The weekly Butte record., 1863-08-01


Government agents should at al times be he'd 10
a strict accountability 70 the people, and that all
errors Of such agents shonli he liable 10 the fall
and free exercise of Gntrammelled popular diScnS-
sion for the purpose Of correction by the ballot box
ReSolred, That we denOunce and Unqualide2iy
condemn the Emancipation Proclamation Of the
President Of the United States. as tending % pro
tract indefinitely civil war, incte seryiie insurree
ton. and Inevitably close the door forever 70 res
t0ratioa Of the Union Of these States.
Resolrcd. That we disapprove Of all C0ngreSSion-
al laws tending l. substitute paper currency in
California in place Of cur own metallic circulating
medium.
Reselcea, That tie spirit and meaning oi the
Democratic platform Of this State are comprised IN
the words, " The Constitution Is II :, AMI the
| Ai0n as II was.
There are other subjects of grave public i'm
portance, not directly embraced in the above
resolutions. Permit me, before closing this
communication, to lay before you my views in
reference 10 them, soliciting that patient and
serious consideration which it becomes q free
people to bestow On all questions that may vi
tally affect their present and future prosperity.
/ When California became sovereign mem
Der Of the American Confederacy, she was en-
dowed with all the rights aud privileges enjoy
ed by any Of the original thirteen States. BY
virtue of that sovereignty she is entitled to all
! the mineral wealth within her boundaries
/ Such is the opinion of successive Legislatures
that have expressed, through various enact
ments, their views on the subject, and such
has been the solemn adjudication of the Su-
preme Court of the State. Thus far the State
has guarded this right with the most jealous
/ care. She holds it IN trust for the benefit of
her citizens, leaving them perfectly free to
work and develop the mines as their own judg
ments may dictate exacting no tribute from
parties in possession, and acquieseiug in the
! local laws made By the miners themselves for
the management and government of their res
pective districts. Any interference with the
mines, then, by the Federal Government, could
result only in uumitigated evil. 1t would i'm
pair, if not destroy all mining titles now exist
ing, and check all future Developments of this
the chief source Of our wealth aud prosperity,
virtually striking at the very foundations of
| our established greatness, and substituting for
the present active energy of our people, wide
spread confusion and desolation shall, there
fore, if elected TO the GubeTuatorial office, sup
port and recommend the policy heretofore
pursued by the State on this subject 1t shall
be nv care, under all circumstances to main |
tain the miners in the sole and undisputed pos. |
session of their claims, undslnrbed by any
edcts or orders of Federal authority, and ex- |
empt from any control or taxation by the |
Federal Government. | am induced to be /
thus explicit on this subject from various indi
cations which have recently occurred, fore
shadowing a disposition on the part of the
present Administration, to assert a control |
over the mines, with view to raise eXtraor
diuary revenue for governmental purposes
Such a course of policy will not be tolerated /
by our citizens, and if persisted in will result |
disasrously to the material interests of the
State. My own opinion is fixed and unaltera
bic, that TO THE MINERS BELONG THE MINES"
and if elected to the Chief Magistracy Of the
State, | pledge myself 10 employ all the power
which the Constitution and the laws may con-
fer on me to the maintenance aud enforcement /
of this policy.
There is another subject of vast Importance
to all classes of onr citizens, and Of special in
terest to the laboring white population of Cal /
iforna. Recent events in the Atlantic States
indicate an immigration to our shores of
large number of the negro race. The destruc-
tive and unconstitutional policy Of the Admin |
istraton has released from seryitude many
thousands of this unfortunate race, in the Dor |
der and other Southern States. They follow
our armies from their old homes to the free
States. There they are not permitted to re-
main, and consequently will, unless prohibitory
measures are adopted, seek an asylum in Cali |
fornia. While duty epjoins Us to act with |
kindness toward those of African descent who |
are already within our borders, sound judg
ment teaches that it is impolitic to permit the
immigration into our State Of q race which
must ever remain a separate and inferior caste.
| The immediate and most obvious effect Of their
presence will be to bring their labor into ruin
ous competition with that of our worthy in-
dustrial classes a result which must be de-
plored by all who regard the material prosper
ity and moral advancement Of the laboring
population, as one of the noblest objects of
States legislation. 10 the event of my election, /
| shall use personal and official influence, as
far as it may be legitmately ezerted, to pro-
cure the passage Of laws TO discourage the i'm
migration of all such persons. 1t will be my
proudest ambition to aid in making California
in every respect, what the pioneers of the |
State designed it should be, the home Of a
happy, enlightened and patriotic race of white |
freemen.
As the federal taxes, which our citizens will /
be obliged to pay for many years to come, |
will necessarily be onerous in the extreme,