, 1863-07-04
THE WASHINGTON STATESMAN
SATURDAY MORNING, JULY4, 1868
The California eeUnion0 Convention.

Inc SO-cdIleQ 'OnlOQl5LS OF CauIOrnld
met in Convention in Sacramento on the
18th of last month. The body had a very
stormy time, with considerable wrangling
and great amount Of confusion. The
temporary Chairman, in the course of a
few remarks addressed to the assemblage,
said Zone year ago was inaugurated the
Union party, upon sacrifices of all former
political distinctions and predictions
However, the Convention unanimously
adopted resolutions, in which the amalga-
mated Republican and Abolition predilec-
tions stick out distinctly and unmistakably
Two of the resolutions adopted .read as
follows:
"Resozved, That since the Inauguration
of the present National administration, all
issues heretofore dividing the loyal people
of the different political parties have been
settled, and the only issue now before the
nation is union or disunion."
-. ResOlued, T5at we heartily en-
dorse the Presidents Proclamation of
Freedom, of January 1, 1868, believing it
to be wise and proper war measure, and
step onward in the cause of civilization
and human progress
In the first resolution quoted, we can
understand very readily what is meant by
''union or disunion" It means with the
abolition party that the Union must be
saved by universal emancipation. OF be de-
stroyed in the attempt to bring it about
The second resolution shows conclusive
ly that this "Union" Convention was an alb
olition one, and that the abolition party
is in favor Of universal emancipation. The
first resolution further shows that the abo-
litionists are arrogating to themselves the
right to say that their party is the only
Union party now in existence. This is as
suming the right to say that no man is for
the Union unless he is an abolitionist.-
Every one who is not irrevocably welded
to fanatcism knows these resolutions to
state what is false. Every unpreju JUDGED
mind knows that there are thousands upon
thousands of men who are willing to sac
rifce every thing to save the Federal Gov
ernment, who are not abolitionists. We
believe that large majority of the people
of the Northern States look upon the
emancipation proclamation as an unconsti-
tutional edict and that insisting upon car
rying out that measure only serves to dis
tract the country and places the restoration
of the Union upon very doubtful footing,
if not beyond the pale of possibility And
why do the people look upon the proclama-
ton in this light? In the first place be-
cause they believe it to be unconsttution-
al, and in the second place because in at
tempting to carry it out it divides the peo-
pie in the North and unites them in the
South. Aside from this they care nothing
about slavery one way nor the other To
be sure they would much rather not have a
negro in the United States, bat since we
have them, and as emancipation is imprac-
ticable, they are not willing 10 wage an alb
olition crusade and take the desperate chan
ces of losing free white mans Govern
ment in order to liberate and elevate the
poor black man.
Others may do as they please but as
for ourselves, as northern men, with north
orn sympathies, we will never consent to
be bulIyragged and drove into the abolition
ranks as long as we believe that party is
dragging us to the devil
One Gaskell, of Butte county during
proceedings of the Convention, arose and
said
"There IS party in my county which has
good deal to do with the Constitution Of
the United States, having taken that in
strument under their especial charge. Now
for their benefit I wish to offer an addi-
tional resolution
Resolved, That any meaus necessary to
be made use of to preserve the Union are
constitutional
This resolution was adopted along with
the batch, but on the following day it was
rescinded, on the ground principally that
the "Copperheads would carp about it,
They did not object to it because they did
not believe in it, but because the democ-
racy would "carp" about it and show that
they the abolitionists meant to do some
thing unconstitutional Besides, they
thought it would appear as if they had
heretofore been unconstitutional But,
bless their pious, high-minded souls, they
wouldn't do anything unconstitutional for
''pint of peanuts" Not they.
We would like to know whether the
JO Raynor's hereabouts will be able to
discover anything that savOrs Of party
or looks to future constitutional encroaoh-
ments and violations of that sacred instru-
mentin the above resolutions? We believe
they will if the poor black man does
not rise up in their woody patos to inter
cept their distracted vision.
THE RIGHT SENT1MENT.-ThoW WASH
ingiOn Union thus closes an appeal to the
Democracy Of this Territory:
"When the bloody banner of fanaticism
and radicalism is unfurled to the breeze,
and when treason, grown audacious and de-
iant, no longer skulks in secret, but with
shameless front, proclaims to the world its
,,r;poir1as and objects IFS DurDOse and MI o.