The New York herald., 1849-02-04
Tho Discovery OF the Gold n1ines--Its
Eject In Europe.

Eject In Europe.
From the commencement OF the world to the
present, history has been marked with certain
epochs and great events, which. for longer or a
shorter period, attr acted the undivided attention OF
the world; and which have descended to posterlty
as events to be remembered tor the good
or evil which they may have effected IN the des-
TIMES OF the human fanny, and the nations OF the
earth. BY thus attracting universal attention, all
other matters are, for the time, forgotten, and
events are all. wed to work their own way, tor
good or for evil. Among the most important OF
lhe periods, great occurrences, to which we re-
fer, are the between the Greeks and Perslans,
which ultimately ended in the defeat of the latter
by Alexander the Great; the war between the Ro-
mans and the Carthagsnians, which resulted in
the destruction of the latter; the crusades In the
middle ages the reformation of Luther, and the
discovery OF the gold ind silver mines of Mexico
and Peru. All those events exerted great Influence
the world in those times, and that influence, to
a certain extent, Is experienced at the present
day.
Coming down to modem times, we find another
great epoch developing itself, and which, from
present appearances, promises TO be as wonderful
IN Its effects as any Of those which we have men,
toned. We allude to the vast discoveries OF
mineral wealth recently made IN California
Now, what will be the effect OF those discoveries
on this country and on Europe We have seen
that the gold mania has completely thrown in
the shade the agitation and excitement caused
by the slavery question in Congress, and out of
az; that it 10 at the present time producing
an emigration of our best classes of popula-
ton, who, even if they do not find all the gold
NJ Or n thew dO Ot find at all
will effect an entire revolution on the western
shores of the American continent. They are, In
either event, laying the foundation of greatness,
that will, in due course OF time, rival that OF the
Atlantic side. They will found western empire,
that will change the whole course of trade, and
make San francisco on the Pacific, and New
York on the Atlantic, the great receiving and dis.
trlbutng reservoirs Of the wealth, commerce, ma
nufactures, and productions of rhe whole CONNER
cial world. What further changes it will effect
time alone can tell. The changes which it may
cause IN Europe may be as great. Already the
excitement attendant the receipt Of intelligence
OF the discovery Of the Ell Dorado, is almost as
great as 1t is here. Ships, expeditions, jolnt.stock
companies, and adventures, are advertised. Po-
tlcal disputes, revolutionary thoughts and changes,
fade away before the gorgeous future, which has
been concealed 80 long Dreams OF gold, N unde-
fined and bOundle-s quantities, disturb the sleep of
all classes of the population OF that region of the
world and Cobden's financial reform sinks into
Insignlfcance, compared with the pacards aud
announcements OF trading, mining, and gold
washing ass ociatIons.
Ii the excitement increase in Europe, it will
have the effect of dlverlHg mems minds from the
subject of political reioim, and, TO great extent,
will draw off The adventurous spirits who have
been the caufe Of the revolutions and agltatons
which we have take place there within the
past year The spirit which animated those men,
will find vent and scope for action another form
and shape. If this be the case, II certainly will
be anything but gratifying to the friends of polit-
cal refom, and may stop the progress OF that spirit
which was SO long dormant there, but which as
sumed form and shape under the counsels and aus
pices of Pope Plus the Ninth, and which over
threw LOUIS Philippe. This will certainly not be
desirable but taking the past history of the world
as guide, we think 1t is highly probable that
such will be the case. Whether 1t will complete
ly stihe all further attempts at revolution, whe-
ther it will pave the way for reaction public
sentiment, Is more than we can predict bat it
strikes Us, arguing by analogy, that 1t will protract
the consummatlon which so evident, at no
great length of time, few months since.