San Andreas independent., 1857-07-04
To Col Joseph s. Watkins.

TO Col Joseph s. Watkins
SRA number of your fellow citizens, scith-
out distinction Of party, knowing your political
antecedents, your character both in public and
private life, and thoroughly acquainted with
your views in regard to the important domestic
questions now pending in our own State, have
thought proper, in this form to request, yea to
urge you most earnestly, that you will, without
further delay, allow your name to be presented
to the people of California as suitable candi-
date for the office of Governor.
1t is not as mere partisanS that we make this
demand. 1t is not merely as personal friends
of yours or as your political admirers that we
claim you as your candidate for the responsible
station of Governor 1t is as patriots that we
address you in behalf of the best interests of
our common country. 1t is as the enemies of
fraud and corruption that We claim you as our
champion at the present critical moment in the
history of our infant State. 1t is in no spirit of
low adulation that we say: The acortd knows
you to be an honest man, infexibly opposed to
knavery and all who practice it, whether in pri-
vate lite or public place; true and Jealous
party man, but loving your country and your
principles far more than party or faction
Democrat, and as such cordial and firm sup
porter of Mr. Buchanan and his avowed meas
ures of policy, and yet high-minded and in
dependent citizen, daring to think for yourself
and to act for yourself on all occasions, regard
less of the tyrannous and selfish commands of
caucusses or cabals, falsely and arrogantly
speaking in the name of party, and, without
legitimate authority, undertaking to act as the
representatives of the sovereign people.
We recognize in you the same virtues and
qualifications which made you for more than
twenty years trusted Democratic leader in the
Ancient Dominion: which secured you the
confidence of Jackson and all the members OF
his august cabinet and which commanded for
you the respect and admiration even of those
with whom you were sometimes compelled to
conflict 6ercely and energetcally for party as
tendency. We know you to be altogether free
from all taint of sectional predjudice, loving all
honest men and patriots alike, wherever born
or wherever nurtured, and prepared to do the
fullest justice to every class of your fellow
citizens. We desire you to enter the political
arena at the present moment, because great
principles of social and political reform are in
volved in the pending struggle for Executive
hOnors, and we rejoice to behold in you the
open and fearless advocate of these principles.
The time has come for revising of the Con-
stitution and we desire you to be our candi-
date for Governor, because are warm friends
to the scheme of revision, and your election will
greatly tendto secure the attainment of this in
teresting object.
We are utterly opposed to the unconsttution-
al and fraudulent contraction of public debt
and we recollect that you have ever occupied
that ground. We are hostile to the project of
humbugging the people of California, at the COM
ing election into hasty and mdiscramtndte as
sumption of the whole mass of State indebted
ness existing, because we believe that there
is no authority in the Constitution for assuming
such Indebtedness in the mode proposed and
because such assumption would inevitably have
the effect of encouraging the perpetration of
the same fraudulent and lawless devices here
after as have been heretofore put in practice,
and which if not now brought to an end, will
result in hopeless and disgraceful bankruptcy.
We are in favor of scrutinizng the whole sub
ject of State Indebtedness, coolly and deliber-
ately, in the Convention which conf
IDENTIFY expect to be called for amending the
State Constitution drawing line of discrimi-
nation between that which has been honestly
and legitimately contracted and that which has
not been thus Contracted providing for the
earliest convenient payment of the former, and
providing also for the ultimate payment of the
latter, if some plan can be adopted for this pur-
pose which will be accompanied by additional
safeguards against all similar accumulations, in
all time to come. We rejoice to understand
that your views are precisely in harmony with
our own upon this momentous subject; and
feel confident that your elevation to the office of
Governor will be great and decisive move
ment towards the attainment of the important
objects indicated.
The people of California desire and need a
f-ugal administration and we know of no man
in the State who is altogether so reliable on
this subject as yourself. They are earnestly
solicitous to prevent all future stealiag of the
public money from the treasury; and we know
of no man who would be so likely as yourself
to prove in the Gubernatorial station, fearless
and sleeplcss guardian OF their fiscal interests
The People, THE PEOPLE, sir, demands you as
their candidate; will you them, if elected?
Dare you be their champion? Will you CO.
operate with them in reScuing California from
threatened disgrace and ruin Will You aid in
the uprooting of corruption Will you lead
them forward to such victory as the whole civ
ilized world will rejoice over, and will Sc
cure to yourself the approval of your own con-
science, and the lasting gratitude of your coun-
try? We ask, we urge immediate reply.
The PEOPLE.