Year: 1859

IL IL somewhat curious TO note the history
of Lecomptonism, from its rise to the pres
ent stage Of its progress on the path way to
sure destruction. |It. is very curious to see
what the original basis Of the thing il, for
when you sift down its principles, if princi
pies you may call them, to their true sub
stance, you find that the great governing
idea, the great fundamental doctrine of thi,
new tangled party is this-that Democratic
president is the leader of the party, and that
no matter what he does, it is treason TO III,
party to oppose him. Right or wrong, eve
ry Democrat in the land must acquesce in
what the President says or does, no matter
II he openly violates Democratic principles
individual judgment must give way to Exec
utive dictation-no individual member of the
Democratic party has a right to differ with
the President-not even majority of the
party has right to differ with him-if he
! gives a new and strange construction to Dem


ocratic doctrines, that construction must be
acquesced in, without a murmur or a ques-
ton. This. we say, is the great governing
idea of 'the Lecompton party, for their now
forming notion that slave code must be en-
acted for the Territories is hardly yet fully
| incorporated into their creed, although it
will be- Governed by such an idea, their
whole course has been perfectly consistent.
In their estimation, Douglas was a traitor to
the parry, not because he did not stand on
the Cincinnati Platform and the ere ed of De
mocracy, for they know he did, but because
he opposed the President. The great bur
den of the cry against him has been that
he dsorganized the Democratic party by OPP
posing the President at IA critical period in the
history of the country. Not word, howev.
er, about the President himself disorganizing
the party by an effort to iufuse into it spir-
it that was repugnant to its whole character
and antagonistic to its whole history All
through the great fight in the United States
Senate, all through the great struggle in Hi
nois, and down to the time that Douglas was
removed from the Craftsmanship Of the Com.
mittee on Territories, this same cry of the
Lecomptonites against him has been, that he
opposed Democratic Administration. No
matter if that Administration, for its part,
opposed Democratic principles,-th was
another afair-Douglas opposed the Admin
istration on one solitary issue, and that was
treason to the Democratic party The an
tagonism of the Lecomptonites, therefore,
have been mere personal antagonisme. Ev-
cry man that opposed the President in his
Kansas policy has been warred upon vindic-
lively, and it has been followed up systemat-
ieally in every State of the Union. In this
State, not only opposition to the Kansas pol


icy Of the Administration of Mr. Buchanan,
but opposition to his Federal representatives,
has seemed to be the governing idea of lie.
comptonism. The Lecompton organization
is bound to be Federal organization. Sup
port the Administration, right or wrong 10
its fundamental creed, and, as consequence,
support the interests and obey the dictation
of its Federal appontees, or be crushed. III
this is not its creed, it is very singular that
these Federal appointees invariably rule the
roast-sit up in the high places in the syna-
gogues and dictate to the balance of the par
ty. 1t is somewhat singular, if this state Of
things be not true, that no friend of John B.
Weller, or other aspirant in opposition to the
Custom House Clique, as it is called, howev
er good Lecomptonite he may be, can get
any favors at the hands of the party in pow.
er. Very strange. that every political move
ment that is made is for the benefit of that
side of the house Accidentally, one might
suppose, it would be sometimes in favor of
the other but it never happens so. B. F.
Washington has the Lecompton organization
of this State SO completely under his thumb
that we think he might very safely, now,
make this sort of test for the Lecompton
Democracy: Support the President and B


+. Washington, in all things, or you are no
Democrat" This sort of test, it is true,
would drive out John B. Weller and all his
fast friends. but then the majority of the Lee
compton organization would still be left to
the Grand Sachem, b. F. w, and the party
would be unit. The cry Of regularity >
would still be good, and every Lecompton-
ite who respected the magic word would rally
to the newly erected standard. AS James
Buchanan is the leader of the Lecompton
party in the Union, so is b. F. Washington
the leader Of the Lecompton party in this
State. Was he not the very first prominent
politician in California to declare himself for
the Presidents Lecompton policy? True,
he had the misfortune at the time to hold
Federal office which paid him well, and thus
was obliged to submit to the d:sgraeeabe
necessity of having the disnterestedness ofhis
motives suspected Nevertheless, the fact is


true that he was the first to speak out, bold


ly and above board, and to call upon Demo


cracts to take sides once and forever, either


for or against the President. His bold as


sumption of responsibility at that critical
! juncture-w hen others of the present Le-
compton politicians were as mum as mice in
a corner, and afraid to express an opinion, or,
if they did, expressed it in favor of Douglas,
entities him to take the lead of the entire
organization, as he has already taken it and
taken it to keep it, All these other Lecomp.
ton politicians are mere minnows beside this
big fish that flaps his tail in the Lecompton
waters and they foam If he don't eat them
all up, for breakfast spell, they have need
to be thankful.