The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-22

1 dsaIce In your disczEAlnent and pursuit Of
the pnhlic good; for / sssurs myself that
suhits g0u c1rst lilly GUOid eSeFy alteration
sOhicA might SsdaNeer tie bsnSfts q .
Gnited a'sd etfsotiOS government, or s0hScA
ouOAt 10 asC6it The fwtWTe lessons Of eHPe-
riSnce, a reverence for the characteristic
ri0Ats of ffeemen, and q regard for tie
PUBLIC harmony, will sufficiently influence
your deliberations on the question how far
the former can be more impregnally fOrti-
fed, or the latter be safely and adVAnta'
geOusly promoted.
The next witness will call to the stand
is Lincoln's Premier, VIM. H. Seward
At, Rochester, N. Y, in October, 1858, be
reiterated the same sentiment yet in diff
ferent phraseology, which Mr.. Lincoln an
nounced in his Springfield speech. He
said:
Thus, these antagOnistic systems are
continually coming into closer contact, and
COLLISION results. Shall l tell you what
this collision means? They who think it
is accidental, unnecessary-the work Of
interested or fanatical agitatorS, and there
fore ephemeral, mistake the case altOgeth-
err. II is an irrepressible conflict between
opposing and enduring forces, and i means
that the United States MUST and WILL,
sooner or later, become entirely = ssaVc-
holding nation, or entirely . free Ldber IA
ton. Either the cotton and rice fields OF
South Carolina, and the sugar plantations
of Louisiana, will ultimately be titled by
free labor, and Charleston and New Or
leans become marts for legitimate meC.
chandize alone, er else the rye fields and
wheat fields of Massachusetts, and New
York must again be surrendered by their
farmers to slave culture, and to the pro-
duction Of slaves, and Boston and New
York become once more market for trade
in the bodies and souls'Of men. 1t is the
failure to apprehend this GREAT TRUTH that
induces so many unsuccessful attempts at
final compromise between the slave and
free States, and it is the existence Of this
great fact that renders all such pretended
compromise, when made, vain and ephe-
neral.
Again, at Rome, N Y, in same month,
Seward said:
Everything has been lost which can be
lost, except the enjoyment of freedom and
the exclusion Of slavery in the free States
SIsFcsT @ese4iss So RxSNrety StTS,2v1 thSn'
exsS SIS Ak she slave States, and freedom
of speech. freedom Of the press, and free.
dom of suffrage upon the subject Of slave
nv, are actually unknown in those States.
Slavery remains in the District Of Column
bia defiant Of all your power; slavery re-
mains in all the arsenals, docks, and navy
yards of the United States, and upon all
the decks of your National marine. To
RETRIEVE THESE LOSSES WILL BE THE WORK
OF ANOTHER DAY.
Has not that day already arrived? And
is not the Army and the Navy, aided by
the Purse and the Nation, already employ
ed in the unholy work ? Let the pro.
ceedings of Congress answer!
We quote from Mr.. Seward once more.
At Cleveland, Ohio, in 1s4S, he said:
Slavery can be limited to its present
bounds; it can be ameliorated. 1t can be
and must be abolished, and you and l can
and must d0 it. The task is as simple and
easy as its contamination will be benii-
cent, and its REGARDS glorious. ltrequires
only to follow this simple rule Of action:
to do everywhere [eithcr in the Prcsiden-
tial chair or as Secretary of State, and on
every occasion what we can, at any time,
because at that precise time, and'On that
particular occasion, we cannot do more.
Circumstances determine possibilities.
Who knows but what it was the plan Of
Seward and Lincoln to keep the Peace
Commissioners of the Confederate States
in suspense for twenty-three days at the
City of Washington, holding out to them
that Fort Sumpter was to be evacuated
by Major Anderson as military necessi-
tv," while at the same time naval arma.
ment was secretly being fitted out for the
purpose ofre-provisioning and reinforcing
the same; knowing that such an attempt
would be considered by South Carolina as
an act of war, for the sole purpose of the
prestige Of having the National colors con-
termed and Fort Sumpter bombarded, in
order to fire the Northern heart? "Cir-
cumstances determine possibilities" He
continues:
Extend a cordial welcome to the fugi.
tive who lays his weary limbs at your
door, and defend him as you would your
paterMal gods. Correct your error that
slavery has any constitutional guarantee
which may not be released. and ought not
to be rclirquiShed. You will soon bring
the parties of the country into an effective
aggression upon slarery.
Has not the Republican party, in &C.
cordance with Mr.. Stewards suggestion,
made m effective aggression upon slave
ry?" Is not its platform at war with the
institution?
What says the Constitution upon this
subject? Let us read. Article Nv, sec.
ton 2, Sd clause:
No person held to service or labor in
one State, under the laws thereof, escaping
into another, shall, an consequence Of any
tdw or regulation therein, be discharged
from such service or labor; BUT SHALL BE
DELIVERED Up on claim of the party to
whom such service or larbor may be due
In my next shall have something more
to say on this subject, and further Repub
lican evidence to offer, to prove that the
Republican party provoked and "is re-
sponsible for the war;"
KNOWS TBEN.-The Albany ArSu'
thoroughly understands the wretches who
ara constantly claD6ariD0 democrats foy