Daily national Democrat., 1861-06-09
1ailp acknowledgements.
Letter from DIR. L. L. wilkins.
ALpEnMAnLE, Cal, June sth, 1861.


through the Southern and Eastern States to
a;ve them an account of what saw and
1.ord while there, and what are the convic-
lions left upon my mind from those observa-
,;ors have thought that it might be inter
os,;no TO some and instructive to others to
make few plain statements of facts in rela-
zion to some of the questions Of deep interest
to every patriot in the land have made
ssection of your paper for this communica-
,io0 because we fought side by side in the
last campaign, honestly and faithfully, to pre-
cont the occurrence of the very state of
.h;ncs now existing throughot the length and
,.oodth of our then vast and united Union,
hrt now wretched and divided people. Hay
;,c then labored to restore the friendly feel
;ng and brotherly love between the two Sec
lions of our common country, that existed
mept, and by which alone its integral parts
were held together; and having given proof
of our sincerity by exhibiting to the world
the fact that you, a son of the mighty North,
and l, an offspring of the dauntless South,
could think and work cordially and faithfully
together for the attainment of the same end,
the preservation of cur glorious Union
whose blessings we have both shared and
whose expressions we know not, and know
not Of But, having failed in the attainment
of these cherished hopes, the question natur-
ally arises what is next to be done We pre-
dcted then that the election of a sectional
President would threaten the very existence
Of our Union, and pointed out the dangers
regret to say too plainly, upon which our
opponents were madly driving us, and the
rock upon which our noble ship of State has
been rent in twain. l do not propose in this
communication to examine critically as to
the causes that have lead to the present
lamentable and fearful condition into which
our country has become involved, nor do
intend to discuss the sufllciency or insufficient
cy OF these causes to produce the mighty ef-
feets that are but too palpable to every one.
Political demagogues and fanatical preachers
have doubtless had much to do with it, but
God l never shall 1t is with the present
that have TO deal now with the ardent
hope that the future may develope the fact,
at least in California, that there are many yet
to preach the Christian doctrine of peace on
earth and good will towards men. The in
discriminate abuse Of this high teaching has
surely engendered much bad blood and bad
feeling in the present unfortunate and un-
natural contest between the two great Sec
tions Of our country and will as surely con-
tinue TO increase it till a different, a more dig
nifed, and Il more rational course shall b.
adopted. The terms "cowardly yankees and
"southern backguards", with kindred en-
pressions, used by thoughtless, bad and sense
less men, have been of far greater injury to
our country than would be done by the direst
pe,tilenee that could sweep over the land.
Would orators. writers and persons in private
conversation keep this in mind and act ac-
cordinglv feel confident that better feel
ing would soon exist throughout the country.
The fact has fully impressed itsclfupon the
Southern mind that the election OF Mr.. Lin
nal and irrevocabe declaration of war [hv
those who elected him President] on the ia
stituti0n of slavery as it existed long before,
and ever since the formation Of our Govern
ment. There were but few in the South who
believed that any effort to abolish slavery
would occur during the present gdmmistra-
tou, but from the rapid growth of the Re
publican party, from few thousand in 1915
TO hundreds Of thousands in 1860, but too
plainly indicated the bent and education of
the Northern mind, aud the conclusion with
them was irresistible, that the ultimate over
throw of slavery would be accomplished
unless they separated themselves from those
who felt that slavery was curse and should
not be endured in the Government in which
they lived. These entertaining these views
were the secessionists per Sc, and have from
the first been opposed to any compromise
whatever. They believe in the Constitutions
al right of secession and boldly assert that
the Constitution having been violated by a
portion Of the original contractors, the rest
were relieved from any and all obligations
ol whatsoever kind. There was another
party in the South known as the Union
party, comsing in the States Of Virginia.
Maryland and Tennessee Il large majority
few months ago They did not believe Il
state had the right under the Constitution TO
secede, but felt equally confident of the ulti-
mate objects Of the Republican party, and
equally alarmed at its unprecedented growth.
These were the operationists, who desired
all the Southern States to meet together in
Convention, devise, agree upon, and demand
such guarantees as they thought themselves
entitled to under the Constitution in accord
ance with the true intent and meaning there
of, and such as they deemed the safety of
their institutions demanded These men
land there were respectable Unonites in all
the seeded States) loved the Union beyond
price, and believed there was sufficient JUS
tice in the North to grant such reasonable
demaads As they desired to make They
were fighting naniully for their favolite
policy when arrived in Richmond, Va, on
The 2lst March. They were largely in the
majority in that Convention, and promptly
voted down every resolution even squirting
at secession by at least tive to one. ] heard
there some of tha ablest Union speeches |
ever listened to, and when they proclaimed
that the South had 5000 900 friends in the
North believed it, and said amen A few
days previously the great Douglas had said
the same thing in the u. S. Senate, and had
heard him soundy berated for it by the
Abolitionist Chandler of Michigan, who de-
clared that the whole North were opposed to
any compromise or to yielding one inch to
the South, and believed in my heart he had
lied But the men of whom have been
speaking were not Union men, in the accep-
Gation of the term in the n orth, where Union
ana coercion are synonomous terms. They
were not Union men at all hazards, as they
&Istlnctly declared that unless their demands