The mountain Democrat., 1863-02-21
Decentralization.

There is some stealing and some rob-
berry committed, Notwithstanding the
law furnishing these oEfcnSes , but repeal
all laws against stealing and robbery, and
who would be safe for a moments?
The Herald took exceptions thereto,
| and commented on it as follows
Tolerable as a proposition in logic, but
| the suggestion is not true in point oil
| fact. In the mines, during the early days
of California, there was no such thing as
law or lawyers, and such crimes as steal
ing or robbery were scarce known 4; for
if suspicion Of such an offense was at
tached to an individual, his death war
| rant was as good as signed. Property was
never so safe in this State rs before we
| had law and courts to punish stealing
| 4 law which treats, as criminal, otfenSes
which the moral sense of the community
| does not recognize as criminal, cannot be
! enforced; but without any written law
| against them, oifcn>eS which the mOr0J
sense Of the community recognize as
! criminal will always meet with prompt
! punishment III may be ASSUMED a. a
matter OF fact that if we had neither laws
! or courts in san Francisco to punish
! thieves and robbers. the community
! would not have in its midst one offender
! Of that sort where it now has hundred.
We copy the foregoing as an evidence
Of the denoralzing Influence of the pres
ent ciyil war. The Herald is one Of the
Union saving Journal Of this State, which
, troubles itself almost INCREASINGLY about
the loyalty Of the Express. 1t was one
OF the loudest bawlcrs for ;he enforcement
of the Laws aud the preservation Of the
| C"nsututi'n. Bot it has veercd around
with the Administration, keeping pace
with it and adapting It's steps to the mu-
sic Of the President. 1t craSe1 to speak
of the necc>>jty Of preserving the ConSti-
tuition, AID endorsed all the uncon>titu.
tional acts of the President on the plea OF
necessity. OF course there was but one
other step to be taken, AND that was to
repndiatr law. Til, it has pretty nearly
accomplished. aS the foregoing will de-
monstrate. The editor thinks the State
! was better o" witaoat law than with il,
at least, IN the instance above rccitcd.
! \ few days az, "A intelligent Republican
remarked to Us that he felt alarmed at the
/ evident de-, 'yr;.'v Of the times ; that the
people seemed 10 have lost their love for
free gov mrnt. We could not with
/ hold 0r ...a";v concurrence, so far as the
Repul An party is concerned. How
could O.; hg otherwise: The very organi-
zpt If the Republican party was
pro. I'd 10y laA less spirit The Con-
I s.. 80 which placed Fremont in nomi-
i'.. IS the Pr, ,!rncv was composed
-. ti, 1, l., l., l.,
dl..par.' They were the representa-.
tive NJ those no believed that no law
MS hiuliu. when it rauc In conflict with
jh~'' CONSEQUENCES mon who opposed the
cji,tc,mrHt If tht Fugitive S,1ve Law,
ari pa>>-.i laws 10 l4ni>!i tha-. who aid
yi in enforcing it. The same iawlr>s
spirit Lra-pcl approyiug'y all the uhcon'
St;tut;1uai ar's ui the Aitu;ui i>tratipn.
I.-l forward by lr-rcr>, III" tan'tics have
h.cruc ~ iaui..ar'I i wi,h u-'!.intion
anl iawir~snr>- ut tHry ar almost
rca " ir arv tr>ro'a'c AMI ruiuouS
IN 81 urc~. Etrlual ,.-i,ar'e is truly the
Wit. ii ubrlty The ouiy safety is To
,c;.l every iuvr>i .-pl~the Constitution
and require N.,t tac public servants
>N.GN H. = strictly within its limits
>usu >hr.'~ ~ IT," iIr'ali, but the p"o-
f." r~. as.> .i'.-, nj .a>t, /" its truth
i,'ur~- II are he.ouj.. justly alarmed
f,r 'ur ~4'.tv ot their .jbcriics.-- Marys
vii, Evprc-<.
lsA S.l.G " uorar.-Wc heard tire
u.a'ncl il cuuvar,Ttion, the other eve
aiu-. taat since .Jrii Davis had issued n
c rtaiu proclamation. in which he com
m,uuvl the Interests Of the South 10 the
care ot tlc Alni-hty, wc had rot gained
>jH-'. victory. This somewhat startled
ue, aud We remarked that Father Abra
ham has iutruSted the interests Of the
North to tie care Of the Almighty, also.
ahl We could not understand why jeff
should have tie preference. y friend
sitting rear solved the mystery by re.
marking that "God did not know whether
.,'c was in earnest or oufy joking -
iFa,Tiy,i Iowa. Constitution.
=. \ GGEsT EruCu, GtT SMALL MEN.-AS
4 rur wc find that occasions have pro
uvci -r.4t m.', in rUH'il :, over the his.
tory ot mr:hinl, from the exoius Of the
Jews from Egypt. See what cou>tpl'a.
the American Revolution If 1916, with
Wa>hiugtoo at their heal; and what Il
host of mighty characters were drvel
opci by the first French Revolution in
Guiding the most wonderful man Of all
tjmr- Napoleon Bnnapartc. Bnt here,
in the midst Of the most momcutouS rev
nlutionary uphcaval in the history Of man
kind, We have little else to cxhi pit brvond
plentiful crop Of small potatoes New
4 York Herald.
IL A BAD WAY.-The Alta, which in.
sisted on the election Of Mr.. Phelps, after
as before the conduct Of WatrouS was eX.
posed, has got into milf, and boils over
with righteous Indignation thus:
ITO elect representatives, to the LegiS
laturc is to license certain men to prey
upon us. All that is going on about
laws aud regulations is only blind
The real function Of the Legislature is to
absorb Sl0,j00 every week, and diSgorge
it afterwards in the barrooms and board
ing houses Of Sacramento"
TnE New York Observer began its
forty first year with the first of January.
1t says that tie founders, proprietors, ed
itors, and all who have had any RESPONSE
be connection with its editorial columns
and business management, still live and
in good health.
| DtWNG the last year nearly thirty
tn uSand people aScended tho winding
stairs of Bunker Ilill Monument The ad-
mission fees to the monument are applied
in the imnroYement of the nremisns md