Year: 1868

The ship begins to sink and the knowing
ones are leaving the old water-logged hulk.
bear. No patriot will set foot upon her decks
so long as she flies aloft the ensign of the
late would-be Confederacy. P II. Sibley. a
member of the Democratic State Central Com
mittee, has left the institution and declared
for Grant and Colfax. Hear what he has to
say upon the subject:


"Gentlemen of the Democratic State Gen.
tral Committee. / would he doing violence
to my own feelings and guilty Of unfair con-
duct to you, did continue longer to share
your counsels and possess myself of your
plans in the coming political campaign. In
senti .ent and sympathy an no longer with
you. My Judgment neither approves the
platform of princi piles put forth by the New
York city Convention, nor does any sense Of
duty TO the country justify me in aiding to
advance Horatio Seymour to the office OF
President of the United States. In remem-
bering thnt am Democrat, / cannot forget
l owe a higher allegiance to the American
Union. | should be glad to remain in the
Democratic party, could believe that in do
ing so | am OF sacrificing those principles Of
patriotism that are higher and holier than
any sentiment Of mere party fealty. be-
iieve that the war was inaugurated by the
South in the interest of slavery. | believe it
WAS the duty of the Government 70 resist the
heresy of secession by arms. l believe the
calling out of troops. the draft of soldiers,
the prosecution of war against rebellion WAS
Constitutional and necessary fer the preserv-
alton of the life of the Republic. l believe
the emanci pat on of slaves was unavoidable
as n war measure. | believe the creation of
National Debt grew out of the exigencies
of tue long-continued and desperate conflict.
| bell, We the issue of paper currency was an
evil incident to the struggle. ! believe that
the national debt should be paid to the last
dollar in coin of the national Mint, and that
no form or measure of rapudatiun is consstant
with national honor.


l am opposed to the taxation of Govern
ment bonds, as Il breach of convenant made
with the bondholders, and am opposed to
paving these bonds in currency instead of
gold. l am not in any degree fearful of
negro supremacy, nor do believe that if to
the negroes are conceded their just rights
under the law there will he any danger of
elevating them to a social equality with any
superior race am and have ever been
oppused to mob violence, and | will never
cast my vote nor use my Influence to advance
to high honors any man who az Governor Of
a great Commonwealth could fraternize with
II mob or encourage oppositI'ion to just laws,
or who when the marion needed Its last man
to put down the rebellion, could by opposing
the draft put himself and the State in hos
tilitv to the General Government.


could support war Democrat like Han
cock or Hendricks. | could support Re-
publican like Frank P. Blair, Jr., your can
didate for Vice President. His early stand
for the rights of the black man; his opposi-
tion to slavery his brilliant war record,
commencing in the streets of st. Louis and
ending in Sherman g march through Georgia,
approve; but as | cannot sustain Blair
without sustaining Seymour. feel in duty
and conscience compelled to vote for Grant
and Colfax.


l shall expect the bitter animadversions of
all who love the Democratic party better Il an
they love their country. | shall expect to
have my motives questioned and my honor
impugned. ! shall expect to be assailed by
partisan malignity. and to have heaped
upon me an unlimited amount of persona
abuse; but conscious of the rectitude of nv
motives, and in the confident belief that /
am but doing my duty. l have deemed it
proper to resign my position as n member of
the Democratic State Central Committee. l
therefore tender you my resignation, CRATE
fully remembering our past pleasant rea-
tinns, and entertaining for you all only kind
personal feelings; l am, very respectfully,
gentlemen,


P. II. SIBLEY.


San Francisco, july 13, 1868.