Year: 1862


peacock dignity and bearing, and sword
drawn for the contest, he strides forth to
meet the foe, will not fail to recognize in
the recent exceedingly literary and hifaEu-
tin "declinature" of Rev. Bro. Pearue Of
the position of Brigadier General of the
second division of the Oregon Militia,
about the same elements of generalsbip as
those displayed by the ftrocious and time
honored, though mythical General Bombas-
tes. The appointment was rendered him
by Gov Gibbs, and Pearne in declining
the honor makes the important and start
ling announcement that the commission
was signed by the Governor and counter
signed by the Secretary of State, NTH the
State seal alfred. ;" and he ought to have
added for the sake of sound-by and with
the advice and consent Of the Legislature
of Oregon, and the United States OF
America in Congress assembled The ap-
pointment Of Bro. Pearne to a military po-
sition was in itself piece of extravagant
buncombe, and reflected but little credit up
on the ability and judgment of the execu-
tive. We are inclined to the opinion
that the appointment was either brought
about through the pressure Of Undue in
fuences on the part Of the disappointed
friends of the ex-aspirant for the Senate,
in commisseration of his disastrous de-
feat" or some of his opponents have been
guilty of "playing" the Governor BY indu-
cling his appointment, with the assurance OF
a "good thing whether he accepted the
position or declined it. Knowing that the
Governor possesses more heart than head,
more sentiment than sense, we are con-
strained to believe that out of one or the
other of the above alternatives came Brig.
Gen. Pearne.


In this "declinature," which can only be
characterized as bombastic rodomontade,
Bro. Pearre says that ministers of the
gospel should not occupy strictly military
offices, ither in the State or Federal mill
tary." Now we are uoable to see Why a
minister could not with as much proprioty
occupy a military as political position
Bro. Pearne did not decline the office of a
U. S. Senator, nor would he have done so
if it had been rendered him, as his efforts
to gain the position clearly prove. The
distinction is without a difference, and in
all consistency he should have occupied the
same position in respect to both. After
modestly admitting that there are some of
his fellow citizens better adapted in some
respects than himself for the position, we
find the reasons for his "declinatuTe, -
summed up in the following egotistical and
pompous sentence; "As the position,
therefore, would be a comparatively nomi-
nal one and not likely to be of great in1-
portauce to the safety or deHverance of the
State or nation, do not feel myself under
obligations to accept it." This sentence
clearly indicates that Pearne considers him
self entirely above the position of Briga-
dier General of the Oregon militia, and
that the people can honor him with nothing
short of United States Senatorship. If
it were in the power of the President to
appoint this pretentious reverend to the po-
sition of Commanderin-chief of the Uni
ted States army, ana he should do so, we
wonder if he would pu: in ''declinature p


He says; 81 will add that should any con-
tingency arise in which it becomes necessa-
ry to draft the militia of Oregon or to call
out volunteers to aid in suppresslng this re-
bellion, or in repelling foreign invasion,
your Excellency may command my services
and means as a private, or in any other ca
pacity in which they may be most usefully
employed


When the Governor demands the Rev.
Brigadier's services, especially as a private,
it will be the Inauguration of new era !;
and when we consider the character of the
man who volunteers this love Of the
almighty dollar-the offer of his means
appears excruciatingly ridiculous. If his
"Excellency" should ever have occasion to
command his means and be unable to give
him security for return of the grand cash
with interest, his call would be in vain
After this liberal display Ct patriotism, the
"Brigadier" proceeds with a grand flow
of his larnin in relation to the Revolutions
of the Netherlanders against Philip the
second, and a number of others for centu-
ries back, down to the American Revolu-
ton, and then expresses the very fervent
hope that "Oregon may continue happily
exempt from that most horrible calamity
civil war" While we will grant him sin
cerity in the wish, we cannot help thinking
there is an underlying cause which in this
instance has equal weight in his mind with
that of his love of country and horror Of
civil war. He has pledged his services and
means to the Governor in case of such q
calamity, and knows that his natural dispo-
sition would be to show the white feather
in the hour of peril, and therefore hopes, to
use his own language, to avoid "the con
tingency of that necessity.


He winds up his model "declinature


with sentiments of high consideration