Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1849-02-22
For the Times,
HUNTSVILLE, Feb. 1S49.

Mr.. Edisor:-I send you for the edifica.
ton Of your numerous readers, the synop-
sis of two speeches aad replies in this
town few evenings since, and the fol.
lowing question, to wit:
Will the recent discoveries of gold ia
California prove national curse or bless
ing: 81. .a ,5... u..s. b. ........ ...
Mr.. d. affirmant, said. In the opening
of this discussion, will not be guided by
my own whims or caprices, but by the
lights of history, which shed their benig-
nant rays upon this terraqueous earth of
ours. The precious metals were scarce
indeed, but it was no drawback upon vir.
tue, knowledge or commerce. 1t is imma-
terial as to the quantity of precious met
ais, as regards the prosperity of country;
i, is owing to the value placed upon it. Old
Spain may be produced as an example Of
the deeterious effects, by the discovery of
great mines Of wealth. From once hap
py and prosperous country, she has become
degraded, and almost lost her nationality
her citizens are wallowing in the mud and
mire of incidence and vice, and this state
of things has been brought about almost
wholly by the abundance of the precious
metals which are embodied in the noun
tains of her connonial possessions, and it is
but reasonable to suppose, thatresults which
produce NATIONAL downfall in one nation,
will do likewise in any other. The influx
of wealth into the great Roman empire,
contaminated and poisoned the minds of
the people, and can we expect this highly
favo red land of ours to escape the conta-
gion. Let US admit that so thousand in.
babi,ants, consisting of Lawyers, Doctors,
Farmers, Poets, and among them our most
worthy and substantial yeomanry should
60 to the Eldorado, do you imagine that
when they return, they will be the same up
right, honest, moral men they were when
they left their peaceful and happy abodes!
No, not one of thousand, to be SO exal,-
ed, to be so suddenly raised as il were,
from poverty, penury and want, to wealth
ohu uNuuCuSCS Jul "uos VIII bV S0utouIh0-
ted The ease and luxury with which they
will live, will be calculated to lead them
into the paths of immortality and vice, and
as natural consequence, 10 an unnatural
grave.
Aud sirs, the emigration TO that dazzling
region will not stop with the SO thousand
who first cross the Sierra Neveda, bu, when
they return, flushed with the trophies Of
victory, others will 60, and if as is supposed,
the mines prove in exhaustible, the number
will continue ad-infnitum, and in 10 or 20
years, what under the circumstances will
be the condition of America. Why sirs,
every channel Of trade will be depressed,
her ships will no longer whiten the seas of
every nation, carrying her surplus products
to starving Ireland, nor to proud naughty
England, there will be no supus, but we
will be dependent on some of our sister ma
tons for our food and raiment.
Mr.. w., respondent, said The speech
of the gentleman reminds me of a garment,
the colors of witch were bright and daz-
zling, but the substance weak and fimsy.
| contend sir, that the discovery of the
gold mines in California, are likely to re.
sui, in national blessing. The men who
will 60 to that far distant region, and en-.
dure heperils and hardships naturally re-
sulting from crossing the lonely, dreary,
sandy deserts, and lofty rugged and snow
capped mountains, which lie between US
and them, will be the hardy bravadoes,
who have been crushed beneath the feet Of
nabobs, and whose talents as it were, have
been shut up in nutshell, and have aad no
opportunity to expand and widen. Al
men should look upon the discovery as an
epoch, bright and glorious. Our towns
and cities are crowded with young men
and old, who have never done days work
in their lives, and the pure and salubrious
air of the rocky mountains, will invigorate
and repair their worn and emaciated con-
stitution; and as to the gentlemans saying it
will contaminate those who 60, would say
that it will only be an ordeal, to sift the
clean from the unclean, and let mankind
know who should live and who should die.
And il will bring about the means of set
fling that now almost wilderness savage
country with civilized man; il will be the
means also of Kidding our country from