Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-04-12
CALIFORNIA,
AUTHENTIC AND INTERESTING FROM
CALIFORNIA.

- ~ -'-''1 - isieE4O NtI h il()A
CALIFORNIA.
The Washington papers Of yesterday contain The IN
lowing letter, addressed TO Major Gen Jesup ~ Cgp
tam Folsom Of the t2Harermaster's Department:
San Francisco. Ca)irarnia.
January %, lc19
My DEAR Sir A vessel is 10 leave for Maza,I5n in
few days and take the opportunity thus ofItrj1a f,r
sending Lasy letter
Since my las. private communication nothing las &C.
cured 10 change the general views then exnrsSsad in
relation to California. Within tie last fv, v.sr rh
has been said and done in regard ID he organization II
provincial government for this territory Several villa
ges have appointed delegates attend convention Fl tla
arrangement OF fundamental laws for the c,unrv3nd b
er elections are now understood to be taking place in fine
remote parts Of the country.
1t IS proposed TO have the convention ascnr7 II ,l
Pueblo de San Jose about sixty miles from Till pIace
on the 4lh OF March, but believe it will he forrd s
sb'e TO assemble all the delegates that time: aDd N l
ProDa0y be found tXpedien to defer the meetinr anil
1t is known that the present Congress has not acted on
tie question OF Territorial government This will prob
ably tnrow the whole question back mnre \, less. AVN
think the meet ng will not before the nj dle or
April. ami NOT al all should Congress have ar,ed At
TINS tune ths Is most important question to prcry cjt-
zen OF california; Tor HE and property ae ana Will con-
nue to be, unsafe In this territory until Congress- give,
Us stable government. he fact IL brought e Inrv
home to the apprehension Of every INTELLIGENT uan tf
there IS government and no law in Call.;,ruja \ oso
era feeling OF insecurity dPpresSes the VIII c popuI zion
and operates most njurou~ly uDon all classes ot ciey
Crowds Of men are Ticking from all quarters Of The com
try and among them many peisons of bad 3rac,er
and desperate fortunes; and every thing about tem AFT
UrdS reasonable assurance tia. every Kind IF yaiv
may be pracised with IMMUNITY thronIhout Ibefrrit
Iy The only tribunals which have atteInncd onv nris
dlcuon IN cases ot murder, &c, some mo3hs pI,t ar.
those formed or the occasion it arises; and tnders
generally escape, or # they are taken, is amidst the
phrenZy OF popular excitement when The guilty ana In
nocent may be victims together. Several executions
have taken place in pursuance of This kind of law. and il
supposed that several others will be announced nv tbe
next mail from the South In the meantime ,utrar are
occurring IN all quarters Of the country aud the pnblc
asonshnent has scarcely subseu after one murder I2s
lIanspIred before another is committed, more horrible
than The FIRST. Hon>ebrakIig thes and robberies are
of almost hourly occurrence This Stale of ibinrs must
continue until we have the firm and steady Win AZ rnvs
eminent extended over the territory by Compress have
no expectation that provisional government (lould il
90 into operation, ard this be the case in less than
year from this time would be found ale0uate II tbc
public wants. The materials for organizing ST bile oty-
eminent do not exist in the country at This time and o
such as there are the best Je commanded f III
business L he most respectable who are engaged
IN lucrative enterprises in the country quite foreign TO
pol tics, will not desert their interests 10 take rubc
stations !" hch promise to yield little but vexaon ana an
n0yance and should the local organization 90 into opela
ton. very much doubt if it will produce anv relief for
the ills which atlct the nv. It viii be tempo
raTy IN Its nature and, having permanent hold upon
the community. it will be only ite better than NO
government at all Such has been the result nf Tile DO
visnnal arrangement in Oregon and such must NJ liz
result every"here IN new communities comp rSed of a-
vert urers from almost every cline and country Be
sides. the natives and foreigners have been accustomed
TO different institutions and religions; and strong anp
athy exists among the former for those whom they look
upon as tLeir conqnerors and enemies III The excite
nGl NJ sr,ti a rtfIs
brought into contact under circumstances which have
more than once threatened 70 break ont into open ho:ii
ties: and the ensuing summer tile danger Of such III oc
currence will be increased hundfedoa in Consequence
Of the NATION Of numbers and the cons ant acce
sion Of emigrants WHO are more rechl d. adyeuurous
and diss late than their predecessors
If Congress has the well bel Of this territory in view
an immediate organization ought IL take place ana such
salaries should Be given the teri trial officers as u IVY
cure the highest order of talent and integrity ANY rood
workman can realize more from his labor in the mines
than Is given 70 territorial governors by law aha
what would be very ample Compensation in the United
Stats would not aft I'd a decent support in California
believe the experience ot every public officer who has
been in this territory within the last twelve months will
be an endorsement Of what have said
W Thin the last five six weeks we have had weafh-
Of extraordinary severity is said 10 be tile eldest
season experienced here since that IF 1924. Ia The
gold mines the has been four feet deep and at SUIT
eT's Fon ice has formed three nces IN thickness
llhn TWO weeks the streets Of this village have been
repeatedly whitened with snow and hail! and the hills
within sight. on the opposite side Of the bar (tweve
miles Distant have been capped with for the last
niieeh days Very heavy and pr0tracted falls of rain
have now swept of. the from all the hills within
sight. but high in the mountains among the mines is
thought they have had nothing but snow If it
have fallen to very unusual depth. We now have
cuo winds and occasional rains, but the severity Of the
latter it is believed, is passed During the last
winter had here, and only occasion
(for Two days. wa there any il .i-ht, and The falls #