Daily national Democrat., 1861-03-23
1allp uatlonal Qrmutrat
SACRAMENTO CORRESPONDENCE.
SACRAMENTO, March 81, 1861.


11ntroR DEMocRAr General James A
McDougall is beyound all question, our duly
olected Senator for the next six J years. lie
has without the sacrifice of a single prnci-
,Ie for which we contended last Fall, tri-
nnhed over the foes to the party, and the
traitors within It. lie has the certificate o.
his election, and will sail for Washington, as
lam informed, on the first of next month. l
have been a close watcher of the whole con-
tost and assure your readers that the clamor
soprht TO be raised over a pretended irregu-
,oritv in the election, is but the dismal howl
or,ha dragon of disulion, which has been
o,r;.ken down by the faithful lance of a brave
warrior. There was no sharp practice, no
,,;ol, no mistake. The tellers were anti
NoDoucoll. and the President of the Conven-
,;or wos anti-McDougal. His enemies, be
assured of il, have not counted him in. lie
,ros virtually elected on Friday last; mis-
oo,nt of one vote defeated him. Yesterday
he was again elected. The Secessionists are
nroyng the truth of the old proverb, viz:
that drowning men will catch at straws"-
when they pretend to doubt the correctness
Of the count. They did not pretend that
ANYTHING was wrong as to the number of
votes cast until after the Convention had ad
iourned sine die. They were very clamorous,
inst before the first announcement for a new
ballot, because they kneW that WcDo"gal 'cGS
elected! Many private talies were kept OF
,be final ballot. but no one disputed tie num-
her of cotes as stated by the Chair, viz: ore
hundred and eleven, until affairs were talked
over in street caucus after the final adjourn
went Then it was said that Leet's vote for
Casserly, and Watkins vote for Anderson,
were not included in the PreSileHtS declara-
ton of tile rote. In my opinion, this very
fact will decide the whole matter if any con-
troversy should be persevered in. 1t is there
fore important, and | shall ask a little of
your space and patience while state the ef-
feet it will have. Admit, for the sake of the
argument, that one hundred and thirteen
votes were cast, and that one of them (Leet's)
was for Casselly, and another (Watkins) for
Anderson The announcement of the final
vote, by the President (Leet and Watkins
both being in their seats) was as follows
"Wholc number of votes cast, Ill necessary
to Il choice, SO. Mr.. McDougal received So
Mr.. Nugept, Az Mr.. Weller, 6; Mr.. Cream
or, /; and Mr.. Phelps l. Mr. McDougal
having received a majority Of the votes cast, l
hereby declare him duly elected United
States Senator" Not a single member said
-hat more votes were cast. Leet did not ask
to have his vote for Casssrly considered;
Watkins did not ask to have his vote for An
derson considered Either those gentlemen
gave no such votes. or, having given them
did not care to insist upon having them
reckoned in making up tn total vote-their
acquieseence in the announcement OF the vote
not equivalent to Il withdrawal of their
Nrog-away votes, if it is true that any such
were cast by them. A parallel case came up
in the Senate hut a few days since, when
Col. Watkins, having voted and spoken
against a proposition, his vote was hy mis-
teke recorded in the Affirmative, was the de-
Gliding vote. Next morning MIR. DeLong
asked that the minutes mi ght be corrected
and Col. Watkins vote recorded as he gave
it,-in the negative. The question was de-
bated at length, and the Senate. with but
two dissenting votes decided that, after
vote was declared, it must be presumed that
every Senator was satisfied with the manner
IN which his vote was recorded, or he would
Lave objected at Me Hme--and the minutes
were not changed The Joint Convention
has adjourned sine d'e The mere minutes
OF It's proceedings are no record. If they
were they would establish all that l have
stated. The only authoritative record or his
tory Of the proceedings of the Convention, is
the brief certificate Of the presiding officers,
that its deliberations resulted in the election
OF james A. McDougall as U. ). Senator, This
record has been made, and is signed 10y the
President of the Senate and the Speaker of
Che House. 1t is a good record, an honest
record, and a record which will stand. The
People of California will hail with delight
the election of their choice to the Senate and
thc friends of secession will mourn in sackeoth
and ashes because the Gwin dynasty is over.
Let the enemies of the Union who are yet in
California flee "from the scourge that pur
sues them" The over-fed traitors among us
must be put on a spare diet, and be taught
no slave code exists to protect chem in
lording it over decent white men. The cleo
tion of General McDougall is a triumph Of
PRINCIPLE, and of a MAN He was foremost
in the good fight for Douglas, and every true
Douglas man must rejoice that he has been
placed in position where he can be Of SER
vice to the country.
You will see, perhaps, some individuals in
Cur party, join hands with the secessiopists,
in desperate effoat to open up the Senatori-
al election again. If so, it will be the shame
less ctfrontery of bad ambtion-the base rec
reancy of men who seek, only, personal ag
grandzemeRt Let such men, if any there
be, be warned in time Let them ask them
telves ifthey would like to see in print, the
secret history of Metr part in the late contest.
Let them show a flaw in the conduct of Mr.
McDougall during the whole Of tiff they can
1he enemy is routed. Let us see who the
T'vrcenaries are in our own ranks who fought
oot Tor principle, but for place merely.
Inc general impression seems to be that
GllCpp will Io Il u . 4