Year: 1860

Committee has, although Only Oy uhJoTlty


of three, recommended to the County Com


mittees the adoption of test which would


exclude Anti Lecompton Democrats from the


primary elections of the Administrations.


1t is very proper that the Lecompton enc


mics OF Judge Douglas should rejoice over it
for they know well that the union Of the
Douglas strength in this State would certain
ly result in sending Douglas delegates to the
Charleston Convention. The Express there,
fore, does only what is expected of it, wher
it congratulates its peculiar supporters OF
what it hopes is to be the defeat of the Doug
los movement in California for the election
of delegates to Charleston favorable to his
cause. 1t may be that the time will come


when that sheet will wish to blot out Its
anti Douglas record The organ Of B. f,
Washington. the San Francisco National, is


right when it says that the Lecompton De-


mocracy of this State are opposed to Doug
las and that his name has been the rallying
cry of the opposition to this kind Of Democ-
racy. Be assured, too, that Douglas will re-
member it, and the Douglas Democrscy will
remember it, whether in one organization or
another. No Lecompton candidate will
ever be President of the United States No
Daniel S. Dickinson or any such man. Mark
the prediction.


So far as we are concerned, individually,
il makes no difference with us what the Com
mittee has done or what the County Commit
tees may do We ask no favors at their
hands, and, in the calm consciousness of right
will ever pursue the even tenor of our way,
regardless of the favors or the smiles ofany of
the dispensers of Leeompton patronage. We
live by the legitimate business of respecta-
BILE newspaper, and expect long to ont live
those lickspittling sheets which are the mere
tools of organization instead of the exponents
of principle With the union of the two
Douglas elements in this State, we believe
that Lecomptonism would go down as the
ruling spirit of the Democratic Party, and
that the wind-veering journals dependent
upon the full tide of Lecompton prosperity
for their support, would be swept to destruc-
tion. While it makes no difference with us, as
we have said, as public journal, dependent
upon its own regular, steady and legitimate
business, what the turns of political parties
may be, yet, it is very clear to our mind that
it is greatly to the interest of the Democratic
Party, as party, to reunite upon the old
basis, and that to defeat union of this kind
is suicidal and unwise in the extreme. With
a divided Democracy, the path of the Oppo-
siton is plain and broad to success. They
have but to march forward to victory. And
be assured, failure to reuRite the Democra-
cy ofthis State will work fearfully upon the
harmony of the party in all the Northern
States of the Union. In view of these facts,
it is manifestly the true policy of the Admin
istration County Committees to pay no atten-
ton to the recommendation of the State Gen.
tral Committee at all, in regard to the foolish
test which they propose. The harmony of
the party in the coming contests is far supe-
pior to any consideration as to whether Dick


inson stock would go up or under by the


movement. 1t is better, even for the Dickin-


son men themselves, as Democrats, that the
prospects Of Douglas should be enhanced at
Charleston, by the contemplated act of union,
than that an example should be set in Cali
fornia which would tend to so distract the
party in the older States as to preclude the
possibility of any candidate of the Democrat.
ic Party being elected at all in the Presiden>
tial campaign. With a united Democracy,
the next election for President will be car.
ried. Without it, the party is doomed to
certain defeat. The State Central Committee
has lacked the nerve to take the responsibili-
ty of effecting a concentration Of the Demo-
cratic strength.


They preferred to leave such action 10 the
County Committees. Let us see now, if Mey
will have the backbone to assume the respon-
sibility. In the opening of the Gubernato-
rial canvass of 1857, which resulted in the
and election of John b, Weller.
an effort was made in regard to tests, the
object of which was to prevent all Democrats
from voting at the primary elections who
had not voted for Mr.. Buchanan for the Pres
idency. In some of the counties it succeeded
and in others it did not. The County Com
mittee of Yuba county. for one, refused to
make any test whatever, and admitted all
claiming to be Democrats to a free and full
participation in the primary election. One
thing is certain. bad the proposed test been
adhered to, hundreds of the present loudest
bowling Administration Democrats and
strenuous advocates of test TO exclude
Douglas Democrats, at a time when it is more
necessary than ever that the party should be
harmonized, would themselves have been
excluded. If q test was not good in their
case, why should it be any better thing
noW?


Be it understood that we are not at all
anxious in regard to what the County Com
mittees may do, for we are Independent
enough to consent that each tub shall stand
upon its own bottom, but we are talking
sense for the benefit of those who are fit to
hear it.


WE notice a disposition on the mart Of 20


temporanes' occasionally, to praise one paper
TO the dlsParagemeut OF another. A compli.
ment conveyed in this way, however ;,st
.c.IA ~ .