The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-03-21

80 do do 80 600 00O
100, that is, in the year 1850 2OOO0000C
equal nearly Ia ne-fourth ot the present aggregate
population Of the globe, and double the population
OF Europe - the time of the discovery of America.
But the advance of population on the Pacific will
far exceed what has heretofore occurred the At
iantc coast, while emigration even here is outsrip
ping the calculations on which the estimates are
based. There are silver and gold in the mountains
and ravines of California The granite of New
England and New York Is barren
Allowing due consideration 10 the increasing dem
sity of our population, we are safe in assuming that
long before this mass shall have attained the maxi
mum OF numbers indicated the entire width Of our
possessions from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean
will be covered by IT, and be brought into social
turiiy and complete political organization.
The question now arises, Shall this one great
people, having common origin, common Ian
guage, a common religion, common sentiments In.
teres's, sympa,hies and hopes remain one political
State, one nation, one republic, or shall II be broken
into two conflicting and probably hostile nations OF
republics There cannot ultimately be more than
two For the habit Of association Ia already formed
as the interests OF mutual intercourse arebeing formed
Ii IL already ascertained where the centre u polit
cal power must rest Ii must rest in the agriculture
interests and masses who will occupy the Interior
the continent. These masses, II they cannot al
command access to both oceans will not be obsruct
ed In their approaches to that one, which offers tn,
greatest facilities to their commerce.
Shall the American people, then, be divided1 BE
|
position, oui power, ans capabilities.
| The world contains no seat OF empire magnifi
| cent as this; which, while IL embraces all the vary
ing climates OF The temperate zone and il traverse,
by wide expanding lakes and long branching rivers
| offers supplies on the Atlantic shores TO the over
| crowded nations of Europe, while on the Paci6,
coast II inercepts the commerce OF the Indies. tn,
nation thus situated, and enjoying Forest mineral
and agricultural resources unequsiied, If endowed
also with moral energies adequate TO The achievement
nf nnfn mad l,.fttt
adapted to their character and condition, must com
mand the empire of the seas, which alone Is real EN-
pire.
We think, that may claim 10 have inherited
physical and intellectual vigor courage, invention
and enterprise and the systems of education pre-.
yailing among us open to all the stores of human
science and art.
The old world and the past were allotted by Prov.
idence to the pupillge OF mankind, under the hard
discipline Of arbitrary power, quelling The violence Of
human passions. The new world and the future
seem TO have been appointed for the maturity Of
mankind with the development of self-government
operating In obedience 10 reason and judgment.
We have thoroughly tried our novel system of
Democratic Federal Government, with It's complex,
yet harmonious and effective combination of distinct
local elective agencies, for the conduct of domestic
affairs, and lis common central elective agencies for
the regulation of internal interests and of intercourse
with foreign nations; and we know, that IL IL a sys-
TEN equally cohesive in its parts and capable of all
desirable expansion and that IL IL a system, more
over, perfectly adapted tn secure domestic tranquility
while 1t brings into activity all the elements of
national ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. The Atlantic States,
through their commercial, social, and political ATTN
tiles and sympathies, are steadily Tenoyatlng tho
Governments and The social constitutions OF Europe
and of Afrcs. The Pacific States must necessarily
perform the same sublime and benefcent functions
In Asia. IT, then, the American people shall remain
an undivided nation, the rpening civilization of the
West, after a separation growing wider and wider
for four thousand years, will, In its circuit OF the
world, meet again and mingie with the declining
civilization of the East own free soil, and II
new and more perfect civilization will arise to bless
the earth, under the sway Of our own cherished and
bcnefcent democratic institutions.
We may then reasonably hope for greatness felici-
~, and renOwn excelling any hitherto attained by
any nation, II, standing firmly on the continent, we
loose not our grasp on the shore OF either ocean.
Whether destiny so magnificent would DC only par
TALLY defeated whether II would be aitogcthrr iost
by a relaxation Of that grasp, SURPRISES our wisdom
TO determine, and happily Ii not important TO be- de-
ermined II Is enough, II we agree that expectations
grand yet reasonable and so gust ought not To
be In any degree disappointed
And now II seems 10 me, that the perpetual unity
Of our empire hangs the decision Of this day and
of this hour.
Callornia Is already State, n complete and fully
appointed State She never again can be less than
that. She can never again be province or a colo
ny nor can she be made TO shrink and shriye into
the proportions Of federal dependent Territory
California. then, henccfOnh and forever, must be,
what she Ii now, State.
The question whether she shall be one Of The United
States OF America has depended on her and on us.
Her election hns been maao. Our consent alone
mains suspended; and that consent must be pronOuDc-
ed now never ] say non or nerer. Nothing pre-
yenisit now, but want Of agreement among ourselves.
Our harmony cannot increase while this question re-
mnins open We shall never agree 10 admit Cafor-
MIA unless we agree now. Nor will California abide
delay. do not say that she coDtemplates indepen-
dence but, " she does not, II IN because she does
not anticipate rejection. DO you say that she
have no motive Consider, them her attitude II
ected. She needs a constitution, legislature, and
magistrates; she needs titles 10 that golden domain
of ours within her borders good titles, too and you
must give them on your own terms, or she must
take them without your leave. She needs a mint, d
custom house, wharvcs, hospitals and institutions Of
learning; she needs Qualifications, and roads and
railroads; she needs the protection Of army and
a navy either your stars and stripes must wave over
her ports and her fleets, or she must raise aoft a
standard for herself she needs at least, 10 know
whether You friends or enemies and, finally she
needs Whist no American community can live with.
out, sovereignty and independence either just and
equal share Of yours or Sovereignty and independence
Of her own.
viii you say that California could not aggrandize
herself by separaiion1 Would IL, then, be q mean
coast, monuments like those which We think two
hundred years have been well spent In estabs hing
on the Atlantic coast2
VIII you say that California has no ability 20 be-
come independent She has the Same moral sbil-
Ivy for enterprise that inheres In u.s. and that ability
implies command Of all physical means. She has
advantages of position. She IL practically further
removed from you than England. You cannot
reach her by railroad, nor by unbroken steam navi-
gallon You can send no armies over the prairie,
The mountain, and the desert nor across the remote
and narrow isthmus within a foreign jurisdiction,
nor around the Cape Of Storms. You may send a
navy there but she has only to open her Mines and
she can seduce your navies and appropriate your
floating buwaTks 10 her own defence. Let her only