Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1868-09-12
DEMOCRATIC WEAPONS.

ent campaign, either offensive or defensive.
are the omnitresent '.nigger," +" Radical ex-
travagance" and the .bloated bondholder :
these three articles constitute the entire stock
In the Democratic junk-shop. and upon these
subjects their speakers and presses ring as
many changes as could be played on that
mythical musical instrument, "the harp OF
thousand strings" Having established
themselves upon a platform, the principal
plank in which is reputation. and beneath
whose foundation the slumbering fires of rev.
olution require but the breath of success to
be famed into fame. they seek to divert pop
ular attention from the realities of their po-
sition by cutie fish system of tactics. The
chief auxiliary employed in the accomplish
ment of this purpose-the thunderbolt which
is to annihilate their opponents and sweep
them from the field like an Alpine avalanche
is the negro. 1t is really astonishing to
listen to Democratic speakers and learn that
the inofendirg African was the sole cause of
the war, and positively frightful to contem-
plate the evils which he is yet to entail upon
the country. Viewed from Democratic
standpoint, through the medium of sha-
bismatic rebel lens. the putting down of the
rebellion was simply an abolition war;"
having for its sole object the freeing of the
negroes. The Southern people were fighting
for their rights, liberties and "white mans
government" the North was struggling for
conquest and negro equality. This is the
Democratic version of the whole matter -
Davis, Forrest, Hampton, Wise and other
good Democrats of similar character had
nothing to do with creating the disturbance
whatever. They are in nowise responsible
for the thousands of lives sacrificed, oceans
of blood shed, millions of treasure spent and
billions of Indebtedness incurred by the ma
ton during the past seven years. To be
sure they fired the Southern heart" melted
rebellion and led their deluded followers to
the battle field; they starved Union prison.
ers to death in Libby prison and at Ander-
sonville; their hands are yet red with the
blood of their loyal countrymen; since the
cessation of hostilities they have hanged, shot
tarred and feathered and tortured the Union
lists of the South. burned their houses and
banished them from their homes. Still they are
guilty of no crime, amenable to no law. The
negro is alone to blame, and the "chivalry',
are now asking the people to allow them to
mete out his punishment. While according
to Democratic doctrine. the negro caused the
ing in comparison with the horrifying results
he is yet to accomplish unless the country is
redeemed from Radical misrule." His 60
ing to elect our President and assist In enact
ing laws for the nation he will marry our
daughters, elope with our wives and monop-
olize things generally; he is going to drink
whisky at the same bar, ride in the same car
and stage coach with us, do all the work and
drive every white man out of the country !;
he has the impudence to refuse to be whip
ped and bounded by his former master, and
the good old custom of hanging OF burning
the refractory negro at the stake, has become
obsolete. And this wretched state of affairs
is entirely owing to I" Radical misrule'' We
leave it to our readers if this is not thebur-
den of the Democratic song. No enthusiasm
can be created at Copperhead meeting un-
til the "nigger" is thrown to the audience
and sacrificed as a peace offering for the
blacker crimes Of Democracy. A Copper
head stumper who cannot wash the rebel
Democracy white as the driven snow in the
blood of the negro, would be hooted from
the stand. The devils with which the Dem
ocratic party is possessed, and they are lc-
gion, cannot be cast out and made to enter
the negro, let the efforts of the Copperhead
high priests be ever so strenuous. Now, the
facts of the case are simply these: The DEM
ocratic party, and not the negro, caused the
war, fought it to the bitter end and is respon-
sible for our enormous Indebtedness and bur-
densome taxation to-day. In those States
which have been reconstructed, the status of
the negro, politically, is definitely fixed.
Nothing short of amending the Constitutions
of those States as well as the fundamental
law of the United States, can change it. 1t is
barely possible but not probable that this
can be effected, at least not for years. Negro
suffrage, at the South, is fixed fact, which
the result of the present campaign cannot
affect, provided the laws of the country are
enforced. Less Objectionable terms to the
people of the South were proFered them, but
they utterly refused to accept. BY their ac-
ton they absolutely forced the present con-
dition of affairs upon themselves, and are
alone responsible for it. So far as the loyal
States are concerned, the Union Republican
party is not in favor of universal suffrage,
unless the people desire it. The question is
not being agitated, neither is it pertinent to
the issues now before the public. 1t is a
matter wholly within the jurisdiction of
the States themselves, and the party in
power has no desire to interfere with their
prerogatives. Further than this, the politi-
cal standing of the African race does not de-
line his social status. Because the negro has
the right to vote, it does not open the doors
of society to him, by any means. Prejudice
and caste are too powerful barriers to be
scaled even with the potent aid of the ballot
The Democrats will fail to deceive any in
telligent man with the cry of ''nigger." There
is too much at stake in the pending canvass
for people to be led astray by clap-trap. They
are aware that this election decides whether
we are to have government or not, and that
knowledge has spiked the "big gun" of De-