Year: 1863




views in relation to some matters connected with
the Union partr's nomination Of Sheriff. I ven
turei to condemn the means employed to procure
the nomination. Briefly, the points in discussion
may be stated thus: Two years ago an unsophis,-
Gated resident of one OF the rural districts
. candidate before the Union Administration Con
vention. and was nominated for Sheriff. Being
fairly nominated, be was Justly entitled 70 the
undivided support Of the party represented in that
Convention. But be was yictimizei by his Own
pa1ty-v0tes 10 which lie WAS entitled were barter
ed away for the benefit Of candidates for other
offices running on the same ticket. Thus was he
defeated. And (by the way) among the most
effective aids of his defeat was the oft-repeated
declaration Of some Of his professed friends and
fellow candidates. that if he should be defeated
and his opponent, Middleton. elected. members Of
both parties could share the satisfaction Of knowing
that in the person of the latter they wonld have
" frst-rate officer much asn they had said
" Notwithstanding the Democratic candidate is in
our opinion disleyal, the superiority Of his civil
qualifications may be considered an ample com
pensation for biz disloyalty.1 When the fact be
come known that the Union party's candidate had
been defeated many of the most prominent mem
bers Of that party (as well as those of humber pre-
tention) assured him that Z" he was bound to sue
ceed next time" that they " would nominate, and
elect him Sheriff for the next term" None were
bound by these pledges except the persons who
made them; and if the late Convention. Influenced
adversely by those who did make these pledges,
had acted in disregard of them and nominated the
man Of their choice there would have been nothing
whereof to complain. But such was not the case
. at all, at-all."


Let me tale unfold \ short while prece-
ding the day on which the late Union County Con
venion was held at 0roYille. there nj ght have been
seen squatters." emmissaries-resident of
0ro7ille-sojourning at some of the hill-country
precincts, trying to get themselves elected Dele
gates 10 the Convention, in the interest and on
behalf Of certain Office seekers Of Oroville-their
employers. There were also others acting in the
interest OF the same persons, riding from precinct
to precinct, and making all possible effort TO de-
tract from the capacity. the popularity aud the
merit of the candidate whose success had been
wantonly sacrificed two years before. Such were
the modes and such the means, in part through
which the nomination for Sheriff determined;
and in the achievement of this result, men
prominently and actively engaged, whose solemn
obligations 10 truth, honor and fidelity bound them
to a very different course. And for the reason that
the nomination was determined by unfair and
unjust means, in violation of good faith, have
declared my purpose to oppose it and invited others
/ to do likewise. Because | choose to follow the
dictates of my own judgment in this matter, am
told that my cO-partisans and compatriots in Oro-
vile denouncing me at a terrible rate. Let
them rail on; let the CALLED jade vince; my
withers are unwrung." remember the time when
my party friends considered 1t reproach to
straighoLt Democrats that, when their party had
acted improperly in making nominations, they
would nevertheless vote the strai ght ticket-goit
blind still prefer the guidance of my eyesight.
know that the defeated candidate pledged himself
in convention to support its nominees, and doubt
not he will do so-actng upon the hypothesis that
it is better to keep bad promise than TO break it.
So, told, religious martyrs have been recon-
ciled to death at the stake. Nevertheless, some
what doubt the propriety of such proceedings-so
uncomfortable Ny concern is not, however, for
the exclusive benefit of any single individua it is
more especially for the preservation of the Union
party organization. believe that wrong doing by
party has a tendency to ALLEVIATE its friends and
will, if tolerated, hasten its sure downfall. know
that 10 expose and denounce the iniquity Of party
is poor way to gain that partys favor; but
" I'll 10 more Sempronins,--Ill deserve it, As
Henry Clay, the illustrious would rather be RIGHT
than be President so, in the same spirit of up
rightness, would rather endure the dstayor of
party than be used by il as an instrument of base
ness. vastly admire the sef-satisfed and osten-
tatious air with which some of my party friends
proclaim their purpose to vote the straight Union
ticket, from top to bottom inasmuch as it should
seem quite indispensable to the success of our
country that not only Sherifs, but Justices
and Constabes, especially should be elected who
are '' sound on the goose" but when they more
over express the opinion that " all true Union men
win go and do likewise it is then only their i'm
measurable credulity that excites my admiration.
Without pretending to be so obsequious to my
party as TO vote like an automaton, intend never.
theess to vote for nearly all the candidates on the
Union ticket-for all whom regard as having been
fairly and rightfully nominated. and who are
" honest, faithful and capable To the nominee
for Sheriff, | have no personal objection; to the
wrong perfdiously perpetrated by whomsoever,
the benefit whereof he received in his nomination,
am decidedly opposed on grounds of moral and
political equity; and hence, i. cannot have word
symbol of my appreciation. I believe that al
ways, in all cases, " honesty is the best policy"
To do right is ever eXpedient TO do wrong, never.
Strong as, gladly trust, the Union party now is
it can, am sure but i'll afford to pamper political
perfdy, born Of mercenary greed for office.
scorn therefore, the partisan dictation that would
require me to contribute to the success of candi
date whose nomination resulted from shameless per-
fdiousness, willy intrigues, cunning detraction aud
misrepresentation, and an inordinate appetite for
" the loaves and fishes have little doubt Of the
election of the nominee of the Union party. But
by just so many votes as he may happen to come
short of getting the entire party support so many
at least will be the indignant voices raised in pro-
test against and in apprehension of the modes and
means through which his object will have been
attained; snd by so many Of its truest friends
also will the marty no sOennlv -ainS+