The mountain Democrat., 1863-08-01
To the People OF the State Of
California.

| circumstances IHe peuple are euiiIIeu u
demand from every candidate for their
Sufragrs, who aspire to a legislative or
executive position, n candid exposition of
his opinions un all qurStioNs which firm
the BASIS Oi our political organizations,
aud an explicit statement If the policy
that he v i'll adopt in the event of his el,c-
li0N. Such course, rminently proper in
the existing situation uf the county, is
certainly III accordance with my own in
cIinatI"n. entertain no views which |
would fear to avoW, aud would accept no
office ohtnincd by the sacrifice Of candor
auh integrity.
InaSmuch aS my health at this time pre-.
vents ue from making an extended can
vAss Of the State, and comforting with you
personally, desire in the present cOmmu
"icatlon t" record III language which no
one can fail tn understand, nv deliberate
opinions II the constitutional rights and
pow er> "f the Federal and State G"vern-
nirnt>, and th,ir relative duties. II j. my
design, in this connection, To- lay before
y"u the line of policy which dem pro-
per aud applirahle in the unauagr'n Mt If
our State affairs. Soicit for them your
impuI tIAl conSii, ration; assuring you that
how ever impe fectly expressed, they are
the conclusions III u Judgment which seeks
only thr truth, aud "i heart that desires,
ah"vr all earthly aspirations, the welfare
Of Caiii"rnia the pcrpctuliy of the Fed.
eral Union, and the preservation of the
Constitution With all its guarantees Of lih-
erty. These ofjct t. can be obtained by
r .f,l. l.
the spirit aud letter If the Constitution,
aS und-rstnHd by the fathers v no framed
! our urinStItution>, and interpreted by the
! Supreme Court of the United Slatrs.-
Even III period of profound tranquility,
deviation by any department Of the Gov
ernment from the sphere Of action pre-
scribrd fur it bv the organic Law of the
, land, is attended with dangerous results.
But in time Of war and extraordinary ex.
element, when sectional animO>iiieS are
intensified, whrn the passions OF the null
! tiluie, and the Zeal Of the dominant party
are i"uo!erant of any opposition, the Fe-
Straints and limitations imposed by law on
the Federal Government should be sacred
! " observed 4 persistent diSrrga Of
them by our rulers, il sanctioned by the
! people, must speedily lead to revolution
and anarchy terminating in the overthrow
Of constitutional liberty and the diSSolu
ton Of the Union. During the first sixty
! years of our national existence no states,
man, nor piumIn, mt leader Of any political
party. dared to paIliate, mucM less to jus.
tlly, All encroachmcnt by the General
! Government oTNihe nights Of the States OF
/ the liberties of the citizen. JUDGED, such
was the jealous schedule of the fathers
/ on this subject, that at the final session ni
! the trSt Congress of the United States,
the i"lioWing ancndmeI't t0 the C0usu'
! tuition was Pru:o>rd. and subsequently,
adupt,d by the requisite number OF
/ States
| "rhe pn~ers not dele gated to the United States
! by the Constitution, h"r prohibited by 1t to the
STATES, r',ened to the States, respectively, or
To the people,
! Cnth The advent INTO oWrI Of the Re
pnnran party tie tuI' going amendment
~a> hi ii not less ubhSat"rt' '''rn the
giants Of power Ia the Federal Govern-
meut, Ietlted III the fundamental iaw.
M state i more ioval ~ devoted to the
| American Uhloh than California. She
has responded With alacrit, tu all demands
made ON b r patriotism, has paid with
uncUmplaInlng checrtu ness her portion ot
| the OneIuus taX,A levied by the Govern.
ment, and c"ntrlbuteda a larger amount tn
the National sanitary Fund tnan any one
Uf her sister States.
But while California has furnished the
most gratifying evidence OF an ardent and
unselu>h attachment to the Union, Yet
her citizens must have Witnessed with ap-
preheli>iun and abh0rrcuce repeated acts
h tyranny, u>urpatton aud corruption,
practiced by the Republican Adminl>Irn.
! tiun and Congress al Washington CITY,
! aud then 0tticla :, both civil and mi tarv,
Throughout the United Stat,S. We have
seen IaI tai la~ proclaimed aud the wit
~ habea> corpus suspended, the tight OF
! trial hV jury Il, MED. the >anCtIty uf tie
| mails violated, contributions levied on
whole communities by Irresponsible mil,
tarN suhOr'IInate>, Imprl>nHment, bani>h.
ncnt or death Inflicted ou citizens accused
ot nO crirnt and tiled before tribunals un-
knuwn To the laws, and a system Of espi-
"uagr and secret police established which
finds parallel only in the annals Of Asia
tic deSpntI>m. Newspapers which ven.
turrd to complain # thrhe outrngrS have
heen intribit Suppressed bv or'irr ,f Guv-
eTmim ut, 'r refused all mail facilities, and
meetings Uf the people called to cun>i lrr
and praceahly petition for a r, dress nf
grievances have been iii. perAe at tn
polnt 0f the baynnet. Bear III mind that
these WRONGS have not been perpetratrd
slnne in sections Of the country where re.
billion prevailed, but in loval States Of the
North not by lawlcS> aud irresponsible
InobS, but pnblicIy and NhameleSsly. by
the express order,nr with the otiicial sane
ton of the Administration. Again, the
Constitution of the United States. Article
4, Section 3. enactt that New States NAV
he admitted hy Congress into this Union,
but no new State shall be formed or erect
ed within the jurisdiction Of any other
State, or any State be formed by the juno.
tion of two or more States, or parts of
States, without the consent Of the Legis-
latureS Of the Stats concerned, as well as
Of Congress" In defiance of this plain
prohibition Of the organic Law, Congress,
at its last session, passed an Act, which
the President approved, ,dis'nembering the
State of Virginia and forming within her
boundaries a new State, without the con.
sent of the Legislature. The action Of
the Government in reference to Virginia is
Of peculiar significance to our people, as
propositions have been advocated by lead
ing statesmen of the Republican party to
dismember California by creating two new
States within her limits; a measure viii b
would add to the burthen OF our tax.rid
den citizens, without any corresponding
benefits.
Finally, the President of the United
States, by his emancipation proclamation,
| has attempted to interfere with an insti.