Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-12-08

a. must have sought a market through lhss
le streams, running into and though our erriloit
u and The danger of irritation and collision Of i
rn teresls between Texas as foreign Stale and oul
10 serves would have been imminent while III
IS embarrassmenls in The commercial intercou.s
ne between them must have been constant and una
p,s voidatle. Had Texas fallen into the hands, G
IS under The influence and control Of a strong ma
% rhine or military foreign power, as she Nigh
~ nave DONE these dangers would have been s
&c greater. They have been avoided by her voun
, lafy and Peaceiul annexation 10 the United States
q Texas, from her position, was a natural and al
most indispensable part OF our territories. For
&c lnnalely she has been restored 10 our country
i and now constitutes one OF The States OF GU
:. confederacy, upon an equal footing with III
u original States" The salubriy of climate, In
!, fertility OF soil. peculiarly adapted 10 The produc
u lion OF some OF our most yaluab staple commo
% dities, and her commercial advantages mus
u soon make her one OF our most popuous States
q New Mexico, though situated in the interior
c and without seacoast, is known 10 CONTAIN
: much eltie land, 10 abound in rich mines of tn
u precious metals and 10 be capable Of sustaining
{ large population. From lis position, il is lht
intermediate and connecting territory between oul
J settlements and our possessions in Texas, anc
II those on The Pacific coast
Upper California irrespective OF The vast mi
: neral wealth recently developed there holds a.
this day, in point of value and importance TO The
resi- OF the Union, the same relation that Louisi-
ana did, when that fine territory was acquired
from France tor,y.fve years ago. Extending
: nearly ten degrees OF latitude along the Pa
cifc. and embracing the only safe and CON-
modiouS haroors on that coast for many hum
dred miles, with temperate climate, and an
extensive interior OF fertile lands, is scarcely
possible 10 estimate It's wealth until il shall be
brought underlh he government OF our laws, and il.
resourcesfully developed From It's position itmus,
command the rich commerce o. China, OF Asia,
of the islands of the Pacific, Of Western Mex.
CO. of Central America, the South American
States, and OF The Russian possessions bordering
on that ocean. great emporium will doubt
less speedily arise on the Californian coast,
which may be destined 10 rival in importance
New Orleans itself. The depot of the vast com.
merce which must exist on the Pacific will prob.
ably be at some point on tue bay Of San Fran
cisco, and will occupy the same relation to the
whole western coast of that ocean, as New
Orleans does to the valley of the Mississippi and
the gulf Of Mexico. To this depot our hume
rous whale ships will resort with their cargocs,
% trade. reht, and obtain supplies. This Of IL
sell VIII largely contribute 10 build up a city,
which would soon become the centre Of a great
ahd rapidly increasing commerce. Situated OH
sale haroor, sufficiently capacious for all the
navies as well as the marine Of the world, and
convenient 10 excellent timber for ship building,
owned by the United States, it must become our
great western naval depot.
1t was known that mines of The Precious me-
tails existed 10 a considerable extent in Caiior.
MIA al the time OF its acquisition Recent disco
vefes render il probable that these mines are
more extensive and valuable Than was an!icipat.
ed. The accounts u the abundance al eu'd in
n fpr rtfrrt, of
actef as would scarcely command belief were |
they not corroboraed by The authentic reports Of |
officers in the public service, who have visited
the mineral district, and derived The facts which
they detail from personal observation. Reluc- |
tant to credit The reports in genera! circulation |
as TO The quantity oil gold, the officer command |
ing our forces in California visited the mineral |
district in July last, for the purpose OF Obtaining
accurate information on The subject. His report
TO The War Department. OF The result Of bis ex-
animation, and the facts obtained on the spot, is
herewith laid before Congress When he visited
Inc country, there were about four !hpusapsd ~. ~
sons engaged TO- acl-oetu augmented. nc g.
vibrations already made warrant the bel'el 'hat
the supply is ycry large, and 'hal GOLD !. 'ounu
al various places 10 an extensive nisiicl Oh cou"-
Try. r. 49, r,vv
Information received from officers O: me navy
and other sources, though not 50 iull and nihue'
military force in California. II appears, als"'
from these reports, that mines OF quicksilver aie
tonDd in The vicinity OF The gold region ohe "
,bem is nov being worked, and is b'lieVed 10 "
among The most productive in Inc world.
