Daily national Democrat., 1858-12-11
There xva. n way after All.

Ihere was n way htei Ah'
The Express treated with great contempt,
| the other day, the complaints Of several pro-
minent and influential presses against Gov.
Weller for not suppressing mob violence, and
| declared, as well as we recollect, that, ac-
cording 10 claw and political science" in
which it seemed to intimate that it was ANA.
zingly well posted, all that the Governor
could do in cases of infractions of the law by
mobs, was to wait until somebody resisted a
civil process, which process it was the duty
of subordinate officers to originate and en-
force. 1t now concludes that there is way
in which the Governor can act ab initio in
the premises, and says:
1--WE direct the attention of the newly con-
verted claw and order" press, that are so dis
tressed Mt the alarming prevalence of mob
ocracy," and Gov. Weller's failure to enforce
the law, to the fact that that functionary has
issued proclamation. that may be more
touching to their nervous systems than the
late mob hangings were
/ Here follows the proclamation:
! WHEREAS have received satisfactory evil
dence that Il band of lawless individuals did,
on the 30th Of Nov. 1858, at Los Angeles
force the County Jail and take therefrom
prisoner, one Pancho Daniel, and execute him
without authority of law; and whereas, simi-
lar atrocous acts have been perpetrated in
Tuoumne, and some of the other counties of
this State,
Now, therefore, by virtue of the authority
in me vested, by the constitution and laws of
this State, | hereby offer reward of ONE
THOUSAND DOLLARS, for the arrest and
conviction of any, or either of the persons or
parties who have been engaged in these un-
lawful executions.
Of course this proclamation will simply
amount to nothing, because, in order to en-
force the law, it is necessary that public opin-
ion should sustain it. In the eye Of the law,
every man engaged in those hanging opera
tions is guilty of murder, but the people will
not so consider it, and would refuse to allow
one Of their number to be interfered with on
account of his connection with the transac
tions alluded to- Should the local judicial
tribunals issue warrants for the arrest of the
offending parties, and the ministerial officers
undertake to execute them, the people would
make resistance, and protect each other to the
bitter end. The officers would summon as
sistance from the body of the county, but il
would not be forthcoming for respectable
citizens do not like to shoot down their
equally respectable neighbors Then, the
Governor, being called upon, would order
out the volunteer or uniform companies or
other militia of the State" but they would
probably refuse, to any considerable extent,
to respond to the call. If they did respond,
then there would be civil war Such is, we
think, well founded view of the case based
on the present state of public opinion in Cali
fornia. 1t is deplorable state of opinion We
will admit, and ought to be rectified. But,
such being the condition Unpopular feeling, it
is very doubtful whether Governor Weller
has the nerve, despite his boosted disregard
of popular clamor," to press to an extremity
the high-sounding declaration of his inaugu-
raj manifesto, to the effect that he would |
maintain the supremacy of the law at dill
hazards" 1t is his sworn duty nevertheless
to do this very thing, irrespective of any de-
clarations that he may have made pro or con-
1t is certainly high time that lynch law
were done away with in this country, and
much do we fear that it will not cease for
many years, unless some terrible example is
made. But who viii take the responsibility
Of that example?