The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-01-11

try at large, that our form of government and the
splnt OF our people differ, 10 a radical extent at
this crisis Of our commercial history, from those
| which characterized the Spanish race three CEN
| turies ago. According to the accounts coming to
US from every channel, the mineral wealth of Cali
forDIa equal to, il not greater, than that which
Mexico and Peru presented at the period OF their
discovery by the Spanish adventurers. Yetthere is
dang er that the temptation held out by the gold
| digging on the Sacramento will ever lay the
foundation of system of monopoly that may cor
rupt the government or the people of the United
States. The spirit of general and Independent
emigration which now exists for that new territory,
| springs, not from our government, but from the
natural genius and taste of the people. The emil
grants going from the shores OF the Atlantic to
| those of the Pacific, are educated, intelligent,
civilized, and elevated men, of the best classes OF
society. They are equal in every respect, aud
superior In many, to the first settlers of New Eng
| land and Virginia, in the time Of the Stuarts.-
Undoubtedly, large portion ofsthe low and unedu-
Gated classes Of the people thrown upon our shores
by revolutions and privations In Europe would also
seek those glorious regions on the Pacific, If they
could; but the distance to be traversed and the
pense Of the journey, put period to their desires,
| and leave the field open and clear for the best
classes to 60 there
We cay, the discovery Of those gold mines in
California, let them be even richer, and more abun
dant than they represented to be by the glowing
descriptions of them, cannot, under any circum
stances, work a corruption in our government,
or diminish the enterprise OF our people In this
age, living, as they do, under our social and
political institutions. For portions of two SEES.
sions of Congress- a government for this ter
r1tory has been deliberared upon, but nothing
has been done yet but squabble about ridiculous
points OF abstraction, and debate ridiculous
and absurd theories on liberty and slavery, as ap-
Piled to particular races of the population. No
government tor California has yet been organized,
nor is It likely that the wisdom at Washington, so
intent on petty quarrels, can agree on any paricu-
lar form. But no matter there is no necessity
for any action No evils will grow out of the
failure of Congress to do so. The remedy Is else
where. The intelligent, enterprlsing, and ener-
geuc emgrants who are now crowdlng to the
shores OF the Pacific, WILL in less than six months,
organize government OF their own, give 1t all the
energy and enterprise of the best forms that the
state OF society can bear, and the vexed question
which dsturbs cliques of Congress, will be kicked
into the Pacific and the whole frame OF society
settled on a practical and intelligent basis around
the shores of the Bay of San Francisco. In less
than SIX months there will probably be popu.
laton of nearly one hundred thousand persons,
from all parts of the world, in California The
em,grants from tile Northern and commercial
States OF this Union, carrying with them the know
ledge of their institutions here, and the experience
of free government. will soon bring those princ-
pies into action, and set California on its legs as
free State, in less than year from this day. If
Congress, therefore, do not act wisely and quickly,
it is very likely that California will take the mat.
ter into her own hands, and shape her institutions
and her destiny according to her own convictions
and her own necessities.
In the meantime, while the wise men at Wash
neton are lndulgng in folly after folly the wiser
men throughout the country are crowding and rush.
ing from every dire ctlon to the seapors, and en-
barking for that reglen. The movements thus far
are only the beginning of revolution In the COM
merce of the civilized world. The long projected
communication of the Atlantic with the Pacific,
across the Isthmus, has recelveda great impetus by
the recent discoveries in California, and the emf
grafton to that part of the new world. Three DIFF
ferent ways of eflectlng this communication are
already under public consideration. Twenty years
ago, General Gaines started the idea of railroad
from point on the Mississippi to the Pacific. 1t
was laughed at at the time but at the present time
three applications if not four, are before Congress,
waiting tor the concurrence of that body, to build
railroads across the Whitneys at the
North, Bayard's IN the centre, and Texan
PROJECT by way OF the Rio Grande ana across
to California. The peculiar spirit which broke
out with the first victory OF General Taylor,
is all disappearing, and a new and wonderful
commercial spirit has been developed during the
last few monthsIby the discoveries in Cali
fornia. This new spirit Is increasing every day
with the runlors and reports from that region; and
where It will end no one can tell One thing, how.
ever, Is certain, that we are on the highway of
making New York on the Atlantic, and San Fran
cisco on the Pacific, the great central comm .rcial
ports Of the civilized world; and of uniting Europe
with Asia by railroads and steam, and thus d.
minishing the time of travel between those two
great continents to thirty or forty days. The effect
OF these movements, and OF the prevailing spirit OF
enterprise and adventure, will be to produce a
grea. revolution in the minds of the nations around
us on this continent, which will, in due process of
time, absorb them all within our limits and do
mlnion. Cuba aud Mexico and the Canadas can
not resist the contagious spirit of the age and they
will gradually fall into the great movement which
has been set foot by the enterprise of the people
of this republic, and which has begun to show
itself in great revolution that will mark the future
history OF the civilized world.
MoRR ExTRivAoANcE IN CoyGRRss.-The Hon.
Massa Greeley, M. c., as he Is called by the
groesat Washington, when they touch their beavers
TO him in Pennsylvania avenue, has seat us
printed pamphlet of a report made by the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, and presented to Congress
at the commencement OF the session.