The daily crescent., 1849-04-12
Condition of California.

in the whole course of human history has so ln'e-
resting experiment in civilization been made as
the one now to be observed on the coasts OF the
Pacific Had Rousseau lived until to-day, he
would have been forced to add another chapter
to his Essay on the comparative merits Of savage
and civilized life; for the facts which have been
and continue to be wrought out in California are
what the Baconian philosophers call an experiment
tum cruc,s on the question discussed by the great
genius Of Geneva. These facts decide the matter
atonce. They are like the falling of the mercury
in the barometer which Pascal carried to the top
of Puy de Donna never after was the rise of the
mercury in the instrument attributed to any other
cause than the weight of the atmosphere. Never,
hereafter, can men, with any show of reason, pre-
fer savageism to civilization. The question is set
tled-the California experiment has totally upset
all the arguments and sophistry of Rousseau and
his followers.
Bold, ardent and imaginative minds, feeling
themselves cramped by laws and the restraints of
what they considered an unnatural and artificial
society, have at various times, lifted up their voices
against civilized life and portrayed in lively colors
the delights and freedom of savage existence These
have been joined by many high-minded and benevo-
lent men who were more impressed with the evils
of society, than capable of remedying them. In
the present day such enthusiasts take the name of
socialists, and declaim with vehemence against
most existing institutions. They are but a new
species of the dreaming world-betterers that have
existed since the days of Abel-for Abel was clear
ly the dreamer that his worldly brother hated and
despised-and will probably continue to exist to
the last syllable of recorded time. But California
tells us that civilization with all its evils, with all
the wrongs it infiicts on the poor and the weak
with all the avors it unworthily lavishes on un-
generous strength and ill-gotten wealth, is yet
mighty softener and refner. California teaches us
that the race has not lived in vain that its trials
and its sufferngs have not been lost upon it that
hard experience has ground at least some truths
into the human soul, and forced some good habits
upon mankind. -
The experiment made on men in California is
admirably arranged for overturning the theory that
represents the savage as the natural state of the
race. The circumstances existing in that country
are those most favorable to the maservice of civil
zation, avarice. The advocates for savagesm
have said that the institution of property has its
benefits; that its introduction into the world was
attended by some of those compensating circum-
stances which are to be found in the wake of all
the abuses that have crept into society. But this
institution, the great attribute, peculiarity and to
great extent, cause of civilization, they regard as
the arch-corrupter and demoralizer of the race
According to them all the evils of society are the
result of avarice, or the desire of property. Now
it is exactly this instinct of man which is carrying
thousands to the shores of California it is exactly
the passion for property which is strongest in the
golden territory. The emigrants are those who
have all the habits, and feelings, and opinions of
civilization without any of its restraints, at least
any of its legal and physical restraints. If the
theory of the savageiss, then, be true what crimes
ought to be prevalent in California how horrid
and atrocious should be the character OF society
existing there? But instead of that, how compar-
atively few are the crimes that are said to have
occurred and how few still are those that have been
thoroughly substantiated. The few murders that
are said to have taken place. only show, they show
any thing that we have not been entirely civilized
on this side of the Rocky Mountains they prove
that the criminals in California had not been COM
pletely civilized by the society from which they
smanated.
The emigrants to California are composed prin-
cipally of persons who have been most thoroughly
subjected to all the influences of the civilization
existing op our Atlantic shores. Many of them are
he children of wealth and af1luence-men who |
rave been used to all the comforts and Iuxuries of
ife. Going then into country without law, and, |
We may almost say, without rulers, with all the in
tincts of civilization and all the habits those |
Instincts generate, they manifest in remarkable |
Manner the influences and tendencies of civiliza-
ion. Are the civilized Anglo-Saxons who have |
atey gone to California less energetic or less law
lbidng than the haf-civilized tribes they found |
heres If the latter surpass the former either in |
orce of character or strength of conscience, then
nay we declare them superior to the civilized
lordes that are pouring into the land and making
t their own. Besides teaching us the benefits of |
the Calfornians may teach us on this |
ide of the mountains another lesson important to |
Ne learned. From all we have heard of California,
is criminals are not proportionately numerous as
hose of our own cities; certain we are that the
rimes there committed are not as many, consider
ng the temptations and opportunities, as those
which are registered in law-organized and law
overned countries. Hence we may draw the infer
nce that the criminal statutes frequently produce
he crimes they think of suppressing-that the law
makes the Offence-that man, in all times and
nder all circumstances, has strong leaven of the
Id Adam that leads him to do what he is arbitra-
y commanded to refrain from doing.
-e>t-
Appointments by the President |
rive have given the report Of the following nominations
official announcement is contained in the Intelgencer
the 4th inst:
Ephram squie Of New York. to bs Charge d Affanes
Alexander Ramsey, of Pennsylvania, be Governor of
Territory Of Minnesota, in the place Of William Psnnins
IN, declined |
Rhode Island Election.
Telegraphed I'd to the St. Louis Republican,
PHILADELPHIA, April AIN the Rhode Island
ections, we have returns from the counties of
'rovidence, Kent, and Washington The vote for