The Efforts produced BY The discovery OF theselVh
miueral deposiles, and the success which mas d.
tended the abofs those who have resolleu ~ he',
have produced surprising change IN me slae "
affairs 10 California. Labor commands uhos,
exorbilanl price, and all other pursahs oul ,ha'
of searching for the precious metals are Hoan'oi
ed. Nearly The whole oil me mae poPu'" Sh;n.
Inc country have gone 10 the gold district ShiPs
arriving on the coast are deserted by their crews
and thpir voyages suspended for wan; oil sailors.
| Our commanding off 'eT there eneitains aPP'e'
tensions that soldiers canno' BE- kept III 'n' Pnp
liz service without large increase oil pay. De
sertions in his command have become frequent
and he recommends that those VINO shah ~",
stand The strong temptation, and remain la h'u''
should be rewarded -, ,r,os.-
no nursui, of il, have already caused I'D Cdiio'-
MIA an unprecedented rise III the p'i'e - >
cessaries OF life. ,,..u..u
That we may The more speedily and iuilY aVah
o,rseIves of the undevelopei wealth oil lnese
mines !, is deemed OF vast importance thai
branch of the mint OF int United Siaes oe au-
horized to be established, al your present session
in California. Among other signal advantages
which would result from such an establishment
wonh he that OF raising the god 10 par value
in that Territory A branch mint Of Inc unilea
STATES Al The great commercial depot on The west
coas, wou,d convert into our own com MOI onIy
the onld derived from our own rich mines, ont al
an me bullion and specie which our commerce
NAV bring from the whole west coast OF Ceo'fa
and South America. The west coast Of Aineil-
"a and the adjacent interior embrace inc ,iches
and best mines oil Mexico, New UIehaud I'm ', a.
America. Chill, and Peru. The bullion ana specie
dawn from these countries, and especially nom
those II Western Mexico and Peru, TO an amount
in valne of mapy millions OF dollars, are now an
nuallv diverted and carried by the ships oil urea
Britain TO her own ports, 10 be reco'he" u us'u
m suslain her National Bank, and thus continue
10 increase her ability to command so much" 81 inc
commerce OF the world II branch lh'h' W =.
tablshed al the great commercial puin1 upon '',
coast, vast amount ol oullioh anu spee ,h,mcs ~
Aow thither TO be reconed, ami pass 'henee y
( New Orleans, New York, and other Auanhc e.
lies The amount Of our constitutional cuiten-
r cy a, home would be greatly increased, WINE u,
c;rcnlalion abroad would be promoted II Is wen
1 Lnown 10 our merchants trading to emma and
E ,he West coast OF America, that great lnconVe'
nience and loss are experience q from inc idc. ''a
e our coins are not current at theif Par SAiue ~
those countries. .o, f.oro ,bo
{ west coast Of America by the Atlantic ocean
which ipervenes, and by tedious AMI DANCE
rons NAVIGATION around The Southern cape OF ,nt
continent Of America, can never successinNy
i romne,c with The United States IN Inc rich ane
1 extensive commerce which is opened 10 US a. -
. much less cost by The acquisition OF Cainol "'N
The vast importance and commercial ao'ah
q taees of California have heretofore RENAME.
3 mpdeyeloped by the government Of the counri
0 Of which il constituted part. Now that TN
j, fine province is part of our country, all IN
j S,a,e. of the Union, some more immedla'ei.
. and directly than Others, are deeply interested
3 +; i'm the speedy development of its wealth an
!. resonrces. No section oil our country IS NOR
d ;n,ere,,ed or will be more benefited, than IN