The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-07-17

hsl, lis forests have all kinds OF Trees some OF eh
growing to size which, but for the force OF testimony
would be Incredible One OF these is stated by Humboldt
as OF one hundred and eighteen feet in girth But tins
is walking stick compared with another Bodega, as
described 10 Sir George by Governor Etholine OF Sitka
tits thrtysix Russian lahoms (seven feet each) IN span
and IS in height that, if tapered into perfect
would contain nearly twenty-five thousand of bark
and timber In addition, the valley contains immense
herds of wild horses troops of several thousands each
What country will this be, when II shall fall into the
hands OF an intelligent people!
The last OF The five posts San Diego is, to San
Francisco the best harbor IN the province Thus, Upper
California contains, at ts opposite extremihes, two OF
the best harbos the Pacific ocean, each OF them be-
ing enhanced in value by the distance OF any Others
worthy of the name-San Francisco being nearly one
thousand miles from Port Discovery in the north, and
San Diego six hundred miles from the bay OF Magdalena
in the south.
That in the hands OF any vigorous possessors this
country would form most powerful kingdom, is beyond
all question and Sir George Simpson evidently thinks
that it might easily be acquired and with legitimate
claim too, by England But the still higher question is
the policy OF perpetual increase OF territory England
already has in America larger extent OF territory than
she people Tor five hundred years TO But the
possession of California and perhaps the whole extent o
the Mexican provinces, on the eve of decision the
American invasion has found resistance that can de
serve the name The Mexicans fly in every quarter, and
few discharges OF cannon put them to flight by thou
sands. AT this moment the whole Mexican republic,
equal in size to half dozen European States, appears to
be crumbling into fragments The rambling expeditions
OF the Americans are rayagng in all directions with
mpunity; and armies which might have been long since
annhated bya mere guerilla war; have been suffered to
march from city to city, with scarcely more resistance
than cattle stealing skrmish By the last intelligence
San Juan dUloa has faen and Vera Cruz has capltu-
lated after siege OF only three days and half The
castle is the strongest fertilization in the western world
and as Napoleon said OF Malta t is lucky that 1t had
somebody inside to openihe gates for u.s. the garrison
OF this fortress seems to have been placed there merely
Tor the purpose OF surrehdeiing II
AT all events must regard the contest as decided
The government has exhibited nothing than sui
len resolution, and the people little more than the apathy
of their own cattle; the troops have exhibited no evl-
dence OF discipline and the only OF the finance
has been in the wild projects of empty exchequer
Whether the United States will be the more prosperous
for this CONQUEST is Question Of time alone. Whether
the facility OF the conquest may not make the multitude
frantic for general Observation-Disclosures the military men
of the States may not obtain popularity and assume a
power which has been hitherto confined to civil life
whether the attractions OF military career may not turn
the rising generation from the pursuits OF trade and TIL
lage to the idle or the ferocious life Of the American
campagnerand whether the pressure of public debt the
necessity for maintaining their savage conquests by
army, and the passion for territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
may not urge them to colonial war with England-aIe
only parts Of the great problem which the next veand
twenty years will compel the American republic to solve
AT the same time, we cannot avoid looking upon the
invasion OF Mexico as portion OF that extraordinary
great stagnant districts OF the world which has already
awaked Turkey in Europe and in Asia Minor; which
has brought Egypt into civilized action; which has bro
ken down the barbarsm of the Agernes and planted the
French standard in place of the fures and progacles OF
African Mahomeanism Deeply deprecating the guilt Of
those aggressions and condcmnng the crimes by which
they have been sustained cannot but regard changes
so unexpected 80 powerful and so Simultaneous as the
operation OF higher power than MANS with objects al
together superior TO the shortsghedness OF man, and
amply bearing the character of working good out of evil
which belongs to the history OF Divine Providence IN all
the ages OF the world.
There is one peculiarly in these volumes which we
cannot sufficiently applaudand that is, the thoroughly
English spirit in which they written. Without weak
partially, for The everywhere assigned with
prejudice for the facsare all nstancesstae
and without derogang from the merits OF other nations
the work is calculated TO give just conception of the
value of England to the world.
On his return from the Sandwich Islesan interesting
portion of his travels to which have not time to
advert in detaand preparing to start from the Russian
post of New Archange by five months journey through
the Russian empire, he gives glance at what he has
done.
81 have" says he, threaded my way round nearly
half the globe traversng about 900 degrees of longitude
and upwards of 100 of latitude, barely fourth Of this
by the ocean Notwithstanding all this, have uniformly
felt more at home, with the exception of my first sojourn
at Sitka than should have felt in Calais Ihave every
where under great variety of circumstances
either actually or virtually invested with the attributes
OF sovereignty"
as exhibited IN the commerce, intelligence and activity
OF the United States he returns to the immediate posses
sons and prowess of England. 81 have the Eng
lish posts which stud the wilderness from the Cana
dian lakes TO the Pacific ocean; have English
advenurers with that innate power which makes
every individual whether Briton or American, real rep
resenatve OF his country, monopolzng the trade,
influencing the destlnies of California; and, lastly
have seen the English merchants of barbarian arch
WHICH promises, unuer lnelT become
the centre of the traffic of the and the west, of the
New World and the Old. In saying all this, have seer
less than half the grandeur of the English race. How
insignificant, in comparison, all the other nations OF
the earth, nation alone excepted. Russia and Grea
Britain literally grid the globe where either continent has
the greatest breadth; fact which, taken in connexion
with their early annals, scarcely fail TO be regarded
as the work of special Providence. After the fall Of
the Roman empire scany and obscure people suddenly
burst the west and east, the dominant of the
times; one swarm of the Nornans making its way &c
England, while another establishing its supremacy
the Sclavonans Of the Boryshenes, the two being
to meet in opposite directions at the end of thousand
years.
He regards the gigantic power of Russia as in an I'M
of and civilization He also makes the curious
and true remark. that notwithstanding the astonishing
successes of the Nomans in Europe they were never
numerous enough TO establish their language in any
the conquered countries Their unparalleled successes
therefore, to express the idea that those feeble bands
OF strengthened everywhere to accomplish
the purposes of Providence.
We now come to the overland journey to Siberia On
the 23d OF July they reached the port OF Ochotsk where
however, they were met by masses of floating ice Here
Sir George had the first intelligence from England which
brought to his English heart the glad tdings of The birth
of Prince of Wales They found this settlement a COL
lection of huts shingy beach. The population is
conceived than the surrounding country Not tree and
even scarcely green blade be within miles
the town. The climate is par with the soil The
summer consists OF three months of damp and chilly
weather, during great part of which the snow still
the hills and the chokes the harbor and this succeed
ed by nine months of deary winter But when men find
fault with such climate this the fact i that the fault
the residence Of man they were intended for the white
BEAR the seal, the whale and the fur-bearino animals