Daily national Democrat., 1861-10-25
General Denver Writes Letter which is
not ssIntended TO be Strictly Private"

by him to his brother Frank, and by the lat
ter indiscreetly placed before the California
public last August, has addressed letter to
the Union expressly for publication, in which
he attempts to explain. apologize for or de-
fend the following language which was con-
taned in the private letter aforesaid, to wit;
before the end OF the present year the in
terest on the National Debt alone will he
very little, if anything short of fifty millions.
The necessary expenses, aside from the army.
will be as much more. These must be met
by duties on imports, by direct taxation, and
the thousand other modes resorted to in Eu'
rope, but never before known in this coun-
try, to squeeze money out OF the people
From present appearances we are to be as
taxrdden people as the subjects OF Britain.
If we succeed in getting out OF our present
difficulties, indeed, with as much freedom as
is enjoyed by English subjects. we may deem
ourselves happy. On every side disaster
stares us in the face-a most formidable re-
belion, an Executive usurpation of power, IA
venal and subservient Congress. bankrupt
Treasury, an enormous debt, pecuniary ruin
among the people, and great danger OF the
free Government given US by our fathers
being turned into military despotism."
The private letter from which this is quoted,
was, it must be borne in mind, written i'm
medately after the Bull Run disaster, when
the Union cause was enveloped in the dark
ness of temporary defeat. 1t was just the
time prudent trimmer would naturally feel
a little "sbaky on his pins" Lowell's Bird
ofredum Sawin," would on such an occasion,
have headed North by South" The policy
of that sagacious aspirant to high honors
seems TO have been adopted by Denver on
several occasions, during his political career
But the National prospects have frightened
Mcclellan has organized fine army in place
of the mob which furious Congressman and
editors rushed on, to Bull Run. Not long
ago a scrap of another "private" letter from
Denver made its appearance in some Cali
| fornia paper. 1t was more hopeful in tone
and contained no word of Executive usur"
patton" of "venal and subservient Congress"
or of "a military despotism." This was not
surprising, for Denver was being talked OF
for Brigadiers commission. But now We
have letter written expressly for publica-
ton. Its date is September Oath. Denver
had heard the result of our State election.
Mcconnell and peace" had received only q
fourth of the votes cast And here is the
letter. 1t is entirely sound from beginning
to end
WAsHINGroN D. c., Sept. "a, 1861.
EDIroRs UNION: l have just been put in
possession of copies of your paper of the goth
and 2lst ult., by which it appears that a pri-
vate letter written by me in July last to my
brother has found its way into the public
prints. This greatly regret, not alone be-
cause it was not intended for publication, but
| it seems to have conveyed an impression to
my friends that have changed my opinions
since leaving California, which is not the
| case.
The letter was intended to be strictly pri-
vate, and meant only to notify my brother Of
the stagnation of all kinds of bushes here, so
that he might be prepared for the crisis when
it reached California, which | believed it
would do. 1t was written after our disaster
at Bull Run, when every one who felt any
love for the country was greatly depressed in
spirits: and there are come expressions in it
which very much regret having used, but
deny that there is anything in it that car
be tortured into disloyalty. You may call il
fault-fnding and in some parts unjust; bu
there is nothing in il which smacks of treas
on, or Secession, which is the same thing. 1t
shows on the face the carelessness of familiar
correspondence, and that | deeply deplored
the present unhappy condition of our coun-
try but | have yet to learn that it is a crime
to lament over our misfortunes You know
as well as any one that in times gone by, |
have exerted myself to the utmost to.remove
| the evils which threatened the country, and
which are now upon us. You know that one
of the principal reasons why would not
support Mr. Breckenridge for the Presidency
was, that believed he was put forward to
further the views of Secessionists.
| yield to no one in my devotion to the
Constitution and Union, and | know of no
circumstances that would induce me acquiesce
in peaceable dismemberment of our coun-
| try. | regret as much as any ole possibly
can the necessity which has forced the Gov
ernment into civil war. but as that war is
necessary for the very existence of the Gov
ernment, it ought to to be prosecuted with
the utmost vigor until the Constitution anC
laws of the United States are acknowledged
and obeyed in every portion of the country
the same as formerly. So long as there wa
any chance of settlement of our troubles by
compromise, was in favor of that course
but when the door was closed to all COM
promise, by the unprovoked attack on Fort
Sumter-by the seizure of forts arsenals
navy yards and ships of war-by the seizure
and confiscation of property belonging tc
loyal citizens-by the raising of armies and
levying of war against the Government-by
the expulsion of loyal citizens and Govern
ment-by refusing to support the Constitu'
tion or recognize the flag Of our country-by
adopting q new Constitution, Il new flag, and
a new Government, or rulers, in opposition
to the regularly constituted authorities of
our country, was and am in favor of sup
porting and maintaining the Government al
levery hazard and whatever cost. The strug'
gle may continue for years, and it may ex-
haust every portion of the country, but even
that would be better than to establish the
heresy that State has legal right to with.
draw from the Union at pleasure. Such &
doctrine as that-the right of State to se'
cede-once admitted, carries with it self-des
truction, which is abhorrent to all govern
ment.
These views are not prompted in any way
by the fact that now hold from the Admin
tration commission as Brigader General o
Volunteers. That appointment was given tC
me without my knowledge or solicitation
and accepted entirely through sense of duty
Whenever my services may be needed by th'
legally constituted authorities to repel foreign
invasion, OF repress domestic violence, they
| will not be refused-no matter whether
may have supported or opposed the election
of those authorities but under no circum-
| stances will ioin the enemies of nv country