The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-09-21
NTELLIGENCE BIZ THE MAILS.
WASHINGTON, Sept. ]

WASHINGTON, Sept. IL, lS4S.
The Gold Feds Of Califormia-Great Sensatio~ in
Washington Bayrbuvwsrs awd Hwmkrs-
Official Patronage, &C., &C.
All Washington is in a fement with the news
of the immense bed OF gold, viii oh, 1t Is said, has
been discovered In California Nothing else 10
talked about Democrats, wings, free soil men,
hunkers, barnburners, abolitionists-all, all, are
engrossed by the wonderful intelligence. The
real Ell Dorado has at length been discovered, and
hereafter let not cynics doubt that such place
exists. The Union, ever ready TO make political
capital, triumphantly says, there Messrs Web
ster Bell, and Co., there the country you sheer
inely declared was not worth having Why, 1t
is solid mass of gold, which, if worked properly,
would pay all the expenses OF the late war in
fortnight, The great difficulty is, that there 10 no
way of keeping the geld, as every vessel, or box,
which might answer TO stow II away, Is of
more value than even the gold itself. This GER
taInly is measurably a drawback, but Yankee
ingenuity will doubtless get over it. What
pity Congress Is not now IN session. If II was
and Whitney was TO press his railroad scheme, it
would be sure TO pass, and, once built what loads
of passengers would be sure to be booked for the
"great West" which now means California.
Now, for our part we do not know what to think
OF this gold story, 1t looks marvellously like
speculation to induce a rapid emigration but
then again, II is certified by the American
Alcalde, at Monterey, and the American AL
calde is very proper man, having once
been Presbyterian preacher, and, of course,
Presbyterian preacher would not tell fasehood.
II must be true. Gold, hereafter, will not be worth
halt as much as paper. Here is an end at once to
-,old Bulhon's" triumph In the currency. We can
like, rising from its ashes and disseminating Its
t'pafer rags" throughout the country at premium.
Ii said that OF the prOpretors of the Union,
who has lately invested a considerable sum IN a
Virginia gold mine, has already sold out, and is
preparing TO start for California where the precious
metal can be got by buckets full, instead of-as in
the Virginia mlne-merely by spade full at a
time. II may all be true, or 1t may turn out to be
second diamond mine story; we should be sorry,
al this enlightened age to declare our disbelief in
any thlng-except, indeed, the dislnterested mo-
tives of politicians, that the barnburners In the
New York Custom House feel particularly at ease
just now.
3 BY the way, the mention of barnburners re-
minds us OF the modus operandi which the New
York Democratic Association has put in force, to
find out the faithful IN the Custom House.
member OF this committee Is given section of
the Custom House to inspect, and he forthwith
enters the names OF all the clerks doing duty
therein, in a small book, and opposite each name
is entered figure, varying from up to 10. The
clerks are there waited upon by this gentleman,
and bandly told that they are rated for so much
five or ten dollars, as the case may be-which is
of democracy. The clerk stares, and either hands
over the money, or refuses, on the ground that he
is not politician, and, at all events, pays as
large tax already as he can well afford In case
the democratic committee gentleman meets with
refusal, he at once brands the delinquent as a
barnburner, and black mark is affixed to his
name. Now, the New York democrats are, after
all, mere plagiarlsts. The course they are pur-
suing now, has, for years, prevailed IN Washing
ton, Every clerk under government is peril
naclously solicited to become a member of the
Jackson Hall Association, and to subscribe to its
funds; and, IT he refuses, he becomes marked
man: Such procedure is truly disgraceiul,
but it is countenanced by the powers that be;
and the result is, that the departments are
hlled, with a few exceptions, with mere hang
ers-on-men chosen, not because of their fit
ness or ability, but because they become will
ing tools, who receive their salary with the
understanding that all their inf1uence-and every
person possesses either more or less-shall be used
to keep IN power those who pay them. There are
an abundance of clerks in each of the departments
to get through all the duties; and yet constant
complaints are being made by the heads that the
force 10 not strong enough. The solution of this
difficulty Is PLAIN. Men who receive government
sop reward for their political services think
they bavekdone enough, and, as a consequence,
they become lazy drones, throwing all the work
on their industrious fellows.
II is Illuminating to this eternal scramble for
any man, If he Is industrious, can soon become in
dependent. But office is looked upon as the great
goal tor which every lazy scamp in the Union
strives, and being so, 1t is used as the reward for
all sorts or dirty work and corruption.