The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1850-08-20
AN EXTRACT FROM A SPEECH CT SEN
ATOR JEFFERSON DAVIS.

4
to other considerations than those
broad and general views which have
been presented by others, aud probably
will be presented again. | shall con
tend for this amendment as Il measure
OF expediency--as a measure which is
written by the hand of Nature upon
the surface Of the country for which
we propose to legislate--a measure
which is indicated by the character of
the people for whom we are about to
provide. governmental organization.
and demanded by soil, climate, and pro-
ductions agricultural and mineral
The fathers of this country were nei-
ther so unwisc nor so profane as to de-
ny the overriding Providence whose in
terposing hand was often felt in sha-
ping the destiny of the infant republic.
And if there be special interpretations
"A guardian care over us still think
it is manifested in tho identity Of the
geographical and political consider;t-
tions for the renewal of the compact,
the extension of the line of 50 30,
which is now presented. Never were
political considerations more fully
maintained by geographical reasons.
In looking at the map of California, as
ii was remarked by the senator from
Louisiana, its unnatural boundaries
most forcibly strike the eye extehd>
ing over impossible mountain BARRIERS,
including in one government plains
which have no other connexion, and
embracing the whole seacoast, as if the
whole frontier were marked out for an
empire instead of State of the conied-
eracyi as though its purpose was to
have distinct international policy, 10
assume the cbrtimand of the whole
commerce of the Pacific, and Of those
vast countries which lie beyond 1t, and
to control the naval stations on the
western coast, which greatly tended to
create desire for its acquisition BY tho
United States. Here we see coHn-
try, backed by snow-covered mouh-
tains, broad valley, with two rivers
to water, and a coast-plan connected
with it. There is the natural denidf~
cation of a State On the one side the
Sacramento, and on the other the SIN
Joachim, coming from the north and
the south to pour their treasures into
the great entrepot of the country, the
harbor Of San Francisco, their common
and only receptacle. AS well might we
expect that the country watered by tile
Sacramento, would be united to the
valley Of the Willamette, and become
part Of the Territory of Oregon, as that
the country south of the waters OF San
Joachim would be included in the State
of California. Other motives no doubt
combined with this reason to induce
the delegates Of that part of the terri
tory to object to the formation Of d
State constitution, the first operation of
which, as LEARN from my correspon-
dencc in that eotintry, has had such ci-
feet that in most of the towns south Of
San Luis Obispo they have held public
meetings for the purpose Of petitioning
Congress for n separate territorial Or
ganization and government.
But to return TO the point which |
promised to Considerable geographic
cal arguments for this political line of
36 deg. 80 min. At the intersection Of
this parallel with the sea, as | am in
formed, the coast range Of mountains
terminate in & bold promontory that
overhaDgs tile ocean; thence eastward
It pagseS over desert mountains, crosses
the arid plain Of the Monterey river,
and enters the valley through which
the San Joachim flows south OF the per-
utanent tributaries OF that river, pass
ing between its southern branches and
the Lake Turaies; which, it is repre-
sented to me, does not, as is usually
shown on the maps, regularly flow in
to the San Joachim, but only does so
when, in time of lreshtt the flats to it's
north, extending to the San Joachim,
are oyerllowcd. Shut out from the sea-
breeze, this plain is represented as hav-
ing almost tropical heat, and as being
fully occupied by quiet harmless race
Of fishing Indians, 10 whom the couns
try is particualy adapted. But if it
ever passes into the hands of those who
reqdire commercial ports, they must be
sought in the South. Distance and
facility ofroute leave;no doubt that San
Pedro ard San Diego, not San Francis,
} co, must be the ports of this section.
Then, am ! not sustained when say
; that the hand of nature has written this
line upon the country in characters
which might have been read before it.
: was possessed by mani But, again
the line of 36 deg. 30 min. divides the
pastoral and agricultural, the semi-trop.
lcal country, from the mining and the
grain'growing regions Of the ftofth.
/ South of this line no mine has proved
a productive. North OF it are the placers,