Daily national Democrat., 1861-10-16
General Denver.


received positive orders to report himself at
Federal Headquarters, in the city of Wash
iugton. without delay Colonel Wright, now
at Los Angeles, is to temporarily till the va
caucy created 10y the departure of General
/ Sumner Bri0adjcr General lanes Deircr ~
e1psctc3 10 reiscre the latter officer 10 a short
time. when Colonel Wright viii also join the
Federal army on the Atlantic side.
Can it be possible that James W. Denver
i. to be entrusted with the command of the
Military Department of the Pacific? The
Alta has generally been considered good au-
thoriy in matters ofthis kline IT'S assertion
that Col Wright is to "temporariy I'LL the
vacancy created by the departure Of Gen
sumner and that he too is to leave for the
East. as soon as Gen. Denver arrives to take
commin |. is made SO positively, that it would
seem TO be based upon information received
from high authority-perhaps from General
Sumner himself The announcement will
fall like wet blanket upon the hopes of
Union men in California. We hope, for the
sake of the Government cause, that Gen.
Denver will not be the successor OF Gen.
sumner Why, we venture the assertion
that he is not trusted as a sound man by any
cordial supporter OF the Government in this
State As late as the 2Oth July last, just
after the terrible shock of the Bull Run dis
aster he wrote to one OF his brothers a letter,
from which the following is an extract:
From present appearances we are to be as
tax ridden people as the suit Gets of Britain
1t we succeed in getting cut of our present
difficulties indeed, with as much freedom as
Is enjoyed 10y English subjects, we may deem
ourselves happy On every side disasters
stare rs IN the hce--a most formidable re-
o,.hou, an Executive usurpation Of power,
Veuai ana suusorgieut Congress, bankrupt
Treasury, an enormous debt, pecuuiary ruin
among the people and great danger OF the
free Government given to us by our fathers,
being turned into military despotism.
This letter went The rounds Of the tory
press and was an effective document for the
peace parity" during the guJerna,orial
campaign Besides, The autecelents Of Den
yer were very bad. lis political supporters
Ia iA.. state were, for the mos, part, mix
tare Of politicians Of easy virtue. and down
r;sA. di-,oyalsts. Last winter he aspired to
the L. 5. Senatorship; and who voted for
him? Secessionists and peace men, or, as
they then termed Themselves "anti-eoer-
cioniss" There was caucus Of Douglas
Democrats, but he did not long stay before
It, lie aud his friends disguised the Union
Democrats of the State, repeatedly, with
night sessions of harmonizers, in the Assem-
bly, chamber. at which choice gatherings,
scowling Secessionists and defenders Of the
rebellion, were cheek by jowl with milk
aud-water men and treacherous hypocrites
who dared not openly avow their treason,
but who in the midst Of q revolution, kaeg
hoPolitical encmies but the Republicans who
had Just elected the Chief Magistrate Of the
nation. Not a word ever escaped Denver's
lips during the contest which could possibly
have offended Governor Gist of South Caro-
lima, or JEFF Davis himself True, when all
WIS over, and the harmonizers, having
thrown Denver overheard had spent their
strength harmlessy in favor Of John Nugent;
when the traight-forwordnes of McDougall
had placed the senatorial toga upon his
shoulders, and Denver was almost without
friends in any party, he did write n Union
letter, which was published, and then he
vanished from onr sight. 1t seems to have
been a sort Of buoy thrown out 10y him to
enable him to find his position when he
h., oh
back. But even this eleventh hour eXhiOi-
/ ton Of soundness seems to have preyed upon
/ his mind, and at an early day he gave forth
some Of his "plantation melodies" in the
letter from which we have above quoted
We have no knowledge Of military affairs
and petend to none.
We have great faith, and are willing to be-
lieye that whatever is done in this war, 10y
our Government, is the very best that coult
be done. We believe that loyal men ough
to strive to silence, instead of creating dis
trust and discomfort. But we will not ap
plaud such appointments as those of Denve
and Shields, and those in California, upo
whose support the Government must alon,
rely, will give voice to their Indignation
, General James W. Denver is placed where
, General sumner now is. We can be silent
concerning every other apparent blunler
and say to ourselves. we do not see all sides
But there is no quarter in which to look fol
comfort when men tainted with disloyalty-
men lately willing to submit to the rebe
traitors-are entrusted with all the military
power Of the nation within our State. The
following dispatch from San Francisco tc
yesterday Union may be without foundation
but We believe if General Denver takes com
mand here, similar action with that men
toned will be taken The dispatch says:
am informed that all the United State.
Army officers in this Department have noti-
fled the Government that they will not serve
under Denver as Brigadier General in COM
mand on this coast. The opponents to Dem
yer include all the United States officers who
have taken command in volunteer service. il
is said that volunteer officers have also ex-
pressed their intention to resign in the even
of Deyer taking command.
We sincerely hope the Administration ha
not yet fully determined upon placing Denver
in command on the Pacific, and that it
trusted friends in this State will remonstrat
firmly and promptly against the taking of St
dangerous a step.
EVERY man Of common sense who advise