Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1849-02-03
rom the New York Tribune.
GOVERNING CALIFORNIA.

ne trade OF governing IS one lot winch
every human being conceits" that he has a
natural genius. II the post of Autocrat OF
all the Russias we're offered tomorrow TO
each of our Democratic youth of hiteen TO
twenty, we suspect there would be found no
boy and not mary girls so modest as to re-
fuse it through a distrust of his or her ablli-
ties. A rural village that could not produce
three good mechanics, even III their own
appraisal, will readily turn you out the raw
material for dozen law-glyers and COVER
nors.
OF late, this general proclivity to the trade
of governing has found the best field for ITS
theoretic demonstrations on the SOIL OF Gal"
fornia. There a new region, with newly
discovered aud vaguely developed capacities
Is suddenly attracting to ITS bosom swartns
of eager adventures from hall the area OF
the globe. A population not exceeding nifty
thousand IN September last, will probably
be swelled to half million by November
next, and perhaps to still greater number
Yankees, Europeans, Mexlcans, Sandwich
Islanders, Chinese, Australians, SouthAmer-
leans, Asiatic Russians will hurry thither,
and intermingle With the miserable remnant
of Aboriginal savagcs and the Indoient, hali
barbarous sprDkling of native CalIlornians
who are wholly or partly of European ances
try. We shall there witness the incandes-
cence and Capitalization of "A new coInnu-
nifty on scope hardly paralleled since the
building of Babel was arrested. The active,
the cunning and the strong, will be largely
represented in that new social caldron, but
the ignorant, the weak and the simple, will
also be there. The virluous, the honest, the
thrifty will be there so VIII the reckless,
depravcd and dissIpated. Wee VIII stalk
unblushingly for season, and horrible
crimes will he committed. The fanatics
who denounce government us wanton usuf-
patton aud the cause OF the ey'is u pfeiends
10 cure or at least repreos, VIII have chance
10 see, ii their wIliiulness viii let them see
at all, the iallaey of their notions, and the
absolute necessity AT least until the greater
majority shall be better educated and shield
cd from temptation than now-Oi resolute,
powerful, peremptory Government. Cali
fornia will teach Us useful lessons u we are
80 wise as 10 observe and heed them.
But when Government - named there are
many Of US not yet emancipaied from Old
World ideas of goycrDing-who have no
iden OF IL aside from external f0rce-ifOm
material terror. California is exposed to
crime and violence, they truly preniise, and |
therefore must be protected as II Nicholas |
or Mehemct Ali were its sovereign. We |
aud epauletted shoulders, and brass ord
nance, and cannon balls, aud grape and
sharpneI shells, and thus insure The preser-
walton OF order and personal safety.
But, gentlemen, saying nothing yet OF the
heavy cost of transportation, how do you
propose TO hold the soldiers TO their eolOrs
after you shall have waited them to the Land
of Gold! To justify the heavy eXpendl-
lure you urge the wonderful productlyeness
of its mineral region must continue II not /
increase for your artnanents are asked Tor |
on the presumption that California Is the
rickest placer on earth. Dispel this pre-
sumption, and our army might AS well be
sent To Oregon---ay better for these Is a
smouldpring savage hostility to our rule in
Oregon but none IN California. Now sup
pose five thousand regulars transported 10
California, and paid even thirty dollars per
month, with fair rations aud clothing, do
you suppose majority of them would be-
kept in bonds while ia the mountain giens
and rayines all around them men are digging
an ounce of gold each per day. Is there
any reasonable hope that onc-thrd OF them
would hold or Consider the material OF
which armies are too generally composed
or, indeed, consider any human materials
exposed to such iunptalion--and Judge what
20 be useful, men cannot be kept IN garrsons,
but must be out palrolng the Mhheral Re
gion, tracking out offenders, apprehendng
deserters and protecting the wagon trains
on their passage from the scaboard 10 The
dlggns aud back again. To our mind the
movement OF any considerable body OF troops
TO the Paeitc-iadeed, % any troops at all
would be most prodigal folly. II the
Government would send the whole Army
there, giving every officer and soldier the
option to leave the service aud dig, agreeing
never TO I'LL up the ranks thus Ihlnned out,
we might agree To the transfer, but not 9th
erwise.
Instead of undertaking to govern Calfor-
MIA by the sabre aud bayonet, our plan would
be TO tell the tens OF thousands rushing
thither, " Men! govern yourselves Most
of you are intelligent and capable; you 50
there 10 make aud save something YOU have
all a common interest M good order and
equal justice whoever robS or injuries or
deirauds is the deadly enemy of ninety nine
in every hundred OF YOU. The land is ours,
but you are free 10 use il the gold IS ours,
hut you are free TO dig It 90, then, and
take il, but make ample provision among
you for the security OF life and property
courts, adopt laws, organize patrols aud
deal justly with offenders, and we will deal
rs generously with you rs can reasonably
be asked" Such Is the spirit M which we
would provide Tor governing California.
That Offences, outrages, crimes, would
still be committed, we do not doubt, for hui
man nature Is tar from perfect, IN California
or elsewhere. But 10y taking this course
you put the country fairly GA rs gnod hyh-
yiour, aud compel the vigorous exercise OF
the power of the community Tor general
good. Instead at Eve thousand soldiers,
poor amid wealth, and without stake ia
the country they are required To protect,