The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-04-03


. similar commu nicstIon aorsss the isthnus OF sues
has done for the old will constitute On era In the
hsS'y Of and y 20. o.
epcs on the progress OF civissson The voyage from
New York to San frsaoisco In California; round Caee
Horn, 10 1900 English mss, and 600 upies sailing
vessel about ave months. The two voyages from New
York to Chsgres and from Panama to Ban Francisco,
have an aggregate length Of 400 miles and w b. per-
allowing time for the journey across the isthmus about
sixty miles land 900 feet in heigh and for unshp
will be Of great advantage to the trade Of our coun
try IL will reduce the Of the journey from Britain
to Lima and Gusy.quh one half and the time two.
thirds And It viii benefit che world, by scceleratiag
ton ON the western Shores Of North Amorios.
IL may seem to be of little import to inquire by
iODal character tor enterprise on the national honor
tor resolution TO defead our rights has been brought
on our beloved country. One thing is palpable ID
the most superficial observation, which Is, that #
OF Parliament earnestly bento the performance of
his duty, not all the lethargy OF Bathurst or q
Dundas, the lnbe cllity of Robinson, the pert
bure aucracy of Rice, the brilliant tongue OF a
stanley Or the h%epot,sm OF Grsy could at tins
Ing 10 the Crown OF England: After the Indian
empire It would have been the brightest, richest
jewel in her diadem Unhappily, there has appeared
no such man to mind and defend the most valuable
rights Of England, although the miserable coun-
tries lying principally to the north OF line drawn
from The mouth of the st Lawrence to the Column
bla river have possessed that advantage in full
measure. Hard things have been whispered IN
this city, as well as having been brulteR in the
public journals, concerning the successful job which
has been achieved tor the benefit OF the Hudson's
Bay Company by coercng or persuadlng Lord
Grey 10 give them all they wished. OF these sto-
rles we know nothing, and shall certainly not, at
present at least, enquire into their truth and bear.
ing; we are considering the stable foundations OF
our country's security aud prosperity, which have
been shamefully jeOpardlzed But IT there be any
truth IN the floating rumOrs, we would Just hint to
the cunning men who have sought 10 promote their
own personal interests In the Hudson's Bay Com
pany, that they have evinced a marvellous degree
Of negligence or narrow selhshness In their pro-
ceedlGgs to accomplish their purpose. What VIII
be the value OF Vancouver's Island within five
years when California shall be peopled by halt
million sturdy emgrants from England and the
United States? Who will work IN coal mine
on that island or scratch the sterile soil tor a
few oats and potatoes, when he earn five times
more by The same laoor In cuttvatlng the rich al
luva Valleys OF California, witaln Blk days sail OF
your forbidding shores We can discover little
but narrow minded views, unrighteOus party bias,
or dangerous experimental crotchets IN the colonial
administration OF England, aud we mourn over
the fate OF our beloved country in such keeping.
We speak not OF the conduct OF this or that ad-
minisratlon, but of all administrations tor thirty
years past. AT all events, their policy for twenty
years has been directed to nothing vigorously
as the undermining OF the power and greatness Of
England by the destruction OF her colonial pros
perity.
In the foregoing amin adversion on the conduct Of
the British government In neglectlng the most OBJ
vious and most important interests OF their country,
we have studOusly kept out OF view the mineral
treasures OF California, because We would ground
no censure ON anything doubtful or hypothetical
Our quarrel with our rulers ls, that they had the
power of securing tor England the finest territory
on thearth's surface, In the finest climate OF the
world, tor the deposit of her surplus population,
an AZ r. m n ~
devoted TO the British Grown, ready TO protect and
defend the vast interests OF England IN Asa, Aus
trala, and the Pacific Sea; and that this opportu.
nifty they have wholly neglected, and thrown all
our most energetic and formidable rival This Is
what we charge, aud 1t is serious impeachment
which ought to be pressed home, let the blame rest
where 1t may. AT oar present rate OF descending
she may tall 80 lew as, within twenty years, to
hold her East Indian possessions at the will and
pie ASSURE Of the United States, aud see her China
trade IN the exclusive hands Of that country; to
which, indeed, Is already rapidly approximatlng;
the only thing wanting to give the impetus greater
momentum and strength being the repeal of tae
navigation laws. But now let us examine, so lar
as intelligence serves to inquire, what we have
probably lost by this shameful neglect OF rights
in the mineral treasures OF California, which Eng-
land ought TO have secured. We have read care
fully all the information relating to 1t contained Ia
the Ne,o York Hrald-a paper which has the
useful knack or talent OF concentrating in itself all
that is requisite to be knowa on the subject of
greatest interest at the time this information
would fill several pamphlets. And We gather from
this reading that the official agents OF the great
Republic in California whose reports are printed,
are rather timid and cautious than sangune and OBJ
trusve witnesses. They evidently write under an
apprehension that what they have to relate will not
carry credibity on Its face, and may be received
with Histrust end suspicion, SO abhOrrent to an
homes man. Therefore their information is enti-
tied to more attention, and 1t has the BETTING
consideration from US. Let us see whether what
had been previously asceitalned does not throw
additional light on the verslmllitude oil their state.
ments. In a standard work Uhird edition of Jane
sons System of Mlneraogy, printed In lSl0) I'M
der the head of America, article Gold, we find
what follows, page 81:
In modern times, this continent is considered the
richest country Of the world gold There the gold
chiefly collected in suvia SOIL and In the beds Of RI
vsrs, and SONS times also from veins In Mexico the
gold for the most part extracted from suvAl soil by
means Of washing and the particles vary in szs from
that Of dust to the weight Of from six p,u nds
Another part Of the Ne xicau gold Is extracted from
veins which traverse primitive mountains The veins
OF native gold are most frequent In the province Of
OsIsca, either in gness or mica slate This last
mines Of Rio San Antonio. These veins Ale about =
foot and half wide and contain besides the gold CON-
The same metal occurs, either pure or mixed with
silver ore in the grs test number Of weiss that have
been wrought In Mexico and there 10 scsrcsly single
silver nine which does not alse contain gold
On the coast Of California there Is pls offourtee
leagues in extent covered with suvial deposit in
which Jumps Of gold are dispersed.
II must be borne In mind that these words were
printed in wel-known and extensively read work
Twenty-Five years ago: since that time we have
had more than halt dozen Colonial Secretaries,
with adequate salaries and abundant patronage
and power, sworn TO guard the interests of Eng
land IN foreign lands. Couple this auth ntic in
formation with the admitted fact that England pos
sessed every fair titIe'' to California, and you
have proper sample OF the conduct OF bureau
~ he I'M ,anfaI ,rvo ~
a suplne and trusting Parliament. There can be
no rational doubt of the abundant mineral re-
sources OF California The whole country,
and more especially Mexico, Peru, and Bra
I'll, ab0unds Gas Humboldt as well as Jane
son asserts) with mineral treasures; but they have
nowhere been yet found in such abundance aud 30
cheaply and readily accessible as In the alluvial
soil Of California. We attach great Importance 10
The discovery OF quicksilver in that couutry. Spa-
cimens Of clnnabar (Which contains 81 ifts in 100