Year: 1861

| The Governor Makes Another Effort.


His Excellency John G. Downey has made
another effort towards reganlng the conf
dence Of the Union men of this State. III,
speaks in pretty sound tones, but seems tc
tremble between the desire TO be thought
sound on the Union question, and dread o
being considered unsound on the "niggeI
question" How strange that men cannot see
that loyalty to the Government requires nc
explanation, no apology, and no disavowal-
of political sympathy with the party of the
Chief Executive Of the Nation. Gov. Dow
ney tells his friends at Los Angeles, in a
speech delivered at that place on Saturday
last, that in few short months he will be
among them again in the private walks OF
life. With this portion of the speech we en-
tirely concur. lie said he had already given
his opinion Oh the crisis, and added:


"I never sought to hide my views upon
this or any other subject and only gave pub
lie expression to those entertained and pri-
yately expressed by the leading men in my
own party"


This is little vague. Does the Governor
really mean that lie only expressed publicly
the views Of others privately expressed ?
Were other heads than his own engaged upon
the anti-coercion letters? lie makes no
qualification of the sentiments expressed in
those letters but on the contrary, says that
in them he frankly gave his real opinions.
Well, the people do not seem to like those
opinions, and this the Governor must know,
or he would not have said that he expected
TO be called into private life at the expira-
ton of his present term. In the face Of his
adherence to the anti-coercion side of the
fence, he says:


1--WE are asked in this crisis to forget party
| for the sake of our country, II proposition to
which am more than willing to accede, hut
when we ask the Republican party to do
| likewise and acknowledge the simple guaran-
tees of the Constitution which might restore
peace and harmony to the country, they
point to the Chicago platform, and will not
yield single lot or title of it, even TO save
the country Notwithstanding this, | care
not who holds the reins Of Government.
am with them in their efforts to preserve in
| tact the Go, ernment and perpetuate the
Union and, as in every other respect, shall
in this do my whole duty to the State and
the General Government, and know that
the people of the State will do likewise, un-
less their efforts degenerate into warfare
upon the constitutional rights of citizens, de-
rived from the Federal Government"


This would seem fair enough, but coming
e., .; /. L.,
taken with its surroundings. The Governor
knows that the Chicago platform is a mere
party affair, and that it is no part of the law
of tie land. lie shakes his head when you
talk of the Union and tells you it must be
saved 10y amending the Republican platform.
"lhe simple guarantees of the Constitution"
are all sufficient, FIVE may believe him at
one breath, but then he seems to think, in
the next, that the Constitution is not good
enough unless the Chicago platform is re-
modelled: What have we to do with out
side resolutions of parties or State Legisla-
lures? What care the friends of the Consti-
tuition about the Chicago platform, or the
| Virginia revolutions Of 9S? Whatever is de-
termimed by the Courts to be in opposition
to the Constitution is nullity. The present
times are dark enough without being made
darker 10y the croakiug Of factionists, or the
malignity Of party spirit. The measures re-
sorted TO by the Administration thus far, for
the preservation of the Union, are applauded
by all loyal Americans, and he cannot avoid
unpleasant suspicious, who goes about ex-
pressing fears that "the constitutional rights
of citizens" are about to be warred upon.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof
The Democracy of the loyal States are sus-
tanning the war policy of the Government,
with but few exceptions. Governor Downey
forms one of those exceptions, and he will
find that with the great body Of the Union
Democracy he has little in common.


The Governor expresses strong Union SEN
timents in his late speech, but he does not
take back his Lindley isln--his anti.coercon
No man stands by the Govern
mcnt who tells the people that the Govern
ment is all wrong and that we can coax and
beg of rebels for peace, but must not force
them into good behavior.