The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-11-29
From the San joaquin Republican.
Abolition and InSurreet ion.

been the end of it. But very few white
men could then have been found to fight
in such cause. Yet it must now be ap-
parent 10 all that it was as much the poIi-
cy Of the party in power then, as it is now.
The plea Of military necessity" is, like
all the professions of that party, false
prctence-a mere pettifogeing subteringe
to cover up the predetermined purpose
which has been so persistently denied un
til the announcement should be deemed
safe. The Republican party was based
solely and exclusively upon the single idea
Of abolition. Take the official records of
the PnFs7,'' = = ,'-'Hr-:.2s, maoifestoes,
speeches and arguments Of every kind,
Soy& show Us one single document not de-
voted to the slavery question. 1t cannot
be done. The whole apparent scope and
purpose Of the party organization was op-
position to slavery and nothing else
"OppOsiuon TO the extension Of slavery"
say they. That was an impracticahIe ab-
straction. Slavery without any such par
~ opposition had constantly rcccdcd
commencing in the Union with twelve
out of the thirteen States it had peaceably,
and by natural causes, retired TO minor
ity Of the States, Including only about
one-third Of the population and at the
time of the success Of this party in the
nation, there was not II foot Of territory
in which the question was not already IT,
nally settled beyond the constitutional
control Of the federal government. 1t
was not against the extension, but against
the existence Of slavery ut which every
argument and denunclatiOn was leveled.
Dissolution or civil war was as much a
necessity Of republican success in the
Union as emancipation is Il necessity of
the war. The States co;id not live TO.
gethcr in peace under republican rule, and
it was the determined purpose Of the re,
publican leaders and managers that they
should not. Ifthey did not mean cmanci-
patton or dissolution as the only alterna-
tive, what did they mean by all their ar
gumcntS and appeals calculated to stir up
hatred and prejudice against slavery and
the Shareholders II they intended to
confine their operations to free tcrritGry
exclusively there was no field for action,
for slavery had never been extended over
one foot % territory belonging to the Uni
ted States where it dill not legally exist
previous to the formation Of the govern
rnent, aud it bad been voluntarily reIin-
pushed by majority Of the States which
mad the right 10 retain it, and there was
no territory in dispute where there was
the least induccment to establish it. No,
1t was nothing relating to the territories
which gave birth and power to this party ;
but it was organized fr sectional donlna.
ton, to control the domestic institutions
OF the subdued States. What other sig
nifcauce had the declaration of Mr.. Lin
coln--" A house divide against itself
cannot stanl. / believe the government
cannot endure permanently half free and
half slave? The corollaly is ceitriny
clear, that slavery must BE- abolished in
the States where it existed, or extended
into States where it did not exist, or the
Union must be dissolved and being com
I mitted fully against slavery, he declares
for abolition or dissolution. This was his
emancipation proclamation before the
military necessity" was created. He
and his party were as fully committed to
one of the three propositions abolition,
dissolution or civil war-aS they are to.
day, and every subsequent act OF the par
ty has proved it.
Mr.. Seward was yet more explicit il
his Cleveland speech lie said slavery
must be abolished, and you and must do
it," This was said subsequently, in his
/ Rochester speech, in which he announced
the "irreprr>sihie conflict between the
slave States and the free States, and could
mean nothing else than slavery in the
States, for there WAS no United States
Territory in which slavery then existed.
| We could quote similar expressions from
nearly all of the prominent men in the
! party, whose positions gave them the
right to eXpounl the principles Of the
party while there is not one who denied
these doctrines publicly who has been
trusted with any important civil position
by the present administration. We do
not believe that all who voted the rcpub-
lican ticket were abolitioni,tS or disuniont
lists; but that abohtionism was and is the
controlling element in the party, is sus'
ceptible Of proofs which would leave no
doubts on the minds Of any intelligent
jury.
When Abraham Lincoln accepted the
nomination of the Chicago Convention at
the hands Of Horace Greedy, he knew that
he took it, in case Of his election, with
the condition attached, Of abolition or dis
solution. He knew that Seward was de-
lcatcd for the same nomination, expressly
because it MAS thought hc could not be
trusted to carry out lhis policy oi the re-
publican party. lie knew that he was
bound, by every consideration " hich con
tr0iS..an ti0uucIh!, man, ta, u policy, tbe
logical aud inevitable consequences. q
which were civil war. He was pledged
to policy which, if carried out, woulL
make secession u virtue and necessity
with the only alternative Of Tylerizing
his party. This emancipation proc!ama
ton is no more Il military necessity thar
was the abolition of slavery in the Dis
trict of Columbia, or the recognition o
llayti it is simply carrying cut the pre-
determined policy of the party to which
the President stood pledged for peace OF
war. If not State had seeded on th(
accession of the republican party to pow
CT, the attempt of that party to carry on
the policy to which it stood pledged woult
nave furniShcd grounds entireiY JuStlfy
ing revolutionary resistance. The >ccede,
States are only blamcable for r'sorting Il
violent and unlawful measures before the
rights were impcriled. Homicide is onl,
justiiiable in Scf-dcrence a threat doe
not excuse killing so long as other means
Of defence arc lelt. Neither do threatened
wrongs justify revolt against govern
ment, though the actual wrong might
The democrats were the only party in tn,
adhering States which were uncondition
ally for the Union, and are therefore th'
only party with any right to complain o
secession. The republican party are onlI
reaping the fruits OF the tree which they
themselves planted, which We must feet
on for a fault not ours.
! 1t is not emancipation alone which com
pletes the pur poses Of this Jacobin party
Al IL u