The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

and yards, her black hull, already partially hidden from my
view, are all fixed fur ever in my memory. She stood
before my straining sight, a phantom vanishing so swiftly
and surely, with the fresh, steady breeze filling her hol-
lowed sails, that the hope with which I first caught sight
of her died out of my heart in a moment, and a sickening,
terrible conviction that she was gone, settled down upon
me like the chill of death.
Beside that dreadful vision, I only remember catching
the blank look of the faces about me, until we were again
on the mole. I did not faint, for 1 am strong and rest). '
lute by nature; but my faculties seemed stunned and
scattered, and only when I found myself again on my feet,
destitute, in a city of strangers, did they regather to my
aid. It seems now like a horrible dream, that return to
the shore ; and the landing and meeting people face to
face, like the awakening to a worse reality.
What a scene Captain Marryat would have
made out of that " bit of life " ! Who will
say that the world is cruel when this strong-
minded lady fell in with so many good

Samaritans ?
I had advanced but a few steps on the mole, when we
were met by an elderly gentleman of the same party to
which Lieut. E— belonged. We had experienced his
kind regard for our comfort, both at St. Catherine's and
this place; and when, looking into my blanched face, he
gathered from that gentleman, in half a dozen words, the
fast that the ship had sailed with my children, his quickly-
suffused eyes and cordial grasp of the hand removed in a
moment the suffocating restraint upon my feelings ; and
as he drew my hand into his arm, and said, " You must go
down and see our consul ; he is a very kind, considerate
person, and yours is absent," the stifling sensation about
the heart left me, and tears came to my relief. I found
the English consul all that Mr. T— had assured me that
he was—sympathetic, manly, practical. He told him where
he would find a quiet house for we to stop in ; put an
ounce into my hand to provide for my immediate wants,
and assured me that, although T was in a strange city, I
was among a people who would not only not let me suffer
but would spare me even the apprehension of it. I never
saw this good gentleman after; but his name, face, and
manner are preserved in my memory, and will never be
forgotten. His reception of a stranger in my condition
amid not have been kinder or more judicious.
But I was not left to the painful desolation of a hotel.
Tn less than an hour I was under the hospitable roof of the
excellent clergyman whot.n I have before named, and by
noon of the next day I was furnished with a wardrobe,
bountiful enough to have supplied me for a six months'
voyage. Surely the prompt liberality of those generous
people could not have been excelled. Houses were opened
to me and money supplied for my wants, and I was assured
that my passage should be secured in the first vessel in
which I could be comfortably accommodated, if the ship
which had left tue did not put back—a belief which several
persons did not abandon till the third day. 1 never en-
tertained it, and yet when they talked of its being so cruel
and extraordinary a step, and said, again and again, that
surely he never would go on, carrying little children away
from their only parent to a country like California, I could
not help hoping a little, and my eyes were often searching
the distant waters for the gladdening sight. But she did
not return, and I thank heaven that I knew too well the
hard nature which commanded her to be disappointed
thereat.
We have read all sorts of pamphlets and
proposals about " emigration," but the Blue-
books contain no such " circular " as the
ollowing. We commend it to attention:-
- - -

New York, February 2nd, 1849.
The death of my husband, Thomas J. Farnham, Esq., at
San Francisco, in September last, renders it expedient
that I should visit California during the coming season.
Having a desire to accomplish some greater good by my
journey thither than to give the necessary attention to my
private affairs, and believing that the presence of women
would be one of the surest cheeks upon many of the evils
that are apprehended there, I desire to ask attention to the
following sketch of a plan for organising a party of such
persons to emigrate to that country.
Among the many privations and deteriorating influences
to which the thousands who are flocking thither will he
subjtated, one of the greatest is the absence of woman,
with all her kindly cares and powers, so peculiarly comer-
votive to man under such circumstances.
It would exceed the limits of this circular to hint at the
benefits that would flow to the growing population of that
wonderful region, from the introduction among them of
intelligent, virtuous, and efficient women. Of such only it
is proposed to make up this company. It is believed that
there are hundreds, if not thousands, of such females in
our country who are not bound by any tie that would hold
them here, who might, by going thither, have the satisfac-
tion of employing themselves greatly to the benefit and
advantage of those who are there, and at the same time of
serving their own interest more effectually than by follow.
ing any employment that offera to them here.
It is proposed that the company shall consist of persons
not under twenty.five years of age, who shall bring from
their clergyman, or some authority of the town where they
reside, satisfactory testimonials of education, character,
capacity, etc.. and who can contribute the sum of two
hundred and fitly dollars, to defray the expenses of the
voyage, make suitable provision for their accommodation
after reaching San Francisco, until they shall be able to
enter upon some occupation for their support, and create a
fund to be held in reserve for the relief of any who may be
ill, or otherwise need aid before they are able to provide
for themselves.
It is believed that such an arrangement, with one hun-
dred or one hundred and thirty persons, would enable the
company to purchase or charter a vessel, and fit it up with

SATURDAY,

everything necessary to comfort on the voyage, and that
the combination of all for the support of each would give
such security, both as to health, person, and character, as
would remove all reasonable hesitation from the minds of
those who may be disposed and able to join such a mission.
It is intended that the party shall include six or eight
respectable married men and their families.
Those who desire further information will receive it by
calling on the subscriber at

