Year: 1864

personal attack upon himself to define bis
position in supporting the Chicago Presiden


tal nomination. The friends Of Mr.. Cole
man cannot but regret that in selecting a
medium Of communication with the public


be has given an undue Importance, at the
expense of his own selfrespect, to paper
which only ranks with "indecent publica.
tions, and attracts notice from the respect.
able portion Of 90 party but as an object o.
contempt and disgust, entirely beneath crit


cism or personal or political controversy
The position of Mr.. Coleman is that of 4
very large majority Of the solid business met
Of the count1y-tbe men Of intelligent en-
terprise who have accumulated fortunes in
Legitimate trade and have supported the
Government by their credit and their means
| in contradistinction to the partzan specu.
lators and shoddy contractors who support
the Administration only for the spoils which
they have been enabled to accumulate from
the war. His support of the Democratic
ticket is that of an independent citizen, not
that Of mere partizan; he does not hold
the party responsible for his personal opn-
ions or political action, nor bind himself to
any party pledges or tenets. In common
with the representatives Of the great conser-
vative sentiment Of the country, thousands
of whom will not allow themselves to be
come identified with or bound by any party
organization, he will labor for a change oi
Administration as the only hope now offered
for restoration Of peace upon the basis o.
Union-as the only salvation of the country
from bankruptcy and social and political
anarchy. The action of Mr.. Coleman, who
stands at the head of the commercial inter
esls in this city, is on an indication of the
prevailing sentiment of the class which he
represents, not only in San Francisco but in
all the commercial cities of the United States
Without the material aid furnished by the
merchants and bankers, this war could not
have been prosecuted through the ninety
days" predicted by Mr.. Seward as the limit
Of its duration, and now, after it has been
continued for three and a-half years, excIu.
sively on party basis and solely for party
purposes, until the Government credit is re-
duced to forty cents on the dollar, no sensi
BILE business man can take any other view Of
it, than that without a change of policy and
a change Of Administration it will prove a
runous, disgraceful and ignominious failure
Hence the support of Mcclellan by nearly
all of the most reliable and intelligent busi'
ness men Of the country. The following is
the card Of Mr.. Coleman:


SAN Francisco, Sept. 10th. 1864.


To THE AMERICAN FLAG:-In your alusions to
myself in your paper OF Saturday, you fall into
some errors which trust you will gladly correct,
and beg to say, that my course in all such mat
tiers related 20 has been plain and strai ghorward
and my views frankly and unequvocally express
ed. Not being politician, my action has not
been governed by party rules. AS an indepen-
dent Democrat opposed Mr.. Lincoln; but us
citizen, adopted his election as legal and fair,
and determined, as in duty bound to support him
untalteringly and unhinchngy This announ.
ced publicly to my friends at the East, and wrote
to my people here; and my frankness and firm
ness at that hour OF waverng and doubt was ap-
plauded by my Republican neighbors. dreaded
war and opposed it, but Sumter once fred upon
all efforts towards peace were plainly futile. ex-
cept at the end Of severe struggle, and with
millions of Democrats joined in the issue and
lent my fullest support to the Administration.
All sympathy gave way before duty and right.
assisted in raising and fitting troops for the
field. and SIS 900 per annum would not cover my
contributions TO the cause. During all this time
unhesitatingly discussed the acts of the Admin
istration. many Of which l couldn't approve, and
the general policy OF the Republican party, Ger
tainly not; but, consider all parties and all in
terests as secondary to the higher and holier one
OF the whole country. I gladly contributed to
the Sanitary Commission and all similar efforts
always taking pains to say acted as Democrat;
and that while was for IN active, thorough, Wig
orous prosecution of the war, l hoped the day
was soon ut hand when we could hail q glorious
and honorable peace, tDifh Union. hope it is
near ut hand now. and with thousands of others
adopt General McClellan's statesmanlke and
xtrsOt t.n thn ED,
to pursue.


AS to the Peoples party here-I may have
been one of its founders and certainly am proud
Of its work. You must know, however, that at
most l have been but an advisory" member and
have had no part in the assembled councils of the
party. l have been led to believe that its great
est danger of destruction was from the jealousy
of the State organization Of the Union party;
but trust such will never be the case, and that
its good work will go on. In the nomination of
Mr.. McRuer, for Congress, acted OIL the merits
of the individual, because thought if elected
he would make a much better representative than
any other man before the Convention, and would
be acceptable to the mercantile community. My
support Of this gentleman Was, and is, an indi
vidual act, and Independent OF parties


AS for whom else will support propose de-
tcrmining for myself from time to time, as occa-
sion arises. l seek no Office nor political favors,
and feel entirely free to follow my own views





concerned.


Finally. think can fairly assert my Union
ism as frmer, broader and more earnest than
thousands who clamor so boldly to-day, but who
have declared that they would only have the
Union under certain circumstances conforming to
their own views. and who have done little or
nothing beyond talking Justify; while land those
acting with me, are Tor the Union under all and
any circumstances repelling and putting down
alike, if need be, the Secessionsts of the South
and the Abolition disunonsts of the North, and
embracing in our ranks, or endeavoring 10, the
true Union people of the whole country. II
necessary to the salvation Of the Union, say
let the ,Oar 60 on; but whenever the Union can
be saved without wasting mcre blood or treasure,
in the name Of humanity, Of patriotism, and of
common sense, let US do it. look for tens of
thousands Of good Union people to join heartily
in this. While Mr.. Lincoln is probably very
good man in his way, his Administration has
been far from harmonious or successful, and, with


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