The mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1863-1943, 1865-01-28

regAro 70 Iue SuCoo&eG Oh zen. McDOu'
gall. Men with money but without
brainA men With brains but without in
fluenco, and men without either, aspire
to that once exalted position. A few
years ago it was an exalted position, it is
not now. The Jim Lanes, Chambers and
Collamers, assnssins, sots and swindlers,
have lowered it; and the Senate Of the
I UBI.c0 oraGsA IS now IGcrIe sOU4t =,
disreputable body, IN which fanatics and
demsgogues rule. Conness has his man,
q man of straw, Of course, Of feeble intel.
lect and inordinate vanity, and his follow
ers are zealOusly working to pack con-
ventions for him. Gov. Low is under
stood to be CONFESS man. He will be
like wax in his masters hands-moulded
to suit his purposes. CONFESS has no no.
ton Of playing second fiddle to his COL
league; he loves power, clings to it and
will not part with il without desperate
struggle; and he knows that with Low
for his colleague his power will be in
creased rather than diminished. With a
bold, able old line Republican, of the
Frank Pixley stamp, for his colleague, he
would be shorn of his strength, deprived
Of large Share Of Federal patronage, and
forced to take back seat. lie and bis
followers know this well, and they will
use all their power and influence and re-
sort to all sorts Of expedients, to prevent
the election Of talented old line Repub-
lican. They are thoroughly skilled inpo-
litical tricks ; know when and how to
manipulate a weak or corrupt delegate !;
INSCRIPTIONS in the use of means to car
ry point ready to embrace or repudiate
any doctrine that might give them
strength and devoted to their chief and
the spoils at his disposal. Success is
what they aim at, no matter how achiev-
cd. 1t is formidable faction, not formi.
dable in numbers, ability and influence,
but formidable on account of its unity,
selfshness, and total disregard of princi-
Pile; and it will bring disgrace and defeat
upon the Administration party, as il
brought disgrace and defeat upon the
Democratic party. Rule or ruin is its
motto, and it lives up to it.
There is much bitterness Of feeling be.
tween the COnncss faction and the old
Republican party, and the contest for the
supremacy in the county and State con.
ventions in the coming campaign prom
Uses to be exciting and acrimonious. The
old liners are not disposed to submit long.
er to the dictation of their arrogant ally,
whose conversion to their doctrine they
look upon as rather suspicious, especially
as it did not take place until after they
had carried the State by decided major
ity, and q reward was Immediately de.
handed for afiIiating with their party
They believe they could get more able
and less naughty allies for the same price.
After the Republicans had won the battle,
in opposition to CONFESS and his follow
ers, they FASTENED to renounce their prin-
ciples, join the Republican party and de-
mand the spoils Their conversion, the
Republicans believe, was too sudden to
be sincere. "That conversion will be
suspected that apparently cOncurs with
interest,"" says DR.. johnson, and the avid
ity with which the converts seized the
spoils goes far to prove that their CONVEX.
sion was the result of interest.
Both factions are industriously at work,
planning, scheming, marshaling their
forces and watching the movements Of
each other. The Republicans are san
guine, the COnuessites hopeful, relying on
their compact organization and superior
cunning to carry the day. They may
find, however, before tue conventions
meet, that the Republican ranks are not
entirely destitute of men of shrewdness,
and that it is difficult matter to deceive
the same men more than once. Fair
promises and solemn pledges are played
out. The Republicans trusted to them
once and were deceived, and now swear
they will take no more such desperate
chances. They have discovered that their
allies are mere tricksters, and that favors
bestowed upon them, instead of rendering
them grateful, only increase their pre-.
sumption and grcediness after the spoils.
1t is very pretty fight and amusing to
outsiders, and we shall keep our readers
advised Of the progress Of the harmonious
allies.
The candidates already in the field are
COnness' man Low, Sergeant, Phelps,
Pixley, Mem. Shafter, Southland, Winans,
Billings, Brown, Brannon, Edgerton, Stan
ford, MEGA IN, and Tom. Shannon. II
the COnnessites carry the Legislature Ell
Their Low or Shannon will be the man,
and either Of them is competent to be the
tool of CONFESS and competent for moth.
ing else.
-~-~SOS
One OF THEN. The Manchester IN. H.
papers record the absconding of Rev. Mr.
Hall, Methodist minister of that place.
He borrowed money Of many of his
friends before leaving. This political
priest" was one of the Abolition stump
orators during the late canvass, and was