The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-09-19
Government for California.


The great blunder in the mail arrangement. by |
which the mails from California, by the Empire |
City, We're carried past this city to New York, de-
Prves US of connected view of the political affairs
in that region The latest account is received and
1t gives the result of the elections in the CITY fSan
Francisco. About sixteen hundred votes were
cast, which shows a considerable population in
that place. We suppose, however, that the mum.
Der Of non-Voters must be small. There are very
few women and children or grown males under
age. The mass of the population is composed, we
doubt not, of full grown men of middle life In
deed, California presents, we suppose, the single
instance in the history of State-for State it is
soon to be-which has started instantaneously into
political existence, framed by men of mature age,
of whom the preponderating majority have been
accustomed to study the nature and take part in
the administration of republican governments
Setting aside some conflicting theories which pre-
vailed among them on subjects Of temporary policy
and local controversy, when at home, the popua-
ton Of California, wild, as it may be in the adj
venturous character of many that compose it, will
be found, we think, unanimous in its views upon
all the material and fundamental principles of re-
publican institutions, and much better qualified to
establish such frame of government and admin.
lister it prudently and wisely than the best educa-
ted classes of the most civilized European nations
when just emaneipated, by revolution, from the
forms, habits, and long associations of despotism.
The insensibe culture in the duties of citizenship
and the rights of citizsns in selEgoverning com
munity, which is acquired even by the unrehecting
in well ordered republics, is worth more for the
laying Of foundation for new and stable com
monwealth, than all the learning of the most subtle
Of NH ,boao al, l.
in one Of our States would be better COUNSELLOR in
the making Of constitutions than Locke, the Able
SieYes, or Lamartine.
We get no positive intimation of what the people
of California will do on the slavery question but all
the signs point to the conclusion that it will be pro-
hibited in the new constitution. This will, of
course, be the end of the Wilmot Provso oontro-
yersy, as respects that portion of the newly &C
quired territories for believe no party in the
country denies the power of the people of State
to prohibit slavery in their organic law There is
party, and we fear large one, which would not
admit the right Of California to sanction slavery in
her constitution and who stand ready to insist upon
grating the restriction upon the act of admission
under the penalty of exclusion from the Union
There is a determined number who will never con-
sent to The admission of slave State into the Union
on any terms. II is the doctrine of the new party
of free sellers and of the old wings of the North
The free soiers will not be content with the silence
Of new constitution. They will demand a pro-
hibiton by act of Congress. The agitation of this
question, therefore, will not cease with the forma-
ton of State, unless the State is free State-not
merely by force of the nonenactment of a law au-
thOrizing slavery, but by formal act orbidding it.
The only present end of the conflict on that subject
to which the admission Of California as State can
tend, requires the constitutional exclusion of slave
ry; and we are constrained to say that all the ap-
pearances in California indicate that such probibi
ton will be adopted.
We have no doubt that this is the settlement to
which Gen. Taylor alluded several times in his
speeches. in his late tour, as likely to take Mace
and which would be satisfactory to the peopIe Of
the North. We are confirmed in this opinion bv n
passage in the address Of George P. Marsh, of Yer
mont, to his late constituents, issued on taking
his leave Of them to go abroad on mission to Con,
stantinope, to which he has been Just appointed
by Gen. Taylor. He makes a statement of the
policy of the Administration, upon the correctness
of which he adds, " am content to risk whatever
may possess Of reputation a man of veracitv
and honor" In this he says that neither he (tbe
Presidency nor his Cabinet expect or desire the
extension of slavery into California or New Mex.
Mexco-but that on the contrary, the Admins
uaton is now encouraging the formation of a
constitution in these territories, with view 10
" their immediate admission into the Union as
States, and that not with bare expectations. but
with an almost certain knowledge that their con.
situations will contain absolute prohibitions of the
existence of slavery in any portion of the terri.
tory lately ceded to us by Mexico"
This is high authority for the expectation of the
Government, and the strongest indication we have
seen of what is likely to be the character of the
new constitution of California, in respect to the
admission Or exclusion of slavery,