Year: 1861

If il was not the most serious time imaginable,
we could indulge our phiosophc risibilties in
most logical laugh at the very absurd positions
assumed by the various political parties in onr
State-more especially at the expense of the
Douglas and Breckenridge wings Of the Democ-
racy Every party processes to be in favor OF the
Union, and each has specific plan for saving
the Union, but the Uuion must be saved by the
exact dogmas of that party, or else go to smash,
so far as its support ID concerned. The strict
Republican is for saving it by enforcing the let
ter of the Constitution. but Ignores the Supreme
Court. The Douglas Democrat, by insisting on
the natural rights evolved in the "grcat prnci-
pie of squatter and popular sovereignty (Be il
known, though, that the great father and apostle
of inherent sovereignty at the very first blush
of danger, blew tiny great principle into thin
air for all time to Gomez The Breckinridger
would save it by Incorporating slave code into
the Constitution Of the United States. These
are the three great parties in this State and TAX
ing the letters of our eminent political leaders,
and the late speeches of partizans in our present
Legislature, and boiling them all down to an es-
sence, we have, as a result the three above spe-
cifc plans for saving the Union-the leaders OF
each party swearing theirs to be the only plan
by which it can, or shall be saved, yet all exto
ling in extravagant eloquence the glorious Un-
ion" and singing peans to its future greatness.


We said these were the plans of the political
leaders in the State. The people have another
plan. and that is to ignore all demagoguery and
political cbicancry come square up to fair
understanding of the difficulties and heart burn
ings brought about by ambitious party leaders,
and propose, or accept, a definite settlement Of
the eternal nigger question forever, so far as this
Union, as q Government, is concerned. Nine
teen twenteths of the people of California will
be fully satisfied with the Crttenden some
similar compromise, and ninety nine out of every
hundred stand ready to fling to the winds every
political abstraction, for the preservation OF the
Union The masses recoil with horror from the
abyss TO the edge of which partzan leaders have
drawn them. They are no longer party men.
they are Americans--they want a Government,
and the Union restored to its former power and
glory.


No wonder these leaders of party adhere so
consistently to their peculiar plans of adjust
ment general understanding and final settle
ment of our present National distractions con-
signs them TO private life they will have no
party, no constituents they will have to make
new issues, and take fresh political start. Sup
pose the Crittenden compromise be adopted, its
essential point is the establishment of the Missouri
compromise line, which yields all territory north
of said line to be forever free, and permits all
South to be slave, if the people so will it, Well,
then, the Republican party is a" dead cock in
the pitt" for its cardinal principle is and has
been, not another foot of slave territory ever TO
be admitted into the Union State ; in fact,
as party it has no other distinguishing feature
The Douglas party is in no better fix for its |
great principle" is, that the people have right |
to regulate their domestic institutions to snit |
themselves"-to have slavery in any territory of
the United States if they want it-but north of
this line, by this plan of adjustment, the people
won't be sovereign, for they cannot have slaves
if they want to, ever so bad. WELL then, that |
grand party will be forever exploded. The |
Breckenridge party claim that all the Territories
are the common property of the people of the
States, that the Constitution distinctly acknow-



the Southerner HAS the same right to take his
slave into them as the Northerner has to carry
there his patent plow any other species of
property, and that the Government is obliged to
protect his property in the person of his slave
but this compromise will forever bar his negro
property out of all territory north of the $50
30' line. Then, the great base upon which is
founded all the Breckenridge party doctrines is
undermined, and that party closes its short histO.
ry. Thus will all these parties find a common
grave in the true solution of our national trou
bes, and forever will be laid to rest the ambi-
tiOus, restless spirits which by their plausible
sophstries, fanatcal and fiery eloqnencc, have so
nearly wrecked the most powerful and grand
government the world has ever known.


Our conclusion is this If our present Union
is to be preserved, it must be done by a definite
and final compromise of the slavery question. If
there is to be compromise the distinctive prin-
ciples of all the present parties are ignored, and
consequently the parties dsorganized. Yet, in
fact the leaders in this State are violently strug-
Cling to keep up party organization upon issues
dead to all intents and purposes if we are to
have government, and which can have no pos
sible application in the event of dsunion The
only sensible attempt that has yet been made in
California to make party from the wreck of the
old ones, is the one which proposed to take the
Crittenden resolutions as its basis. Such party
would command an overwhelming majority of
the voters in the State. But, alas we fear that
pride and interest will prevent our party leaders
from lnaugurating any such direct and honest
ISSUE


A MssIoSARY-A man of sorrowful visage attired in
black garments of that has down to us in the
fashion plates of former generation, bowed himself in
upon privacy day or two ago. lie restless,
mapped hat neck cloth traditionay white sus-
cepble to reprOach Of brown rusty boots umbrella cane
and panaoons undecided whether to 90 into or outside of
hig hnn ftpnS n1 fsa IoA hsw