The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-10-15
California Ansirs.-The Recent News.

The intelligence from California, by the steam
ship Ohio, is interesting, as an exhibit of the pre-
sent condition of affairs in the gold country but
more interesting as shaping out, to some extent,
It's prospects for the future. 1t gives us wider
sweep of the horizon than the mere details of the
gold wasbings, and distinctly raises the question
" what is TO be the destiny OF California?
On the western side of the Sierra Nevada, while
the mass of the population are engaged in digging
and silung for ounce of dust day; while the
churchmen are building churches, and gambling
and preaching are all the fashion, the politicians
are shaping their heterogeneous materials into the
elements Of State In the great interior Basn
We find the Mormons still farther advanced Pray
ing, psalm singing, and digging potatoes, have not
occupied their whole attention. They have erect
ed state six hundred miles square, whose capital
is the New Jerusalem, and think they are large
enough for admission INTO the Union. Meantime
the fluctuations of the overland emigrants com
ing in From our correspondence it will be seen,
that toads, fred ratlesnakes, and dead horses are
good picking in the lower deserts, which are not
blest, like the Mormons, with Aocks of sea gulls,
nor supplied, like the Indians of the Basin, with
their pastry Of dried crickets But the worst, we
fear, has yet to come. The people of San Fran
vsncing columns of the emgrants in the Basin,
were devsmg means for their relief, and by the
next arrival we may expect to hear Of the most dis
astTous scenes OF starvation. But such is the pow
er of gold. If the mines were In the defes of pur-
gatory, men would risk their souls to reach them,
regardless alike of Bishop Hughes, the Pope, or
the Devil.
Again, the State Convention of California APP
pears to be already split up into three parties, with
a sort of Tammany Hall in the ascendant; and the
wonder is, that people 80 far advanced should still
be destitute of their Five Points and the model ar
fists. One party is strong for the proviso, bal they
have no J ohm Van Buren, to head them Z; the second
party profess to let slavery alone, matter of no
consequence and the third clique appears to be
like the cabinet, without any fixed principles what
ever, and depending, like the cabinet, upon float
ing capital, the dnftwood of the political cur
rsnt The Mormons have got the start of them in
politics and common sense, in resolving to keep
entirely clear from the dispute between Benton and
Calhoun. Their policy of neutrality is even better
than that of Mr.. Clayton, ard they are entitled to
encouragement, people really capable of self
government. The Rev. Francis Hall objects to
their admission INTO the Union, because they are
nfdels But what is the fact They believe IN
the Old and New Testaments, in Moses and the
Prophets, in ST. John the Baptist Christ, and the
Apostles and, besides all this, they have testa-
ment of their own, and prophet and apostles of
their own, in all OF which they believe, which is
twice as much as the belief of Mr.. Hall and the
orthodox church. They are true believers, for
they believe in almost every thing, except the mig
gerology of the Erentng Post. They have no faith
IN that fisby philanthropy, and none in the squash
philosophy of Greeley They men Of common
sense, true believers, and sound politicians. But
the saints in the city of Zion will take care of
themselves.
With all these Developments before us, what
are the prospects of California; Some three mil
lions OF gold dust have been received from the
mines. and deposited IN the mint at Philadelphia,
besides equal quantity sent TO Europe. The
dggings, pickings and sftlngs OF the year are ex-
pected to reach 10 twenty millions. From the his
tory of all previous gold discoveries, from geologic
cal iacts, and the fact that the gold has already
sensbly diminished, the washings of the Sacra-
mento and San Joaquin must be exhausted within
five, six or ten years, the farthest. The business
then, OF extracting the metal from the rocks ia the
bowels of the mountains, will hardly pay, unless
conducted by large companies, with steam engines
of the of gold siftersl The valley affords but
little encouragement for agriculture. Oregon Ia,
greater advantages IN this respect. The gold dig
gers. IN a few short years will dlsperse-some
TO Oregon, Mexico, and South America others
will return, and the local population will be
reduced to the standard resources and commerce
of the couWry The harbor of San Francisco and
the Pacific trade, can alone make California per-
A 4. n
future adventures to reflect upon these things
California has agtated the world, excited the
greatest commercial enterprises; but the gold is
diminishing, the fever of emigration is subsiding
and the tide must return. In the meantime, it will
be the duty Of Congress to admit the State into the
Union, and the new Mormon State also. Who
speaks NEXT
ARRIVALS AT NEw YoRK.-The arrival Of dis