The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-10-04
Those A1eaaIing Gov.rnOrs.

We learn by telegraph that a cOnven.
tion Of the Governors Of the loyal States
are in session at Altoona, Pennsylvania,
deIibera;ing upon the affairs Of the nation
in relation to the conduct of the war.
Two propositions have been discussed ;
first to demand the immediate removal of
Mcclellan; second the approval Of the
Presidents emancipation proclamation !;
Gov. AnGrew OF Massachusetts, making
fully an hours speech in favor Of both.
lie urged that McClellan's removal should
be demanded, and thought Fremont could
fill his place. Those Governors were gen.
eral'y elected under tue abolition pressure
and are mostly Of the smallest Of the small
beer kind Of country politicians. Since
the breaking out Of tbe war they have or
ganized themselves into buard and as.
S19ed sK0c-- "is7rY diFectiU77GfotJ 01l'
eral Government entirely unauthorized by
their position and altogether unsuitcd to
their capacity. BY their impertinent
meddling they have marred much more
than they have made. Utterly incapable
of comprehending national policy beyond
its party bearings, they reveal The motive
of their action in the attack upon McCiel-
Ian, expose their mental caliber in the
suggestion Of placing John Z. Fremont at
the head of the army, and exhibit their
insolent and impudcnt stupidity in assu.
ming to dictate in matters not at all with
in their official province.
But fer the intermeddling of portion
Of these same Governors, we believe that
the Union would have been finally restored
upon amicable terms. Before the attack
upon Fort Sumpter the Cabinet had agreed
upon the policy of non-cOercion, aud Mr..
Seward had unofficially assured the South
ern Commissioners that the garrison
should be Withdrawn from Fort Svmpter.
The order to that effect had been made
out and agreed upon and only awaited the
signature Of the President. 1t was reason
ably believed that this policy would be
the means of retaining all but the gulf
States and that the seeded States, il let
alone, would eventually return of their
own accord when they found they could
not precipitate all Of the slave States into
the revolution. This policy, it will be
recoi!ccted, was violently opposed by
Sumner, Zach Chandler and all Of the Alb
olitionists, and was advocated by Senator
Douglas in the best efforts of his mastery
mind. Just at this juncture, when the
issue Of peace or war was trembling in the
balance, this scli-conStituted commission
OF patriotic governors precipitated them
selves upon the President with the Chi
cagD platform and turned the scale. The
whole argument was, that such a policy
Was in violation of party pledges; TINT
the tumporizing ol the administration had
al'cdy lost them rcafly every northern
city in which the spring elections had
been held, and nothing but war would
>avc the party from dissolution. They
prevailed with the President against the
earnest protest of Mr. Seward, who con.
sidercd his honor pledged by his commit
ncuts to the southern commissioners. Ia
avoid this. and at the same time tasten the
ohus oi commencing the war upon the
south, that strategic movement was re-
sorted 10 which was afterwards exposed
hy the seizure of the telegraph Office at
Washington. One Harvey, an attache Of
the New York Tribune, was employed to
send message to the authorities al
Charleston that Fort Sumter was about
to be reinforced, for which secret service
he was rewarded with the appointment oi
Minister to Portugal. This notice was
dccmtd an acquittal of Mr.. Seward Of bad
iaitn towards the commissioners and
then only feint Of reinforcing was made
in Or,l.r to provoke an attack upon the
fort, under belief that the destruction o
the garrison would iHhame and unite tho
public sentiment Of the north in favor o.
the war. The government vessels lying
off the harbor in the meantime-offeriug
no assistance to the gallant band whost
sacrifice had been predetermined for &
purpose. The garrison escaped almoSr
miraculouSly the fate intended for them
but the ruse had the contemplated c!fec
in inaugurating the most terrible wal
that the world has ever witnessed, by thu
influence and at the instigGtion of mer
who under ordinary circumstances have
rot the ability or weight Of character t.
influence the action Of bo2td Of Supervi
sors. To judge Of the ability Of thest
men to direct in affairs in which the ex
istencc of our nation is involved, the peo
pie of California have only to make thu
comparison with their own governor, wh'
is, probably, in point Of ability about al
average of the class which the aggregation
Of factions making up the Republican
party have brought into power. 1t is al
most enough to make man forswear hi
country to see it under such dictation
Has intelligence died out in the land tha
stupid audacity should be left to rule th'
nation? 1t needs but Fremont at tn
head of our armies to complete our hu
utilization and turn the war into strife q
factions for dominion and plunder
j. RepuJliedm.