Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-02-05

BENTON AND CALIFORNIA GOLD.

Mr.. Benton made speech few days
ago upon the California bill against the
proposition to sell mineral lands in two
acre lots, as no two lots of that size would
be alike. The value can only be told by
digging. and many two acres will contain
no gold, and many patches Of twenty or
thirty feet square will contain a rich de-
post The object is to find it, and tina, is
to be done Ivy hunting, for which permits
are required aud protection in the discovery.
The following remarks upon the gold wash
1ngs are Interesting:
These washngs are called in Spanish
placer, from the Latin placere TO please
because i, is pleasant thing TO find the
shining gold under ones feet But it is a
transient, pleasure. There is no fee simple
in it-there is not even lease for year.
IL month, week or a day. The pleasure
is soon gone. Exhausted placers now ex-
isl in New Mexico, formerly yielding much
now some twenty-five or fifty cents a Gay,
and only pursued by the poorest Mexicans
Regular mining has followed there, and is
now yielding considerable quantities.
These washings Of California is marvel
lousy rich-for we have to believe what is
certified to US by so many witnesses, but
they are not the richest that ever were
seen. Far from it. Those Of Brazil ia
the mountains, back Of Rio Jaaeiro. in the
time Of Lord Anson's voyage, say one
hundred years ago, were far richer, and
yet they have been exhausted so long that
all memory of them IS lost and their his
tory only lives in old boels. Three millions
slerllng--ten millions ef dallars-were an
nualy sent TO Europe, for years from these
washings. They were worked by slaves,
who, TO secure their GdeIity and Industry.
were usually allow ell by their masters al
The proceeds Of the day above given a
mount--and in that way many slaves be-
came rich purchased their freedom and
then bought slaves Of their own, lived in
splendol and opnlcncc, and laid the foun
daiion al families. Yet these washings are
exhausted lime out Of mind, and so will be
those of California and the sooner the bet
ter am liiend to gold currency, but
no, 10 gold mining. That is a pursuit
which the experience OF nations shows to
lie both empayershng and dehora'izing
10 a nation. regret hat we haze these
mines in CaIil1rala--bal they are there,
and | Am for getting rid Of ihcHa ~ soon as
possible. Instead Of hoard.nr and holding
them mp, aud selling IL dfiblets. lay t,teni
open 10 industry and enterprise. L1ylhnm
open 10 natural capitalize lahor--to the
man that has stout arms and a willing heart.
Give hn9 a far chance. Give all fair
chance. X is no mater who digs up the
gold, or where it goes. The digger will
,,ot ea' il, and it " Ill go where commerce
will carry it. The nations which have
industry have agriculture, COM
merce, and manufaetutes--they viii get
the gold, provided hat they keep out small
paper money. Nat sales, bat permits, is
the proper mode to follow, and the only
practicable mode.
THIS LATEST Coup RuNoRs.-The ex-
tract Ola letter from the Washington uulon
relative 10 The discovery of n richer gold
region, and thal the Lexington steamer
had on board $500 coo SC, was published
simultaneously hy the New York Herald,
aud the Commercial! of that city III notice
ing it, says:
This we pronounce all CANNON. Oar
Latest adsices from California arr down To
Moyetaber % l. Maza.lan is IN Mexico.
The story can be placed with the follow ing
ahich we end IN the 3 .ston Transcript OF
last evening:
we heard Of story this morning which
eie doubt is as authentic as the majority Of
she items afloat, aud which beats anything
we have read yet. A runaway soldier is
said to have discovered a lump, or a rock
rgoll, that weighed $50 pounds, II 10
ounces-he was afrail to leave i. and al
The last account he had SAT there 81 days,
and had offered S27 GEO for plate fpork
aud beans. bu, his offer had always been
Indignantly refused and the poor fellow
en1y laughed al far The nlggaFdness Of his
.'fIer, by parties going farther on, where
thc article was SAID TO he more abundant
A GOLDEN DRGAM.--A coiored man ia
Philadelphia heard 50 much Of gold that
he dreamed "a heap was buried in his
cellar and dug great hole 40 feet deep
10 find il. An Cd colored woman fell into
The hole. and her oulcries exposed the
operations Of the digger.
A GLASS or WnisKEY.-The price Of a
glass Of whiskey in the Cold Region" Of
California is pinct ef gold. Capt. Spring
thus describes Tho enstom Of selling. The
customer holds open his bag Of goll and
the seller, for glass of watered whisAcy,
is allowed to put ia his hand and take
pinch. The Captain says he tried it. and
took up four dollars of gold dus'-and that
large lhumbcd hand could easily pinch
mp six or eight dollars.
CONGRESS. -'rhere is not much doing in
Congress Of general interest. On the 3lst inst,
in the House Of Representatives, Mr.. EDWARDS,
from the committee on The District of Columbia,