ELIZA W. FARNHAM.
We are bound to add that several distinguished
American gentlemen publicly approved of the
plan. In justice to the authoress we shall cite
their recommendation :
We, the undersigned, having been made acquainted
with the plan proposed by Mrs. Farnham, in the above
circular, hereby express our approbation of the saute, and
recommend her to those who may be disposed to unite
with her in it, as worthy the trust and confidence necessary
to its successful conduct.
lion. J. W. Edmonds, Judge Freeman Hunt, Esq.
Superior Court. Thomas C. Doremus, Esq.
Hon. W.'l'. McCoun, late Vice- W. C. Bryant, Esq.
Chancellor. Shepherd Knapp,
Hon. 11. F. Butler, late li. S. Rev. George Potts,
D.D.
Attorney. Rev. Henry W. Beecher.
Hon. H. Greeley. Miss Cath'ne Sedgwick.
Isaac T. Ilopper, Esq. Mrs. C. M. Kirkland.
To which she appends this statement of

-
" results" :
I was ill two months following the publication of this
paper, and the time set for sailing was too soon after my
recovery to permit persons. who wished to avail themselves
of this plan, to make their preparations. Only three ladies, of
more than two hundred who communicated with me, came
out in my cluipany. Two of these have returned with the
means of living comfortably the rest of their days, and with
unstained reputations, anti the third is at this timo a
member of my family.

The book is certainly readable, though ex-
tremely odd. It seems like such a volume as
might be composed from the rapid talk of a
vehement, clever, and projecting " advocate of
" the rights of woman. We should have pre-
ferred the matter presented to us in the pages
of a novel, with less literary cant and less
affected enthusiasm about authors. She
preaches long and often in the following
strains :
The beautiful proportions of the moral nature will bo
gradually broken down, as the surface of the stone is
hollowed, and its original form in part destroyed by the
unceasing friction. And magnificent as is nature here,
grand as is the scale of her operations, and lavish as she
is cf all that can furnish material comfort, or external con-
solations, there will, I fear, be little in the social and
moral life of the country for many years to invite those
whose natures expose them to sufferings from these causes.
And yet only in the presence of women is to be found the
efficient remedy for these great evils. The martyr women
ot California will one day have an honourable place
assigned them, when history shall fill her noblest office
and truthfully interpret the motives that lead to noble
actions. For they come regardless of the trials and dan-
gers that await them; every steamer sends its precious
freight throughout the length and breadth of our borders.
The home, holiest and purest nursery of what is good in
the heart, springs up everywhere before woman. In town
and country, canon and ravine, on mountain and in valley,
the sacred temple rises at the bidding of this true mission-
ary ot love and purity. Her presence is the guarantee for
the hest manifestation of his nature of which man is
capable, amid the influences which here surround him ;
and bad as it often is. we may rest assured that without
her it would be inconceivably worse.
There is no country in the world where the highest
attributes of the female character are more indispensable
to the social weal than in California; for nowhere else
have the indomitable energies, the quick desires, and the
wide-reaching purposes of the Saxon nature been sub-
mitted to so severe a test of their self regulating power.
And she gives a specimen of how others
preach in California. She went to a Methodist
chapel, and was thus edified:—
When the prayer was closed, he announced his text in
the words, " Now abideth faith, hope, charity," etc. Ile
said that no doubt the text was familiar to most of his
hearers ; that they had often heard it preached from—
so often, that may be they would think there couldn't be
any new sermon made on it. He knew it was true ; it
had been preached on a great many times, but for all that
he considered it one of the texts that would bear frequent
examination. His sermon, though pronounced in the
language of an illiterate man, did nut lack good common
sense or moral tone. "Is our souls sot heavenward ?" he
exclaimed ; " it' they be, we shall move on the road to it ;
but some folks, talking of going to heaven and hoping to
get there, is like a man at home in the old States saying
he hoped to get to Kelly/ern!, while all the time he sot
still:'

The conclusion of her work records hopes
which we fear have already been disap-
pointed :
This is the commencement of an era of improvement in
California, which will lift her out of some of her many
degradations. The State will not again become the parsdise
it has been for rogues and shameless men. The election
of this year, it is hoped and expected, will result in the
actual choosing of a set of officers by the people, not only
in San Francisco, but throughout the State; for the 111.

JANUARY 3, 1857.

auenco of the Committee is felt in the mountains, as well
as in the metropolis ; and, though we are not to expect
any miraculously certain choice of the best men always,
we are entitled to expect that the worst will not, as so
often heretofore, lie successful. Fraudulent elections
prevented, an immense source of evil to the social and
civil as well as political life of the country is at once cut otE
Her sympathies were for Mr. Fremont, and
the authoress is a thorough-going anti-slavery
writer. Her volume is quaint and curious,
and gives one a desire that some well-known
and competent observer would give us a
minute and faithful picture of the " Golden
Region." But dates are of importance.
Her " circular " was in 1►340, and we are
on the eve of 11357, and we believe that
there are later accounts from California than
those given in this dashing performance.