The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-12-12

n general circulation as TO the quantity OF golt
!. the officer commanding our forces in Califol
a MA visited the mineral district in July las
& for the purpose of obtaining accurate informs
: ton on the subject.
His report to the War Department of til
I result OF bis examination, and the facts obtain
] ed on the spot, is herewith laid before Cor
gress. When he visited the country, Their
were about four thousand persons engaged i
, collecting gold. There is every reason to be
/ lieve that the number of persons so employed
, has since been augmented. The exploration
already made, warrant the belief that the sup
, ply is very large, and that gold is found at va
: rious places in an extensive district Of coun
| try.
information received from officers of the ma
Wy and other sources, though not so full ant
minute, confirm the accounts of the command
er of our military force in California. 1t ap
pears, also, from these reports, that mines o
Quicksilver are found in the vicinity Of the
gold region. One of them is now being work
ed, and is believed to be among the most pro
ductive in the world.
The effects produced by the discovery o
these rich mineral deposites, and the success
which has attended the labors of those who
have resorted to them, have produced sur
prising change in the state If affairs in Caifor-
MIA. Labor commands most exorbitantp price
and all other pursuits but that of searching for
the precious metals are abandoned. Nearly
the whole of the male population of the coun.
try, have gone to the gold district. Ships ar
riying on the coast are deserted by their crews
and their voyages suspended for want of sail
ors Our commanding officer there entertains
apprehensions that soldiers cannot be kept in
the public service without large increase of
paw Desertons in his command have become
frequent, and he recommends that those who
! shall withstand the strong temptation, and re-
main faithful shall be rewarded.
This abundance Of gold, and the all-engross-
| ing pursuit Of it, have already caused in Cali
fornia an unprecedented rise in the price of
| the necessaries OF life.
That we may the more speedily and fully a.
vail ourselves of the undeveloped wealth of
these Mines it is deemed of vast importance
that branch of the mint of the United States
be authorized to be established, at your pres
ent session, in California. Among other sig
nal advantages which would result from such
an establishment, would be that OF raising the
gold to its par value in that territory. A
branch mint of The United States al the great
commercial depot on the west coast, would
convert into our own coin not only the gold de-
rived from our own rich mines, but also the
bullion and specie which our commerce may
bring from the whole west coast of Central
and South America. The west coast of A
meriea and the adjacent interior emb.a ace the
richest and best mines in Mexico, New Grena-
da, Central America. Chill and Peru.
The bullion and specie drawn from these
countries, and especially from those of West
ern Mexico and Peru, to an amount in value
of many millions Of dollars, are now annually
diverted and carried by the ships of Great
Britain to her own ports TO be recoined or u.s.
ed TO sustain her National Bank, and thus con-
tribute to increase her ability to command so
much Of the commsrce of the world. II
branch mint be established at the great COM
mercial point upon that coast, vast amount
Of bullion and specie would flow thither to be
recoined, and pass thence TO New Orleans,
New York and other Atlantic cities. The a.
mount of our constitutional currency at home
would be greatly increased, while its circula-
ton abroad would be promoted. 1t is well
known 10 our merchants trading to China and
the west coast of America, that great incon-
venience and loss are experienced, from the
fact that our coins arc not current at their par
value in those countries.
The powers Of Europe, far removed from
the west coast of America by the Atlantic o.
cean which intervenes, and by tedious and
dangerous navigation around the southern cape
of the continent Of America, can never sue
cessfully compete with the United States in
the rich and extensive commerce which is op-
ened 70 US al so much less cost by the acquisi-
ton of California
The vast importance and commercial ad-
vantages of California have heretofore remain
ed undeveloped by the Government Of the
country of which it constituted part Now
that this fine PROVINCES part of our country,
all the states Of the Union, some more imme-
diately and directly than others, are deeply in
terested in the speedy development gifts wealth
and resources. No section Of our country is
more interested, or will be more benefited,
than the commercial, navigating, and manu-
! featuring interests of the Eastern States Our
planting and farming interest in every part of
the Union will be greatly benefited by it. As
our commerce and navigation are enlarged
and extended, our exports OF agricultural pro-
ducts and of manufactures will be increased
and in the new markets thus opened, they can
not fail tc command remunerating and profita-
bic prices.
1t is our solemn duty to provide, with the
least practicable delay, fer New Mexico and
California, regularly organized territorial gov
ernments, The causes of the failure 10 do
this at the last session of Congress are well
known, and deeply to be regretted. With the
opening prospects of increased prosperity and
national greatness which the acquisition of
these rich and extensive territorial possessions
affords, how irrational it would be to forego or
to reject these advantages, by the agitation of
domestic question which is coeval with the
existence Of our government itself, and to en-
danger by internal strifes, geographical divi-
sions, and heated contests for political power,
or for any other cause, the harmony of the glo-
rious Union of our confedcrated states that
Union which binds US together as one people,
and which for sixty years has been our shield
and protection against every danger.
In the eyes of the world and of posterity
how trivial and insignificant will be all our in
tsrnal divisions and struggles compared with
the preservation of this Union of the States IN
all its vigor and with all its countless blessings
No patriot would foment and excite geograph
ical and sectional divisions. No lover of hi:
II