The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-07-04
Recon structiOn.


round the issue that is before us. But.
there are just two dominant, cardinal
ideas, on one or the other of which our,
political questions are turning. The one
is the idea of construction-the other the
idea of destruction. The DEsrRoYERs are
not hard to find-we mean those whose
idea 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
with hell" They arc those Sv!iO took it
as their rallying cry among the people
that our country, as the forefathers con-
Stituted it, was already "house divided
against itself" and could not stand
They S.y" * - =" '---~.-''--7 '~'>' 90 'ho
basis of sectional organization, the idea
that there was ian irrcprcssible conflict
(ot vft,o,l,.., 4.G taS3nring forces" betW ceU
the geographical sections Of the country.
They are those that would not, in the last
struggle for adjustment, accept of Doug
las compromise, or Of Crittenden'S com
promise, or of any compromise. They
are those who shouted for blood. They
HTC tllOSC WIN uOh "liu " tCii tlS1
hear of battle field won without torrents
of blood The deStroyers are not hard to
find.
The conScrvators, and conStructives, are
also to be found. They are those that
clung 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
c0hsent is the condition of all true union,
.,s>.. s>.:,.>.-,. S..- =.
all political peace. They are those brave
men who, if they have taken up arms,
and put their bodies in front of the battle,
and Shed their blood, have done it-not
with the idea Of destroying the country
as it used to be-but Of surfing, and of re-
st0ring it to its old estate. They are
those who, at whatever risk, at whatever
loss, have not ceased from testilying to,
abiding by. the great sheet anchors of
free government, or from proclaiming
that positive, not destructive, healing, not
wounding, measures must, at last. be re-
sorted to for the rcparation Of what the
country suffers.
1t has been sought to hush the voices
Of these conscrvatorS. Vain attempt!-
The ideas they cmbody are a positive
force. Their latcrt power will become
only the greater by whatever degree Of
compression may be attempted. 1t is the
force Of nature, and nature is driven ont
Of its course, only to come back at u
gallop.
The time has come when that voice
| L., hnorl . conn1 frnn1 pIfr
to city, from village to village, from farm
to farm. 1t must travel over all the roads,
and echo from hilltop to hilltop. There
| is no nook so secluded where an Amcri-
can freeman shelters, that he must not
| hear the summons. The issue is very
simple. tits
ConSercatism, or Destruction
BuiHing, or Tearing Do"n!
Constitution. or Uesp0tisna!
La'cs, or BayOnets!
Tile Past Restored, or tile Present Per-
petUatel!
Conservatives, constructives, positive
men, men of rogress--rightly understood,
these are all the same-will choose, nay,
have chosen, their part. But how?
Uotr are we to restore the 1'dSt? How
are We to restore the principles Of the
laws and of the Constitution? How are
we to bUiW?
Our answer to these questions does not
touch the present conduct of the war
This is assumed to be carried on by some
body, without the advice or consultation
of the public press.
Our answer does not touch the present
action of the Administration at Washing
ton. or the present Congress. We frankly
confess that-if free to do it, or even So
licited-we are incapable OF advising the
one or the othcr-thcy being what they
are. ....
Our answer implies that the present
! Congress must be endured, hccausei it has
still constitutional existence for nearly
ten months to come. The Executive
that is, the President and the constitu-
tional advisers he has around him-must
be supported, within the bounds Of the
Constitution, because he and they are not
impeached, and it is moral requirement
of the Constitution, which we love, and
are bound to support; with all its bur-
dens as well as its blessings. Our answer
is simple, and shall be stated in brief
terms. To build, to restore, to recon-
struct, 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
to the Pacific Ocean-is put, as State
Government, into the hands of men pro-
Tossing, and faithful, too, that Democracy,
under which the past happiness of the
country has been secured, and the achiev-
ed gIorieS ali attained. 1t is not because
it is the party, we say it, but because its
past Snccesses in administering the country
have been O'cing to the principles ct ih
party creed. Along with electing the
State Legislatures, these States must send
in the same way, not simply majority
but an overwhelming majority, of true
and tried, and able Democrats, to the
popular House OF Congress for the next
year. This will be the most potent evi
dence that can be afforded to the beguiet
and deceived people of the South, that the
people of the North are determined tc
restore, in principle and in spirit, the ole
Constitution. This is what the people
must do, and the majority Of their popu
lar vote in doing it, should, as we believe
it will, be prodigious.
There is something the people must be
taught to believe in politics. 1t is thu
hierarchy of ideas that governs our Amer
lean plan of government. 1t is on the ba
sis of a firm belief in this hierarchy O
ideas that the people should move in re
storing the Democratic party to power
1t has, for more than half century, beer
recognized as a main article of the Demo
cratic creed. In this hierarchy the laws
are considered as limiting and controlling
the governmental administrators of the
laws as completely as they control the
quietest private citizen; constitutions are
considered as controlling and limiting
laws, and the people, only, and that only