Year: 1863

we stated IN our issue of last week tha
when We received the official proceedings G
the State Democratic Central Committe,
we should again recur to the subject, ant
give our views more at length in relation to
It, We publish those proceedings in to-day
paper, and we still think that the test whicl
they propose is the best that has been sug
gested, and one to which no true Democrat
can object. But this is not now the prsct
cal question which the Democracy of tn,
State is called upon to settle. TIE question
is, how can they be united at the coming
election? 1t is true that the Cotton Commit
tee have no Legitimate existence as the off
cial organ Of the portion of the party whicI
1t processes to represent, but there are many
honest Democrats who think that it has
and then there are selfish and ambitious pol
iuclans who will sustain it to subserve thei
own purposes On the other hand the Com
ittee which met on the 5th of May was ap
pointed bv convention representing onl,
one wing of the party, and those who adhere
to the other organization do not consider
themselves bound by its action Whether
they are right or wrong, or which commit
tee is entitled to act as the true official or
gan of the whole party, cannot alter the
fact, which stares US in the face, that the
Democrats of the State are divided between
the two and unless this division can be heal
ed, inevitable defta awaits us. How, then
is this great evil to be remedied? We have
carefully examined cur Democratic exchange,
and they all express a desire for the union OF
the party, none of them have suggested any
scheme by which it could be accomplished
Unless something is done at once, the time
for action will have passed, and we shal
again 60 into the contest with divided rank;
only to meet with defeat We therefor,
venture to submit to the Democracy th,
following suggestions, which if acted OF
promptly and in good faith, cannot fail tC
brngabout the desirable result


We stated in our last that in times like lhC
present when the very existence of the gov
ernment as established by the Constitution
is at stake, we would be no slirker for
rigid adherence to strict party organization
more especially when such grave doubts cx
lists AS to whether there is in fact any regu
lar Democratic organization in the State
The plan we would suggest, then, is, that
the Democrats of the several counties should
take the matter in their own hands and rei
organize the party upon the simple basis OF
opposition to the principles and policy of the
Abolition party. That this plan is feasib e
and will succeed if responded to bv the Dem
ocrais press and county committees, we
cannot doubt. So far as we are informed
no division exists in the county organza-
tions in most, if not all the counties; but a
single convention in each county has been
called, leaving the convention when assem-
bled to determine to which State convention
they should send delegates This state o.
things will eventually produce discord ans
division in the county organization, a:
the minority in almost every case wouc
secede, and send delegates to the rival State
convention and nominate separate county
ticket


Now, We propose that the county conven
tons, when they assemble, shall at ouce re
pudiate the call of both committees anG
elect delegates to assemble N State Conven
ton on some intermediate day between those
fixed by the two State Committees
Wednesday, the Slh Of July, or any Other
day that may be agreed upon. In those
counties where there are two county com
mittees let them unite in the call of the
County Convention, and in electing the
delegates. We have not space this week to
enlarge upon the feasibility and advantages
of this scheme. We therefore submit it to
the Democracy Of the State for their consd'
Grafton. That il is practicable with proper
spirit Of conciliation none can doubt and if
successfully carried out it will bring back
the palmy days Of the Democracy, and en-
able them to rescue the State from the hands
of the political charlrtans and plunderers
who now control its destines.


Sonoma Democrat, May l6M.