Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-08-03
AWord with Union Men.

independent people-the right of suffrage;
right which our forefathers fought to gain,
and which we have struggled to maintain.
The elective franchise is the great distinguish
ing mark between republics and monarchies.
Freemen express their will silently at the
ballot box; despots proclaim their decreess
from the cannon's mouth. Rulers, under a
republican form Of Government. are the ser
wants of the people; the people are the
slaves Of Kings. The BALLOTS the great con-
servator of the rights and liberties Of people
in whose hands it Is placed, and its voice is
mightier than the sword. AT the approach
ing election, questions Of more vital impor-
tance to the American people than any which
have heretofore arisen during our existence
as a nation, will be settled whether favor
ably or antagonistically to our national
prosperity, remains to be determined. Two
parties-the Union and Democratic-the
antipodes Of each other in their platforms of
principles have placed their representative
in the field, and are appealing to the people
for their suffrages. The momentous ques-
tions at issue between the contending parties
have been brought before the bar of public
opinion for final settlements the people are
the jury and the party press and speakers the
advocates. Let us examine the antecedents
of the parties htigant. We contend that the
| Democratic party Of to-day, as well as the
| Union organization, dates its existence from
the outbreaking Of the rebellion. The boom
/ ing of the first gun trained on Fort Sumter
loaded by Democratic hands and sighted by
Democratic eyes, was the announcement Of
the birth of both parties, actuated by two
distinct and avowed purposes-the preserva-
| ton and the destruction of the Government.
The withdrawal of the Southern members
! from Congress was but a preliminary step :;
the hosting of the curtain behind which their
motives had been screened. The firing on
Sumter was the first act of the bloody drama
which was enacted on Southern soil, in
which nation took part as actors with the
world for an audience. The contest was
nominally a conflict between the existing
| Government and the revolving States but
IN reality 1t was war Of principles-a battle
between freedom, equality and justice, and
slavery, caste and ignorance. The principles
of the Union party, backed by the sturdy
arms of the loyal masses of the North, were
at last triumphant and the Democracy
compelled to lay down their arms. After d
lapse of six years, the dircful conflict has
ceased. The doors of the Temple of Janus
are closed. The shrieks of the dying, the
means Of the wounded, and the prayers of
the starving, emaciated skeletons confined in
Confederate prisons at Andcrsonyille and
Belle Isle, are forever hushed. The smoke
of battle has cleared away and devastated
fields and burning villages no longer mark
the track Of victorious armies. The victory
has been gained, but at what sacrifice
Union men, the blood of three hundred
| thousand of your brethren enriches Southern
soil, and their bones are bleaching beneath a
Southern sun. VIII you permit the fruits of
the victory which they purchased with their
lives upon the battle field, to be wrested from
you by their murderers st the ballot box
Have you forgotten how the Copperhead
allies of Southern traitors laughed and
chuckled over every reverse of the Union
arms: Are they not as bitterly hostile to-
day to the principles of liberty and equality
as they we're while the war was in progress !:
Read their platform and see. They de-
nounce the reconstruction measures adopted
by Congress, are opposed to the ratification
Of the Constitutional Amendments abolishing
slavery, and are in favor of making color,
instead of manhood, a requisite to the ex-
ercise of the elective franchise. In fact, they
are putting forth all their energies, re-
doubling their exertions and straining every
nerve to regain by the ballot what they lost
by the bayonet. Inspired with fresh hope
by the dissenslons which political charlatans
have created in the Union ranks, they are
laying their plans, organizing their forces and
will make desperate effort to carry the
election this Fall. Should they be success
fHl, what will be the result: Without the
vote of the Legislature of this State the
amendments to the Constitution cannot be-
come a part of our fundamental law, and
until they are ratified slavery is not abolished.
Shall the vote of California, a State whose
citizens have escaped all the horrors of
actual warfare, and who, during the contin-
uance Of the rebellion, were in the quiet en-
/ ioyment of the blessings of peace and pros
perity, be wanting to break forever the fetters
of the slave and let the oppressed go free !:
Has the blood Of the nation been poured
forth like water for naught: Union men,
viii you allow personal spite, prejudice and
political animosity to so warp your judgment
that you will cast your votes for Copper
heads, or their allies. the so-calletl National
/ Republicans We think not. Recollect that
STATE officers, are now elected for four years.
If you stand by your colors, victory is a GER
tainty, and before the expiration Of the ternfs
Of Office Of those elected this Fan. the ques-
tons which now distract the country will be
happily settled. On the contrary should
you prove recreant to your principles defeat
Is inevitable, not only of the party in this
State. but also Of several measures of vast
Importance III a national point of view.
Union men reflect. The National Repub-
lican movement is simply Coppcrhead
snare. Wavering Union men hold
the balance of power between the two
parties. In your hands is placed the power