. But, there are just two
dominant, cardinal issues, on one or other OF
which our political questions are turning
The one is the idea of construction-the
other the idea Of destruction. The destroyers
ideas is the destructive. They are those
who, years ago, proposed in the Senate to
dissolve the Union of our country. They
are those who denounced the Constitution
AS "a league with death and covenant will
hell" They are those who took it as theil
rallying cry among the people that our coun
try, as the forefathers constituted it, was
already "bouse divided against ITSELF" and
could not stand. They are those who in
augurated, as the basis of sectional organiza
ton, the idea that there was ian irrepressible
conflict of opposing and enduring forces"
between the geographical sections Of the
country. They are those that would not, in
the last struggle for an adjustment, accept
Of Douglas compromise, or of Crittenden's
compromise, or Of any compromise. They
are those who shouted for blood. They are
those who howl with rage when they hear of
a battlefield won without torrents of blood.
The destroyers are not hard to find.
The conservators, and ronstructiyes, are
also to be found. They are those that cung
to the hope of a preserved and growing
country. They are those who wanted to tear
down nothing, to root up nothing. They
are those who know that consent is the con
dtion of all true union, and that compromise
is the condition of all political peace. They
are those brave men who, if they have taken
up arms, and put their bodies in the front of
the battle, and shed their blood, have done
it-not with the idea Of destroying the coun'
try as it used to be-but of saving, and Of
restoring it to its old state. They are those
who, at whatever risk, at whatever loss, have
not ceased from tes,ifying to, abiding by,
the grea: sheet anchors Of free government,
or from proclaiming that positive, not de-
structive, healing, not wounding, measures
must, at last, be resorted to for the repara
ton Of what the country suffers.
1t has been sought to hush the voices Of
those conservators. Vain attempt! The
ideas they embody are positive force. Their
latent power will become only the greater by
whatever degree of compression might be
attempted. l. is the force of nature, and
nature is driven out of its course, only to
come back at a gallop.
That time must come when that voice
must be heard 1t must sound from city to
city, from village to village, from farm to
farm. 1t must travel over all the roads, and
echo from hill top to hill top. There is no
nook so secluded where an American free
man shelters, that he must not hear the
summons. The issue is very simple. it's
Conservatism or Despotism!
Building, or Tearing Down!
Constitution, or Despotism!
LARS, or Bayonets!
The Past Restored Or the Present Peype
tuated!
Conservatives, constructives, positive men,
men Of progress-rghtly understood, these
are all the same-wil choose, nay, have
chosen, their part But how?
How are we to restore the pastS How
are we CO ToSCOI0 tuo ptIuCIp'oc VI suo '""o
and of the Constitution? How are we to
build?
Our answer to these questions does not
touch the present conduct of the war. This
is assumed to be carried on by somebody,
without advice or consultation with the pub
lie press
Our answer does not touch the present
action of the Administration at Washington,
or the present Congress- We frankly con-
fess that-if free to do it, or even solicited
we are incapable of advising the one or the
other-they being what they are.
Our answer implies that the present Con
gress must be indured, because it has still
constitutional existence for nearly ten months
to come. The Executive-that is, the Presi-
dent and the constitutional advisers he has
around him-must be supported within the
bounds of the Constitution, because he and
thew are not impeacced, and it is moral re-
ouirement OF the Constitution, which we love,
and are bound to support; with all its bur
dens as we'll as its blessings. Our answer is
simple, and shall be stated in brief terms.
To build, to restore, to reconstruct, the people
must be convinced Of something they must
do and Of something they must believe in
regard to politics.
The thing that they must DO, is, in the
election next Fall, to see to it that every
State-at least every State from New York