Daily national Democrat., 1861-09-04
Qallp 3latlOnal QrulUtrat
A Patriotic Warning---Letter from Eu-
gene Casserly--sA \ Noble Appeal TO the
Union Democrats of California.


I. T. DAvrNPoRr. Esq, Chairman Democrats
County Committee, NeCdda County;
DEAR SIR-Contrary to my expectations
recently expressed to you and other friends
in Nevada comfy, regret exceedingly that
private matters Will utterly prevent my com
plying with your invitation TO address the
people Of your county during the canvass in
favor of the State and local tickets of the
Democratic party. Allow me TO substitute in
| this form, some general remarks respecting
the momentous questions now upon ia.
For the first time in her short history, Cali
fornia is called on at this election to deter
mine her relations TO the United States. She
is now to declare whether in this formidable
civil war, she is sincerely for the Union which
has made her what she Is, and to whose gen
erous care she owes at this moment SO much;
or whether under some poor rreteXt on other,
she is on the side of thore States which are
in arms to destroy it. Whether in this strug-
gle of life OF death to the country she is a
| loyal or disloyal S ate
This is the issue. and there IS no other
Upon her decision now, depends her future
veal or woe Her destiny is in her own
hands.
1t is a very serious and clear issue: where
there is no middle ground We must bc
either for the country or against 1t. Men
may delude themselves or others stu, III
this contest, aa in all the contests of the good
and evil forces Of tie world, the eternal
truth remains "ue that is net with me IS
against me-
As all know, to whom ny opinions had
any interest. was fox peace while peace was
possible and for full concessions and guar
antee- TO the States of the South, while they
allowed them to be offered Now, instead
/ Of peace. there is war, forced upon the coun-
try in such a way that she could not have
declined it without ahdcatng her place
among he nations, giving up the Onion OF
the States which remained loyal, and incur
ring the lasting contempt OF the hostile
States themselves
That a time will yet come when peace Is
once more possible, ain assured Ihat It
may come soon, is my most fervent hope 1t
will ind meas willing as ever for the sacred
duty of reconciliation.
In the meantime, and SO long as it is force
against force, ! take 10y stand, without ram
cor hut without hesitation, with my own
Government and country against those who
at the head Of armies threaten destruction to
both There is no other place for patriots.
This without doubt is the position Of this
State. She is COR the Union and against its
enemies at holne and abroad. Now, for the
! first time, a determined we'll concentrated Ell
fort Is mace t. misreprcsent her IN this re-
spect She owes it to herself and TO the other
states to declare herself ina manner not to
he mistaken, here or elsewhere.
In cou4mon with all true friends Of Cali
fornia have seen W.T.. prin and aurprse the
movements OF the new party, in favor of the
State ticket headed 10y John r. Mcdonnell,
ESQ, for Governor. / an aware there ere
upon that ticket and among It's suppogters
some EU claim 10 ha friends Of the Uuiou.
and who prove their friendship by giving up
the cause Of lhe Union without blow; hY
making haste to declare that the Union can
not be saved, and that the attempt to save it
is almost a crime; 10y assalin@ most intcm-
perately the Government of the Union ana
every thing it has done. whether right or
wrong. to maintain it, while they have not
one word Of ccnsure for those who are armed
to destroy it; by clamoring for peace, in
| slant peace. with the hostile States, at any
rate and any price. Alas for the Union, if
/, has to rely on friend like these. The best
good faith only gives them rower fer greater
mischief Her open enemies the country can
face, and the tal-e friends that would bctray
her with kiss she can discover. She has
no defense against the mi-tnkrn friends, who,
in the name Of peace" hold .hcir hands in
the death grapple, while the enemy stab5 her
to the heart
The cry Of peace in time Of war has t.
attractions. Itappeals both to the good and
the selfish feelings; to our hearts and our
pockets. None understand this better than
Me. Mcconnell and the adroit and practised
political leaders who surround him. But in
their moulhe the cry is "a delusion and "A
snare" They are for "peace" because, ray
they, "the Union cannot be preserved by
war" Ask them on what terms they propose
peace. Gnd their answer, If they give one,
will he, "the recognition of the Southern
Confederacy' As if that does not certainly
and permanently dismcmber and destroy the
Union They are against war because, pro
baby (as they say) it will not preserve the
Union and they are for the immediate re-
coguition of the "Southern Confederacy,"
which most assuredy destroys it. The love
of the Union which inspires such conclusion
at the very threshold of the struggle, is not
very eyidcit
They ere for peace, With triumphant and
advancing f3e clmoat at tie gates OF Wash
ington, and upon his own terms. They clamor
for the countrr to strike her IA. with dsas-
ter fresh upon is fods.
L. this tie time for such demand in the
Unonf Before the country has made half an
effort worthy of a great people, or of the
greatest cause that ever indled the hearts OF
any people? After national reverse when
such cry unnerves the arm Of the Govern
ment and lends new incitement to It's cne-
mes3
Let not the people be deceived. Peace and
the recognition OF the Southern Confede-
racy" means to day not only the loss Of ho-
nor, but every other calamity which can be-
fall the American people Ills the perman-
, ent destruction of the Union the strongest
incentive 80 secession to the States which re-
main the dsmemberment IF The country
the death cf all American nationality tie
loss Of mere thau half of our sea coast; the
establishment of "A fcreigu power at our doors
in the heart q the continent mcnacing us
along fifteen hundred miles of frontier and
holding the mouths of the Mississippi; the
dislppearance of the United States from
among the great Powers af the earth; the
imprisonment of ourtwenty millions OF white
, people in a narrow sclvedge Cf territory.
Struggling from Maine to Kansas. shutin with
the snow aud ice, between two Jealous and
perhaps hostile neighbors on the North and
south 1t means for us and our posterlty a
standing army and navy for all time; in
sufferable taxaton the modification or sub
version Of our free institutions to suit this
order of things After all this, there will be
peace between us. IF there is none now, how
can there be any then2 If in the Union,
and under the bon of the Constitution, we
must fight, how shall we be at peace when
| we ara t,vo independpnt and necessarily lar