The Shasta courier., 1864-07-09
The Fear of Desp0tism.

| During the last twelve months the Peace
Democracy have made good deal of political
capital in opposition to the so-called "arbi-
trary measures of our present administra
! ion. because it tried to make the secret and
pm accompiices of rebellion harmless. by
banishing them beyond the lines, or by i'm
Trisonment, and because it slenced rebel
newspapers whiah were teaching insurrection
and distortng the current news. in order to
injure the Union cause and discourage enlist
ments. These actions afforded the Copper
heads a pretense to cry out that g the Ad-
ministrration was undermining Liberty and
establishing a Despotism p
| The Union State Convention of Massachu-
sets replied to that mad and foolish assertion
by declaring that Our nation, especially in
the enlightenment of the present century.
will nev ver suffer itself to be treated despotical
": and that all the apprehension that our
| Government could degenerate to Despotisni,
was absurd"
! 1t would be especially absurd to charge the
| loyal of the Union States with despotc inten-
tions. when they are about 70 extend the rights
of men to the negroes and poor whites of the
South. Despotism in this free Union is not
Imaginable, though in the South it has exis
ted, in its worst shape, up to the commence
ment of the war. Can their be greater des-
potism than the mastery of 50,000 slavehol-
ders over 1000. 900 of negroes-a despotism
| which deprived these oppressed people of all
the rights of men, and created many head
ed aristocracy of irresponsible tyrants, with
all the inclinations and passions CT such ? A
despofism which, under the guise of law. de,
prived the non -slaveholding whites of the lib
erty of the press. free speech, free trade and
general education. and which at length ex-
tended over the whole Narth, outlawing the
abol ton party, and stopped the mouths of all
free. thinkers, as it occurred in 1850 and 1855.
Can more cruel despotism be imagined
Was it Black Republican administration
that caused the massacres of Kansas TO force
a despotic Constitution on an unwilling peo-
| ole? Did ever Wing or Republican preach
secession. enforcing his doctrine with arms?
The parties opposed to the pro slavery Dem
ocracy have ever presented pure record
They were the parties of civilization and en-
ightenment-the other the friend of despo-
tism and ignorance. The former respected
the decision of the ballot box, patiently bore
defeat and strove to remedy the evil by means
of a peaceful propaganda, founding schools
and other enlightenlng institutions. 1t was
otherwise with the pro-slaverv Democracy
We don't care to overrun the first ten years of
last three. Calhoun denominating the DEM
ocracy the party for the extension of slavery,
and the aristocracy of races and dominion,
Since then Democracy has been departine
more and more from the principles OF the Dec
laration oflnd-pendenee, misrepresenting the
Constitution by lying interpretations, demor-
alizlng public opinion, putting despotism in
the place of propaganda, cannon in the room
of ballot boxes, and at last trampiing upon
the Constitution and sundering the Union
The truth is that the party which up to this
has held the destiny of the country, always
relied on desJotlSm, executed IN every imag-
Unable form. while others fought against it in
Il variety of ways. That opposition to des
poti>m appeared first in the shape of FEEDER
alism, then Whigism, the Freesoiers and Re-
publicans, what they are at the present day
We don't pretend to be friends of the now
obsolete Whigism, and we are no Republi-
cans, in the marty sense of the word but we
like TO give historical credit due to whatever
branch of partyism.
Now, when and where have the Wings or
Black Republicans been guilty of one single
act of despotism? Have they ever abridged
the freedom of speech or of the ballot? Have
they ever, by means of hirei rufiians, distur-
bed the peaceful meetings of their opponents,
slung-shct in hand? Have they ever given
example by knocking down opponent in
the halls of Congress. or OF the of revoi-
vers in the Legislature? What arbitrary
measures have they recommended to the Gov
ernment? 1t looks very well for that party,
especially since its inhuman massacres in
New York, its riots il the North western
States and interior of Pennsylvania, to cry
out about the . Despotism OF Linceln's Adj
ministration y when the greatest fault If that
Administration has been too great modera-
ton aud forbearance, in view Of the prodigious
responsibilities by which it is surrounded. If
the Administration had applied little of the
despotism authorized by material law if at
the commencement of this war it had hanged
and shot several dozen of TRAITORS who broke
their oath of allegiance, together with some
hundreds of rebel spies. deserters from the
army, rioters. guerrilias, aitorous generals
and other officers it it had promptly and
vigorously punished poisoning traitors at the
North and hanged rebel pirates; if it had
draf ed, without exception, all able bodied
Young men between Is and So "a early as
1862, the Coppeshea party would not now
exist in the North to thwart the purposes OF
liberal Gov rnment and give encourage
ment to lebeis .t the South. A beneficial
little fright would have at once paralized the
insurgents. The whole North and nearly
three iourths of the South would have ap
plauded tae wisdom and energy of Mr. Lin
coin Administration.
All the despotism to be feared, may be ex-
pected from the Copperheads, if we permit
them to regain power. We can see now, in
full htom IN the South what the Cnpperheads
desire in the North Was there ever great
er despo,ism than that of the miscreant JEFF.
Davis ?-N.p York German Democrat.
DoN'r CARE FaR HIS BLEsslNG.-After the
COMMITTEE on Platform in the Cleveland Con-
vention made its report, member moved To
amend by adding. With the blessing of God.'
The President put the motion: ''All in
favor of the blessing of God say aye"-there
was perhaps fifty ayes, and when the navs
were put . prolonged response. nay
tram three times as many as answered aye
NJ fh.ax. 1t Il N