Year: 1861

UNION QUESTION.


OF course your readers expect that will con-
tinue my gossip and speculations. But the revo,
luton is progressing rapidly that it Is almost
impossible to keep up the thread in a weekly
letter. Last week was prognosticating as to
the policy of President Lincoln in the admlnistrn-
ton of the Government in such crisis, and now
I hnye TO converse about War" Civil War; if
say ANYTHING And how shall l commence, and
what shall l say? Shall l prophesy that the
"irrepressible conflict" has really commenced only
to be terminated with the determination of Slaves,
or the universal adoption of the system? Is the
.torming of Fort Sumpter the beginning OF q
war which shall only cease when the system of
slave labor shall have been forced from the States
where it now exists or forced into ull the States
and Territories Of the United States? And
again might ask-"if war for dissolution
of the Free from the Slave States has commenc-
cd how long. if ever to be successful will 1t be
prosecuted" mi eht continue these interrogation
les to the extent of II column, but without the
ability to answer them deem it waste Of paper.
We cannot look far into the future; and tits well
that we cannot. If the curtain Of the future OF
this once happy and united country could now be
lifted and unveiled, we fear it would require u
bold heart to take look ut it. The imagination
cannot paint the honors of civil war, and slave
instructions which are more than likely to fol-
low in its train. All we can do is to trust in
that Providence who has so kindly protected our
common country


The news Of the storming and capture OF
Fort Sumpter was received here with the great
est degree of composure. Here and there q
knot of citizens light have been seen quietly
but calmly specializing upon the details But
generally the news was read with less cxctcmeht
and comment than war news from Europe. The
public mind is dumb TO sensation, and the fact
that civil war is ragngis so momentous as to over
whelm serious thought or violent cxpresson-
The news comes upon us as if expected and an
ticipatcd in the regular progress Of legitimate
government sction, comes upon us like the annual
changes Of the season and not as il really is, an
ntmospherical convulsion. Strange times, in
deed are these. The American people have been
educated to believe that our Republican govern
ment was perpetual; that q government OF the
people WAS Il fixed fact and that while the world
mi ght he convulsed in foreign wars and civil
commotions, we were safe md uneXpOsed from
all danger. This confidence has sustained us al
most generation. but when fully made aware
of the reality that it was confidence and faith
which constituted the balance of our strength,
and this begins to fail and become sensible to
our reason. what state of chaos the American
people will be thrown into? None can foretell-
no one would have the heart to speak it ii he
could leuve the subject with sad heurt and
with terrible forebodings for the future of my
native country.


PATRIOTISM AND POLITICS.


Who. adds nt this time dark feature to whnt
mny be before us is the fact that while we are in
the verge Of civil war and revolution. Party is
still as rampant as ever and political demagogucs
as cunning and plotting rs if there was not a rip
pie upon the political ocean. In support Of this
position, l would call your attention Mcssrs Edl-
tors to the fnct that this mornings Sacramento
Union contained long editorial recommending
the organization of Union Clubs" ostensibly
for the preservation and perpetuity of the Union.
!, ks.1., r. 1,xt
object WAS not to preserve the Federal Union but
on the contrary for the early organization of the
Douglas party. "The Union may he intended
to come in the third act. but first was the great
defunct Douglas party and secondly. office under
it, Only think of the fact that the Union
deems an early organization Of the Douglas party
paramount to the reorganization of the Federal
Union! This article and programme was follow
ed up by the Evening Bee: McClatchey however
giving his readers u milder dose OF the same
opiate! There's patriotism for you. with u ven
geance. And then again. in the same category
which in progress of completion. is that grandi-
oquent performance to be inaugurated by the re-
ception of Senator Latham. Who is 81 blind as
not to see that this fuss and feathers" about
Lathams reception is nothing more or less than
q grand Douglas raIy-all for the benef. and to
minister to the leadership Of that dcfunct politi
clan and his party? Look at Douglas impu
dence itself. He stands up in the Senate and
says he will support the Government. Who is
Douglae. and what influence has he in such times
rs these. A man that could scarcely carry sin
gle State in the Union at the last election, and
repudiated in his own he proclams to the people
disrupted by revolution brought about by his
own ambition and treachery. and says, he will
support the government! Suppose he does or
does not, where's the difference? The times call
for speeches and acts from patriots and not from
political demagogues. The people of the Union
or of this State, care very little what Douglas
does, beyond the action due from any other citi
zen. His scepter has passed away and if he had
one particle Of honor he would resign his seat in
the Senate and retire to that obscurity his sopls-
tries andihypocrisics so plainly consign him.


THE LEGISLATURE.


II is hardly necessary for me to say that the
Legislature is still in session and it's members
still hard at work doing nothing. 1t is now ex-
pectedby some that this heavy body will evacu-
ate about the 9th OF next month, but think it
impossible to predict the day or even the month.
Sc. eral important (politicaN measures are yet
to be inaugurated and passed. A law to change
the day of the annual election is to be 'put thro
course Of sprouts" with the view of providing
certain aspiring gentlemen to seats in Congress
at an early day. State funds are getting low
and a grab ut the Federal pap is desirable at the
earliest convenient season. John Conness. that
pattern Democrat, double-tcam man, who can
push ard pull, hold back or draw in such artistic
style on question:, wants to 90 to Washington.
It is thought by his friends that he is just the
man for the times to second Douglas motions in
the popular branch Of Congress. He could push
or pull on the Union just as the emergency re-
quired. He has the qualifications for represent
ing Lincoln and Douglas, and should be elected
at M early day. Besides this election business
the apportionment bill will keep the Legislature
together for some time The school bill has been
"smothered" just as predicted. SO that's out of
the way The new revenue bill has also been
passed. But to-day Mr. Ross, of Sonoma, intro
duced that old "sea serpent the bulk head BILL
This will require time to pass. Pass" imagine
"you enquire?" Yes, Messrs Editors, pass by
two-third vote. Contingent with this annual
plague comes up the bill to remove the capitol to
Sun Francisco Our Legislators have become