Year: 1868

So long as the Union party of this State
remained united it was invincible, and moth
ing could impede its progress or thwart its
purposes. For six years the party triumphed


in each successive campaign, and the pros
pect was fair for the indefinite continuation
OF this supremacy. After repeated attempts
| ard failures to overthrow the dominant party
| the Democratic leaders saw that their only
| hope of ever regaining power was based on
| the chances of creating a division in the
Union ranks. To this end, therefore, al
their energies were bent; and to the ever
lasting shame Of portion of the Union
party, their designs were permitted to sue
cee1. Through the success of the campaign
tactics of the Democratic leaders, and the
shameful treachery of Union men who became
their tools and dupes, the Union ticket was
defeated, and the Union party temporarily
overthrow.


Some of the results of this reverse are now
apparent to the most obtuse and clouded
intellect. Two Democrats are added 20 the
Supreme Bench; the State is misrepresented
at Washington by two Democratic Congress-
men, and Democrat holds credentials for
the Senatorial seat occupied by that uncom-
promising exponent of Union principles,
John Conness. A Democratic Governor,
State officers and Legislature hold sway at
Sacramento, and through these agencies the
State is placarded before the country as
condemning Congress, endorsing the treason
able usurpations of Andrew johnson, oppos-
ing his impeachment, and thereby extending
aid and comfort to class who have sworn
undying hostility to the Union, and are
thirsting for the overthrow of the National
Government.


The deplorable results of the last campaign
have certainly opened the eyes of Union men,
and as they are now fully enabled to see
wherein their weakness lay, the severe lesson
will undoubtedly be properly needed in the
future. We trust the party may never again
be injured and disgraced by its own members,
as it was last year, in this and other counties
Straightforward Union men still remember
with feelings of shame that delegates, en-.
trusted with the responsible duty of repre-.
senting this county in the Union State Con
vention, endorsed the proceedings of that
body by voting to make the nominations
unanimous, then returned and denounced the
nominees as swinders and corrupt tricksters,





and finally turned round and supported and
votcd for the men they had thus slandered


This inconsistent and coItemptible course
of action did more to injure and weaken the
Union party in this county than all the cleo.
tioneering efforts and schemes of the Democ-
racy. A repetition of such reprehensible
conduct should be guarded against in the
future, and none but reliable men should be
selected to take part in anything relating to
party management. The delegates to the
State Convention should be careful to have
our State represented in the National Con.
vention by men who are trustworthy, and
can be relied upon in every emergency. We
want no weak kneed men, boilers nor sore.
heads. Let the Union party hereafter confde
its interests to none but true and careful
men, who bold the general good of the or
ganization above their individual prejudices
or the claims of rival partisans, and there
will be no more shameful betravals in its
ranks,