The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-02-28
A Cr1sls.-ls there Hope for Oaiifornis '-Or
Ia there None

IL there Monet
The latest accounts from Washington brought
to us the gratifying Intelligence that an attempt to
provide temporary government Tor California had
been successful IN the Senate We allude TO the
adopton, by vote of twenty nine to twenty-seven,
of an amendment to the general appropriation bill,
introduced by Mr. Walker, OF Wisconsin, pro-
uding for the application to the territory west of
the Rio del Norte, acquired by the treaty with
Mexico, OF all those Congressional eaactments
which have been heretofore adopted for the govern
ment of the territories of the United States, and
authorizing the President to prescribe and estab-
lish all proper ana useful regulations for the en-
forcement of these laws, the preservation of order
and tranquility, and the establishment of justice.
Not at all to our surprise, this movement has
elected howl Of Indignation from our socialist
sensible friend, and mileage contemporary, Of the
Tribune. He denounces the whole scheme, and,
turning up the whites OF his eyes, expresses the
fervent prayer that the House will tack to 1t the
Wilmot provlso, and defeat the measure entirely.
The zeal of these "frlends of humanity" is
amazing. They are much afraid of the ex-
tension of slavery to the shores of the Pacific, that
they are prepared to abandon the thousands OF our
fellow citizens who have reached California, and
the tens of thousands who are destiaed to fol-
low Them to all the horrors of anarchy and murder.
They are so much in love with freedom, that they
will permit the work of rapine and assassination
10 proceed unche in California until their dar-
Ing abstraction receive the sanction OF Congress.
Can the public be any longer blind to the hypocrisy
and wickedness OF these miserable abstractionists
these mileage jewellers of the press! No man
IL, LII Il.
tself into California; and yet these scheming,
cold-blooded politicians exert all their energies to
prevent the establishment of regular government
there, unless the act be accompanied by a pompous
and unmeanlng prohibition of that institution.
Nothing could more intelllglbIy indicate the hol-
low-heartedness of Greeley and mis- associates
Congress- than this desperate resistance of every
attempt to avert the calamous state of affairs with
which California Is threatened.
What do these men really want 4? Is it their de-
sire that California should be converted into pam
demonium? Or do they seek to preciptate its
disruption from the territory of this Union! AL
ready we have had fearful admontIon of the evils
which are the natural result Of the diserganized
state of society on the coast Of the Pacific. Every
week--every day-the necessity of the establish
ment of some settled system of government be-
comes more and more urgent and crying Were
that region an unpeopled wilderness, we might be-
hold unmoved this quarrel about an abstraction.
But when the national character is at stake
when thousands of our brethren, bone of
our bone, and flesh of our flesh, who have
just gone from amongst U.S. are threatened with all
the horrors which the unbridled indulgence of the
worst passions of the human heart can lnllct upon
society, Is it not fitting to lmplore all good men to
unite In defeating the aim OF designing and unprln.
clped demagogues, who, for paltry and desplcabe
ends, now attempt to deprive California of the in.
estmable blessings Of regular government?
What, in the name of common sense, has the
Wilmot provlso to do with the establishment of
government IN Callfsrnla? Slavery can never en-
igrate or exist in that region. The safety
of chlorofom-the squaring of the circle-perpetu-
al notion the doctrine Of free.wil-or any other
abstraction, might, with equal proPriety, be at
tached to the appropriation bill, or be connected
with the organization Of California as territory
Very transparent is the insnceriy of all this OPP
position to Mr. Walkers amendment; nor will the
sneers of the Tribune seriously damage that gen.
tleman. Mr.. Walker Is practical man. He
knows something of the prlvations and difficult
Ties of frontier life. He can we'll estimate the
dangers which threaten California, and properly
appreciate the importance of congressional action.
He at least has discharged his duty. 1t now
eman to be seen what the House will do. A
fearful responsibility rests upon It. If the abstrac.
tionists, be they stupid or blind, designing or
be permitted to defeat this measure,
it is impossible to forsee the weight of disgrace
and crime which WILL through their fatal success,
press hereafter on the name and fame of this
Trnlon