Page:California Historical Society Quarterly vol 22.djvu/241

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in the East was intensely loyal, which was not the case in California. As a consequence this would not, according to Owen, affect the war policies of the Administration. He went on to say, however, that the national Democratic victories were proof that the Republicans had enlisted in the Union armies to do the fighting while the Democrats had remained at home to do the voting.^^ O'Daugherty perceived these election results as indicating a change in public sentiment in favor of compromising the issues involved in the war. 2 2

The Democratic party had held the same tight grip on the municipal affairs of San Jose as it had on those of the state prior to Stanford's election, having been in complete control since 1850. The municipal election was due to be held in April 1862. In the preceding February, Owen had again condemned the move of certain Republicans to join with the Union (formerly Douglas) Democrats because, in Owen's words, the Democrats professed to "see eye to eye with the Republicans" but "oppose every question of state policy."^^ In view of the forthcoming municipal elections, however, he favored a temporary coalition, which was promptly turned down by the local Republican organization. As a result, Owen reported that the Republican party would form no "compromising alliance for the purpose of carrying the municipal elections."^* After being turned down by the Republicans, the Union Democrats of San Jose appear to have united with the Breckinridge group in a so-called "Peoples party." As a consequence, the incumbent Democratic mayor, Asa Johnson, was reelected.

Milton S. Latham, United States senator from California, had been elected to that office on January 1 1, 1862, after he had served only three months as governor of the state. His was the task of filling the unexpired term of David C. Broderick, who had been slain by Chief Justice David S. Terry in a duel now famous in California annals. Latham, in 1862, was campaigning for reelection to the Senate. In connection with this effort, he made several speeches seeking to justify the action of the Administration in contesting the right of the South to secede, but, at the same time, he vigorously opposed any action toward emancipation. He also bitterly attacked the Republicans for their support of the movement. Consequently, Owen expressed the hope that the new legislature would "elect a Senator in place of Milton Latham." Owen accused Latham of misrepresenting California in the Senate of the United States.^^ Latham of course was a Democrat, which on ordinary grounds was reason enough for an attack by Owen. Latham was replaced by John Conness, who, it will be recalled, had been defeated for governor by Leland Stanford in the election of 1861.

The spring of 1863 saw the Republicans and the Union Democrats finally uniting to defeat the incumbent city administration. Only 819 votes were cast, as compared with the more than 1200 in 1861. Most of the electorate