The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-03-19
Aspect u Canadian Affairs I'm England
Republication, sc. DC.
From tho London Times.l

AepuOucon10uA, &C. DC.
From tho London Timesl
Tho distinction between emigration and coloni-
zation Is so obvious that we take no credit to
selves, when we say we have ever been foremost
several years have been propounded for encourag-
ing and assistiog Irish emigration, we have re-
Piled that the mere process OF radiance was sone
which government could not for decency under
take: The State can do nothing which Is not
link IN the chain of constant superintendent. II
must not send its children Int the world to shift
for themselves. When, therefore, two successive
emigration committees were appointed some years
since, We urged, that notwithstanding the probable
advantage of even an lndlscrlmlnate and multtu-
dlnous emigration, to the emlgrant as well as to
those lett behind, and especially to the landlord
the committees should look TO the eYlony as we'll
community they were founding out Of British out
casts. Emigration ls a fact-coonlzation is q
duty We are bound to superlntend and protect
the departure OF myrlads flying from calamity but
we ought to onginate, urge, and undertake new
colonies A new colony Is comparatively slow,
adelicate, and an expensive work, the chief fruit
of which will be after our time, and which cannot
now receive our teemlng myrlads IN It's infant
bosom Could we transport $4,000 men, taken
haphazard, and land them up some picturesque
creek or on some unfinished quay, an Australian
colony, ten years since unknown to tame and ab-
solutey untrOdden by man, where, we ask, are the
magistrates, the employers, the habtaions, the
wealth, the institutions, the traditions, the force
OF public opinion the religion, the manners, neces-
sary TO organize that chaos Of men? Our infant
colonies cannot be an immediate relief on very
large scale. They are for the present even
charge on our resources. When such numbers as
a quarter OF million a-year are in question, we
must look to communities more able to support SO
vast and 30 lll-ordered an Eruption. British North
America and the United States are, IN fact, and
will long be- the resort for the masses, the relief
OF our pauper plagued parishes and subdlvded soil
But the time is now past for any thing else than
some humane attention to the safety and comfort
OF the emlgrant. The States are no longer British
plantations; and as for Canada, zoe fear zoe have
hardly more potcer Of raising up another Old Eng-
land on the shores of the St. laurence, than I'VE haze
ofenfoTetnga congensal consultation the banks of
the SEINE.
In the general retrospect Of her opportunities and
duties, England cannot be acqutte of the most la
mentable shortcomlng IN the matter of emigrauon
Atthe death OF Elizabeth, more than century after
the discovery OF America, there was not one Eng
lshman se.ted on that continent or on its islands
In the course OF the ensuing century and a half
there grt,c up a colony of ,eagions erlss, Of out
casts, Of penal co'v'cts, Of slave', and Of 'plant-
Ts" Its Improvement was as bad as Its mate.
rails, and the natural result of both was a war,
which cost this government hundred millions Of
money certainly more than twenty times as
much as England had ever spent for the good Of
the colony, and which was happily unsuccessful
on our part. Those hundred millions, that es-
arrangement OF feelings, that disgrace to our arms,
were not the worst result OF our colonial lmpo-
Icy. WHs from the banks of the Hudson aud the
0eWlOCf0CY
Europe and ,ohole age of unirersaL repol,si,on
and ,car might be traced TO custom house sq~abbte
at Boston.
What we now hold in North America is mainly
fIeneh colony w1esed by brute force from the
ful to England through lts national and religious
antpathy to our own rebelllsus colony. As for
our other attempts at colonization previous to the
present century, rather till within these very few
years, they are convicted by the result Al this
moment, when the natural increase and the Gala
mites OF the country are expelllng a quarter of
million every year, three-quarters or four.fitths Of
the whole, take refuge In what is now fereign
and rival soil. The greater mart of the remainder
proceed to ,ohat is stall called Br1tsh Amerrco but
Uhtth cOntesses to that only the condition
of virtual tndepemdence. Our other colonies are
most OF them penal settlements, too true to their
origin to be agreeable homes for honest and in
dusirious men. They are too scanty to accommo-
date the masses driven from these shores. Such
IS the present result, which certainly might have
been otherwise; and to this must be added the
general sbelef that our colonies have 80 lutte
social assimilation TO the mother country, that as
soon as they attain something like maturity they
will throw off both our allegiance and our form
OF government, and become Independent demo-
cracles.
GOLD IN CAL1FoRNIA.-The civilized world is
now half mad about California. Lake children
with new playthlng, they cannot take their atten
ton Oft It tor an instant; they would put 1t uader
their pillows, If they could, to look at In early
morning; as 1t 10, they 60 to bed and dream OF It.
Few, however, OF those who so feverlshy nurse
the magic words, Gold in California" would
imagine that it was noticed and commented on py
a British navigator upwards OF century and
quarter since. The yoyager who made the dis
eovery was the British clTcumnav'gstor, Captain
Shelvooke-the time OF his voyage, 1870. Let
him now speak Tor himself -" Having made some
stay in California, some account OF that country
and its inhabitants may be expected, though be-
lieve complete discovery OF It's extent and boun.
81
satisfying the curious. That part OF California
which cav, being the southern extremity of Its
western coast, appears mountainous, barren, and
sandy, much ike some parts OF Peru; yet the soil
leys, Is rich black mould, and, when turned up
fresh to the sun, appears as If lntermlngled with
gold dust. We endeavored to wash and purify
some OF this, and the more this was done, the
more 1t appeared like gold. In order to be further
satisfied, brought away some OF this earth, but 1t
was afterwards lost in our confusion in China.
However this may be, California probably abounds
IN metals of all sorts, though the natives had no
nts or utensils OF any metal which is not
TO be wondered at, they are perfectly Ignorant OF
all arts" Here was lost opportunity Had the
precious packet, however, not have been lost who
thal say what results would not have accrued
Some, at least, may be fairly predlcated The
TIDE of emigration, which made the United States
nation, would have changed or divided its course,
and California would have become the nucleus OF
the New World; San Francisco would have taken
the place OF New York and the shores OF the
Pacific, and not of the Atlantic, would have washed
the qusys and war; hous of the migratory 5axons.
p mama wosId long since have ceased to present
its feeble barrier to the Innovations OF inventive
genius; our ships would long ere this have passed
through its narrow neck, and Cape Horn would
nstquently, like Charyb ds OF old, have been an
almost unknown danger. This having been done,
our passage TO the East would have been 80 greatly
facilitated as to have forwarded the advances of
civilization In that quarter by neatly halt century.
The moral and political changes VIII ch all these
things would have brought about, Is problem
which is incapable OF solution The Esder
THE FLOODS IN THE SoUTH-ANorHER CREvAssE.
The coast still continues IN prscarious stu
alton. from the menaclng appearance ef the ex-
uaordnary high water. We have this week to
uote another break In the levee OF West Baton
Rouge, which occurred on the night Of Saturday
last, near Brusle Landing, just below Foret's ball
room. The break was fearful one, takin. IN many
acres, and overlooking a large extent OF couatry
Al ouDd The inhabitants OF the vicinity, and Of