The New York herald., 1850-02-17

TuE DARK SIDE OF CALIFORNIA Such is the
expansive tendency Of commerce towards channels
which premise to yield large profits, that mankind
are slow to believe in hazards, deprivations, or
dangers of any kind or degree. They will run
The for the price though they perish on arriv-
ing at the goal Animated by the maxim nothing
venture. nothing wIn," they strain il beyond its
PRACTICAL use and venturing everything, frequent
y win nothing, Like pearldivers, they seek the
ueachelous bottom, aud spla. their heads open
sgmnst some unsuspected rock Perhaps IN no
other field Of labor have many valuable lives
been lost in the pursuIt Of wealth, ss in those PEE
rieds Of the history Of the race when sudden
wealth has been promised by the discovery OF pre-
eious stones and metals The expeditions in the
lime of "good Queen Bess" illustrate this post
tion; while the later discovery, by British officer,
oi the diamonds Of Brazil, will be remembered as
creating a similar excitement TO tina; now marking
The California discoveries. Gold is a remarkable
stimulus to the labor 81 man; but there Is no phIlo-
sophIoa reason why Il should be mere so than a
discovery of any other product dcmsnded by the
world. good salt mine, near good market,
would be more profitable than all the gold to ba
yielded by California. u is difficult, however, to
convince mankind Of tkis truth. Could they be
Impressed wiki IL, many an uncultivated region
would be made "to blossom like the rose."
We have many startling, anmal;ng and vivid
accounts Of Calliomia; but a - only by slow de-
srees that We learn the amount Of mortality that
darkens The picture. Scarcely village newspaper
OF our country can be taken up that does net pre-
cent record Uf some death IN California, while
ipnumerable letters testify strongly against the
pleasures Of Californian existence. IN the misses,
feysrs and diseases prevail to paiu{u extent; aud
the probability is that the cianahar imprernates
the spr nRs, 80 that the strongest constitutions
yield to their effects and 90 the intense heat OF
the sun. At PaBama, az this season, hun
dreds are signing Cor single draught Of cool air
and In the Csliofn4 digg'pgs. where the transPor-
iation Of provisions makes the cost Of bare sub
sistence ieaffully expensive, there must be an
amount oi deprivation AID suffering ct which we
Iosssss bu, htde knowledge. The esrth's great
lottery Yields FEW rr,zes and miny blanks sickness
and dea.h marking me blanks with a solemn
wain'tr. Nature will no aggund4e man unless
ne lAbor The isolated exceptions to the law
ehou'd De no encouragement q, anticipate anything
D-"tr' lhtus inds have fIolishy rushed forward .
% gam tuut'n wealth, Who ere now toiltug and .
tsi.sfirg severe hardshps, SCARCELY pro,sce1 from
me wrather aud with poor food on which to
tn5sist 1hey have paid their homage 10 pl,,ps
end hs~s become has slaves; while hundfed. ars
Terishing wiihin the courts OF the yellow god IN.
sapsble Of Sssis,ing themselves or Of being aiasd
by their coTopsnons
ln TIME, ho~ever California may present less
icaiiul odds szfirst enterprise. As the spirit Of
gold is dspsced BY the spirit Of industry, exsried
sa sescuiture. the comfosfs of life wall be IN.
crtastd d. AID gnep viii lsd iOcsiitcs IN higher and
more hf1lthful regions. where fhev will not peril
salstence upon ihs hazard of die."