The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-04-12
rae PEssene ana tKs Euturo.

c0Ualuo1 present anu prospective OF pO-
liIicAl parties, and taking observations for
the future. Time was, when it required no
remarkable skill or deep reflection, to indi.
cate the direction which political affairs
were to take, or to predict with tolerable
certainty, the results Of future contests.
Those good old times are past, however,
unfortunately both for the State and the
Union, and we are accustomed to look
upon the present aspect of affairs, as az
fording little either ofhOpe or Of certainty,
with regard to the future Of any political
organization. Is this view correct one?
Are we thus at sea, without compass or
rudder, and exposed to the mercilesS beat
ings Of the storm, and to all the uncertain
ties Of perilOus voyages, deprived of the
usual safe guards against shipwrccks and
destruction? If so, there is surely cause
fer the alarm which pervades the ranks
Of all political parties, and some reason
for the timid and ALTERING course of fair
weather politicians, as manifested Of late.
But are these things so A hasty glance
at the surface Of political events might in
! cline us to answer IN the affirmative. A
calm and deliberate and dispassiOnate sur
neY ct The .cONditiaD Of parties, prompts
us to reply emphat;cally in the negative.
Party lires were sadly broken at the last
Presidential election For reasons seldom
occurring. and not likely often to exist,
many men were induced, temporarily, to
vote contrary to their usual practice. If
not contrary to their settled principles,
and to separate themselves for the time
being from their former political friends
and associates. Some desired a change,
others were disposed TO try the Republi-
can experiment. But they have not
formed new political associations. nor
have they any desire to abandon old DO.
litical friends. Whenever the old party
issues are again presented, ,, whenever the
! Iiue rs nsAuspsttnet,Sy- drawn, w'sencSe'
passion and prejudice are alIayed, the ad-
herents of the old Democratic party viii
be found marshaled in the order Of battle,
doing service, as of old, against their old
opponents.
1t is not to be denied that many ambi'
tious, weak. minded men, who are indebt-
ed to the Democratic party for their posi-.
tiOn and influence, have ungratcfully
turned against it, and arc leugued with its
old enemies to "wipe it out" They did
not hesitate to sacrifice their principles
for selfish purposes. Foolishly thinking
the Republican a permanent and popular
party, and the Democratic party failure,
they rashly embraced the former, and
will adhere to it just so long as it prOmi-
ses to be successful and tlatters their van
ity with the prospect Of reward.
One Of the principal causes Of appre-
tensions on the part of Democrats at the
present time is, we believe, the success
which, in many instances, attended the
efforts of the Republican party. True, it
achieved an unexpected triumph in the
Presidential election and in the election
Of Stanford last September. But in both
instances it triumphed solely because the
Democratic party was divided and weak
ened by discussions in its own ranks.
But, it should be remembered, both in
the Union and in this State, it is a minor.
ity party.
The new humbug organization, started
by trifing old Know Nothing, we do
not think of sufficient Importance to wage
war against. II we have been correctly
informed, it has already abandoned it's or.
ganization in this city. We believe the
movement temporary one rather than a
permanent one. aud that the organization
lacks those elements Of permanency cal
culated to give it lasting place among
the political organizations Of the age. II
is, to all intents and purposes, nothing
more nor less than Republican auxilia
ry. We regret the hallucination which
has led Democrats into n movement cal
culated to do injury to the party with
which some of them have been so long
associated, and to contribute, so far as il
can accomplish any result, to the success
Of its enemies. 1t does not require any
great degree Of discernment to see thai
the Democratic party will, before the
next generalization rc-asscrt its distinct
i've principles and doctrines, and, discard
ing all side issues, all new-fangled ideas
: and all secret political movements, strike
bold, united and decisive blow, in behalf
of its ascendancy and its former position
Whether it will be successful, in the first
effort, time only can determine. That il
must ultimately triumph there can be nc
matter of doubt
Those who predict new disaster and de-
feat to the Democratic party, and long
period of minority. and are making ar
rangements accordingly, do not, as il
seems to az, correctly read the signs Of
the times, or properly appreciate the SEN
timent of the country. The Democratic
party has often been defeated, but it has
always recovered from defeat, and SO il
will again. The people look to it to re-
construct the Union. enforce the laws
all Of them and protect the Constitution
from violations; and in the stronghoIds
Of its enemies they are f1Ocking to its
standard and swelling its ranks.
THERE was class Of politicians in this
county not long ago. says the Chillicothe