Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-04-06
varuE OF WING OPINIONS.

The Wings deprecated he acquisition OF Ca
lifornia. and Mr.. Webster denounced II as mot
worth dollar" The subject is very differently
regarded il Grea, Britain. We have read win
GREAT interest a long extFaci from London CiTcu-
lar 10 Bankers, Of January l9h
The Circular conlcnds that the British crown
has, or had, as good lille 10 California as Inc
Unlled States had to The portion OF Oregon ceded
10 them BY treaty; ana quotes, as follows, from
Guhrie's geographical grammar, written be-
fore The American war Of independence:
nWih respecr 10 me value Of the gold mines,
ncth,ne nosil, We can he asserted. California was
discovered by CofleZ, IN. great conqueror OF
Mexico in 1896, aier enduring incredible haIo-
shirs and enc, unIering dangers OF almost every
species. During long period, Il was 50 iiue
treouen,ed. that even lis form was unknown, ana,
IN mos, maps, i. was represented as an island
Oar famous navigator, SiT Francis Drake, .ooA
nfhStsG ~ tx King ~ chief Of The coun-
try This lille, however, The government OF
Great Britain have no. hitherto attempted 10 vim
dlcatc, though California is admirably situated
Tor trade and on is c0as; has pearl fishery oi
great value"
1t also cites the following testimony Of Pinker-
ton, who died more han twenty years ago. 10 an
account Of Brakes discovery oi part OF Caior-
MA, 10 which nc gave The name OF New Abb
on:
1.-THE country, TOO, il We can depend upon
VIVA, Sir Francis Drake or his chaplain say,
may appear worth the seeking and the keeping
since they assert mat the land is so rich an
gold and silver that upon The slightest turning
up with SPADE OF pick-axe, these rich metals
plainly appear mixed wlth the mould. may
be objected hat Ihls looks tie fabulous, but
10 this Two satisfactory answers maY bt gwen;
The firsg i, that later discoveries un Inc same
coasts c0nfim The truth Of it, which Tor anything
can see ought % Ia, The fact out OF question, III
If nv doubts shou ID remain, my second answer
should ovefiurn these. For say next ina, me
country OF New Mexico lies directly behind New
Albion, on the olhSr side OF narrow pay, ana
in thai county are the mines oil SANTA re, wfich
are allowed 10 be The richest in The world; here
Ihen is a valuable country, 10 which We have
very laIr Tile"
Moreover, in a standard work Third edition Of
Jameson's System Of MineraIosy, printed in
London in 1870 under The head OF America,
article God, il i, w,:.'p:
"On he coast OF California there is plain
OF fourteen leagues in extent, covered with an
al usial deposit in which Jumps OF gold are DIS
persed,"
This splendid country The Circular charges the
British government with "supneness and crimi-
nal NEGLIGENCE" for abandoning "wihou ~ el-
,ort 10 realize the VERY fair title 10 The territory
secured by the enterpfsing Drake, without
expending pound sterling 10 recover it,"
To show how much England has lost and We
have gained and as an enduring monument oil
the wisdom ard foresight Of The late adminislra-
ton, we give long ami most interesting ex-
tract from the Circular 10 Bankers:
From the london BANKERS Circular, March 10.
Cal,toIn,a i tie III = iav,rtd spot on the
earth Tor British colonization tom lis sa.ubfiy,
fertility and climate, is possession OF the nne
bay aud port oi San Francisco, whose advan-
taoes are unequaiied on the shores OF me Pac'hc,
and is v.r ual proximity TO England and her
Asia,ic aud Australian r"ssesstous II we had
no "very lair ti;lr' 10 Tie territory and walers 81
California, that the onsh. 10 have been secured
NJ purchase, and The purchase money held as
secnrity for The payment II Mexican bonds IN
me hands Of British subjects. Lord PalmeTsion
could threaten .eptIsd 10 secure Inc sParlsh
hondholders, apparently because OF me ihsoeni
copduci III and his representative received al Inc
hands II the government q SnaIni but what have
he and Lord Grey done TO prevent California
falling into ihe hands OF the United StaeS wncn
England had "a very lair Tile 10 Ca'iinVna =
Is ,hs, no, ques'i n l'tile more impot'an'
tban The territories OF the Illusions Bay Compa-
nv and Varconver's Island concerning winch
mere has been such polher in aud out Of Par
liamsnt3 Bu; this question ot the right Of Cali
,o,nia is connected with another question which
shouId moi he paSsed over in TINS sketchIhe man.
n,r a oues,ion which involves one 81 The deepes!
and most Interesting Considerations relating 10
orr national power and national honor.
California, with IFS deep, broad, peaceful bay,
and port of San Francisco, is exactly that spot
on earth NEST necessary TO secure the posses
sions and trade Of England in India China and
Australia, and all her possessions and trade 10
the Pacific Ocean II is more necessary to pro-
tee, her vast and augmenling interests IN those
quarters than alta is TO protect her trade IN
the Medi etsaacsn, or than The Cape and 81.
Helena ever were TO her intercourse with The
Soulh and East Ii is varily more important
than the overland route to India and China, be-
cau.e /; would afford the means Of obtaining for
goocs, troops, and military stores, as we'll as
CORES pondeuce, a communication as near as the
owe Rand route, in point Of lime, with China,
and much nearer, in point OF time, with Aus .
,ralia. England ought 10 have done exactly
what the government and people OF The United /
states have donc-secured CalIforna, ard then
run highway through the Isthmus from
Chagres 10 Panama, with perpetual guarantee
for its unmolested and comparatively untsxed
possession at both extremities. This prov
duty became imperative, aud TO the B l,ish Go
vernment ought 10 have been obvious The instant
The designs OF the Washington Cabinet upon
Mexico became manifest and unequiyocal. The
possession of California BY the United States
puts rein in the hands of that country, and
- . Il. ->Auth &c Tho Rritish lion hy rneans