Democratic Party
Published: 2017-12-15
Total Pages: 20
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Excerpt from Address of the Majority of the Democratic Members of Both Branches of the Legislature of California: In Public Meeting Assembled in Convention, at Benicia, Feb'y 1854 There are two classes of reasons which have brought us to these conclusions. First, because, under the Constitutions of the United States and the State of California, the present session is the legal and proper one in which to provide for the forthcoming vacancy; and, second, because the condition of the Democratic Party, assailed anew by the revived machinations of the Whigs and Democratic Bolters of the late campaign, require at our hands prompt action and sudden check. In that memorable contest, fellow-citizens, it was your steadfast fidelity to Democratic order, that saved our principles and preserved our ticket; and now, the same spirit is again required, both from you and from us, to frustrate this supplemental and desperate attempt to derange our discipline and deprive us of the richest prize of hard-earned victory. The epilogue of that contest is now being performed before us. It is directed in the main by the same characters, inspired by the same motives, conducted on the same principles, and worthy, we believe, of the same ignominious fate. We trace the connection between these incongruous elements from the date of the "Secret Circular," which was to rive the Democracy in twain and construct on its ruins a "Convention (Whig) Party;" we follow a branch of the perturbed cabal into the late state Convention; thence, we behold it issuing to unite again openly in favor of Waldo and the Whigs; and now, we find both section.s naturally fused together, and composing a phalanx, drilled for mischief, under "Secret Circular" leaders, to be manoeuvred in compact operation on the very floors of this Legislature. The last effort of this unhappy coalition - which as yet has succeeded in nothing - is to defeat the selection of a Democratic U. S. Senator this winter. It is a final spite of the Opposition against the Convention and Election, and they wage it through a motion for postponement, in order that the Senatorial question may be thrown like a firebrand into the next general canvass, to consume our narrow aggregate majorities, to breed in our large and closely balanced counties bitter and distracting feuds, and to slip between the striving candidates a Whig electoral majority, to curse our empire in the National Halls with a barren sceptre and divided rule. Impressed with the danger comprehended in this state of affairs;seeing it plainer from our positions than you can see it, and being empowered by you, to deal with all such exigencies, we followed the immemorial resource of the Democracy in times of danger, and agreed to meet in council for the party safety. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
