Washington telegraph., 1849-04-04
A DISCOURSE

Delivered ON the occasion Of a number
of Emigrants, going to CaIyorm'a,
at Washington, ArSomsas. ON the
18Th of March, 1849.
Morro, selected from Psalm XIX, verse l27
81 love thy commandments above gold, yea,
above fine goid."
am charged OH this occasion, with task OF
a peculiar character: such one, indeed, as L
scarcely know how, rightly, to discharge. It's
weight becor1es almost a bufthen to my mind, and
confsrs upon the occasion, which brings US TO-
gether, deep solemnty. am now, In all hu-
man probability, about to address for the last time,
many who are now present-many who nave
been for some years among US, and of us-many
who are now OH the eve of departing hence, to
". Land far otf"-tu the distant region of Upper
Califoruia, near the shores of the great Pacific
A tourney nearly 5000 miles--greater by far 1--WE
would not say in importance, but III rxtent,) than
that of tin. Israelites of DID, from Egypt to Pales-
tine. Almost equal TO that of the lO 900 Cracks,
under the command Of Xeuophon, SO celebrated ia
the annals of human enterprise. A journey in
deed, more than one third across the plane If the
earth, if made in direct line. A journey p r..
formed without martial array-by peaceful em-
grants, through the midst OF tribes barbarous, Of
portions pathess, and xplOred-across rivers,
deep and rapid. end in part over mountains cover
ed with eternal snow,-exposed to great atmos
pherical vicissitudes, fatigue, toll, and in many
places scar city of food and WATERFALL taken to-
gether, make it u journey of much personal III.
convenience, sacrifice and peril, however cheer
fully it may be performed, and however buoyant
the hopes of those who thus journey, in view OF
realizing the contemplated object,
Concerning the object oi this bold and novel en-
terprisc. II will not be SO much our purpose to
speak, nor OF the wonderful excitement it has pro-
duced, MT only here, but elsewhere, among hul-
dre.s and thousands, throu ,hout the length aud
breadth OF onr own country, and even, indeed, in
many portions Gf the Old World. For across the
wide Atlantic. the report has already gone forth,
and SOON amidst the unnumbered Islands of the
Sea, and far out to the remotest bounds of the
earth. the intelligence will doubtless ere long be
received, that on the western borders Of North
America mountains, planes, valleys and rivers,
iiAve been found containing mines Of gold. rich
and adundaat, that thousands of constant opera
tors, could IN no ,cise .rhauSt them IN centuries
What vast gathering will there be, as may
suppose, of all kindreds, tongues and tribes in this
ne,o Armageddon What will be the result in the
commnerclal, moral and political word-who
can tell The Golden Age. as long sung by
poets, seems now, al last, to have arrived but
whether the Kingdoms Of the world are thereby TO
be advanced, uhio all that the poets have dreamed
respecting iheU entire freedom from intestine
icuds and orois, and the reigu oil universal peace
and vlrtue--must yet remain TO be solved.
Truly, it that the whole moral and political
world, with its " vaulted weight" is trembling in
the balance. And amidst this tremendous commo-
t)n the ardent, ceaseless prayer of the mu titude
is, that long life may remain 10 them, SO that
i
1t has been thought should the pubic expec-
tation be fully realized, respecting the value OF
these newly discovered gold mnes-that not many
years shall e!apse, before We will witness the ac-
compshmet OF enterprises unparalleled in the his
tory of nations, and chiefly among them, Rail
Road, extending from Ocean to Demonstrating
the admiration of the world--foyming as one has
POLITICALLY expressed it, "a Zone of Gems-lumin-
Gus with larger iIberly--a higher prospect and
a more hopeful civilization, than has yet dawned
upon the children men. 1t will be emphatically
the milky Uay OF the nations"
II may, perhaps. be deemed by some as i'll timed,
if not also invdious, to attempt in any way, to
darken the brightness Of these golden visions, or
aIlay the fervor of those ardent aspirations. This
may be, yet we cannot withhold mentioning the
well known apothegm, all is not gold that gilt
ters and if it were, will be- as it has ever BEEN
gained only by much endurance, pain and toll.
Without the aid OF prophecy, it is easy to foresee,
that this little band of emigrants destined to
suffer much of this. however, they are we'll ap-
prised, and as such, have prudentIy prepared, as
well may be, and nerved themselves cheerfully
to encounter, whatever may oppose, in this their
long and perilous march. Aud who here, SO want
ing in the common feelings and sympathies Of
humanity, as notlo wish them safe aud happy
issue out all their trials and diicu ties as well as
l,,,l 4. - L:
None. am sure none! For who are these who
are about to leave us Mostly young men of gen.
erous and noble impulses--young men, endeared
10 many warm hearts, both here, and in tie land
of their birth; endeared by the strongest ties of
and natural affection Sons and brothers
of those, who though it may be far away, delight
to think OF them young men, who from their Ie-
culiar connection and association with u.s. as rela-
tions, friends, citizens. Odd Fallows, Sons of
Temberance, Masons, and it may be with some
Of them, (and may fondly hope, will be ere long
NTH all of them0 Fellow Heirs of this King
dom and patience Of Jesus Christ" La word,
young men and gentlemen, whatever may be their
age, or condition, who have many that esteem
and loye them much.
! need ns4 tell you why they leaveu They have
plainly declared this They say, in search of for.
tune. They say, on crusade of wealth. They
say, 10 thrust in their sickle in the golden harvest
fields, that wave vast and luxuriant, ON the fertile
plains of the far distant Sacramento.
How far they may be right or wrong, or to
what extent all or any of them may be pro6ted
Or injnred by engaging in this enterprise. it does
not become me TO say, or predict. This much,
however, L feel myself at liberty, and haost clear
y and fully authorizedtodecIars, according to the
loord of God" that neither gold nor silver, nor
whatever else constitutes money. is ia itself ruin
oas and corrupting." Poets, orators and plilose-
piers, in almost every age and nation, have raedl
at money, as the grand corrupter of the world
the bane of virtue and the pest of human society.
Hence. nothing is more commonly heard, Gold
more uaischevous than keenest Steel" Hence,
too. that lAmeptabls complaint of the old Roman