The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-06-21
AF.r PLATA au..t,en..

The Sacramento Union has been judi
ciously selected to be the mouth piece of
the mongrel organization. 1t is now in
its elemental the head of party with
out principle or character. Such being
its conceded position we respectfully ask
it, what proposition has the AdminiStra-
ton to make TO the Southern people, if
they will lay down their arms! We ask
the Union because it has the brains of its
party and its satellites will faithfully echo
its answer. Its slavish imitators we can
not condesccnd TO notice; they have no
opinions Of their own, or if they have
they are too cowardly or prudent to ex.
press them.
Give us an explicit answer, Mr.. Union.
You know the sentiments and designs Of
the Administration. Will Lincoln and
his Cabinet and his subservicnt Congress
agree that the Southern people shall have
the rights decided to be theirs, under the
Constitution? Will they agree to amend
the Constitution so as to keep slavery out
of Congress, and from being meddIcd with
by the demagogucS, fanatics and unprin.
cipled politicians, in and out Of Congress;
leaving to the people Of the States, and,
il they will, the people Of the Territories
also, the right to regulate their institu-
tons in their own way? Will they reject
all overturcs for peace and agree to moth
tug 6Ht: unconditional suvvvNdey9 And
if the South refuse to submit to such
harsh terms, will they continue the war
until she is completely suhiugated? Will
they amend the CONSTITUTIONS aHtl.Sc pfuel
vide that when any State passes any law
violative of the rights Of person or prop.
crty Of the citizens of other States, that
the Courts Of the United States shall de-
eide the Constitutionalty of such law;
and when the people Of any State fail to
protect the person or propertysof the citi-
zen of any other State fpOm violence by.J
mobs or irresponsible persons, that the
State, county or town where the wrong is
done shall make j; good? MobS, you
know, though you dislike to admit it, did
modest, insult and handle roughly United
States officers in Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Massachusetts, and other loyal Republican
States, when they attempted to carry out
in good faith the Fugitive Slave Law
RecOllect, too, that prominent members
OF the Administration party, now holding
responsible and lucrative positions, by
appointment of Lincoln, advised the poo
Pile in the States mentioned to resist, hv
every possible means, the execution Of
the Fugitive Slave Law. You kloN the
same party, Of which you arc at the bead,
nullitied acts of Congress when they
thought them unjust or oppressive. You
know some Of Iincoln's advisers advoca-
ted a "hishcr law" than the Constitution
and majority of your party ignore the
decisions Of the Supreme Court
Now you profess to be in favor of
" maintaining the Constitution" and call
on others, who revere it, to aid the .Ad-
ministratlon in maintaining it. Demo-
Gratis, before uniting with you, desire to
know what you mean by maintaining"
it. Judge Nicholas, of Kentucky, one of
the most eminent jurists living aud an ar
dent Union man, has proved by the record
TINT the head of the Administration has
violated that instrument in numberlcsS
instances. DO you indurSe what he has
done? You must if You support the
present wise, efficient and conservative
National Administration. Democrats do
not believe that an infraction of the Con-
Stitution is altogether right, and they will
not support an Administration that indul-
gcs in that harmless luxury, even to be
regarded as "patriotS." They think,
foolishly perhaps, that its preservation is
of as much Importance as the integrity of
the Union, and that without it the Union
is not worth preserving. They think it
makes the Union, not the Union it.
Thinking so they will hesitate long and
reflect seriously and soberly before they
will affiliate with party, it matters not
by what plausible name designated, that
has no respect for the Constitution.
If the Administration is not conducting
the war to subjugate the South lift has
no disposition to wipe out slavery if it
only demands obedience to Constitution
and law, let it so declare and not encour-
aye its fanatical supporters in Congress
in making war on Southern institutions
Its organs in this State assert it is op.
posed to emancipation and subiugation
and if this be so they surely ought to be
able to answer the questions we have
propounded. They will not embarrass
their friends at Washington by answering
promptly and boldly, even if they do de-
ccivc and miSIead the people. Again, we
ask, and not in spirit of idle curiosity,
what is the Administration willing to do?
What peace-offering has it to lay on the
altar of our distracted country? What
preventive to the loss of treasure and
blood of common ancestry? Conquer
ors should be magnanimouS, especially
as the conquered fought unwillingIy and
were forced by few Southern aristo-
Gratis to take up arms against a Govern
ment they loved. as the Republican pa.
pers tell US. 1t would be ungencrous and
unjust to punish the innocent victims of
"a few Southern aristocrats." Of course
the Union will answer our questions-of
course, it will.
- -