New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-10-22
NAT1vIsM IN THE GOLD MINES.
Debate in the Senate.

WASHINGTON, Stpt. a, Ih9l
The SENATE, in Committee Of the Whole.
proceeded TO the consideration of the Bill
TO make temporary provision for the work
ing and discovery of Gold Mines and Placers
in California. and preserving order in the
Gold Mine districts.
Several amendments having already been
proposed and considered
Mr.. SEWARD said: move to amend the bill by
adding after the word citizen, III the second
section. the words. and persons who shall have
in pursuance of law declared their intention to be
come such 50 as to make the section read
That the said agents. each within his district shall have
o sa in pursuance of Law have declared their in
irntiOn to become uc 10 work the pacers on pubic lana
nv manual labor and also To WORK by mining and quaIng
the mineral odes or VEINS occurring in the work, By ma
cunery driven by horse, steam, or water power ana every
permit shall specify for winch KIND oiiilS Il Is granted
discover that this bill contempates restrain
ing of lis benefits to American citizens, The
amendment ef1er proposes to extend them to
those who shall have declared their intentions 10
become citizens in the manner prescribed by law
Al this late stage of the session there IS no time
for discussing the principle involved III this amend
ment. That principle, however, was adopted III
the bill For disnosng of the public domain in Ore
COn. winch was recently PisSfh- give ~ AOi
sons for adopting ii on that OCCASION
will add now only this that the objects OF the
limited States in regard to the gold mines OF Call
orna shonld be- in the first place, to bring to the
general public use of the people OF he United
States the largest possible acquisition Of national
wealth from their newly discovered fountains
and secondly to render the mining operations con
ducive to the best and speedlest possible settle
1nent of our vast countries on the Pacific coast
I TO $50
cial. social and political influences over the East
orn world The pecuniary wealth and the polite
al mower thus TO be obtained Will be obtained Just
in PROPORTION to the number and asslduty OF the
persons who shall be engaged III working the
mines of California That number and that asst
duty will be IN exact proportion to the Hberallty
of the terms upon which the mines shall be open
ed 1t was on this ground that | voted against
the proposition of my honorable friend from OHIO,
Mr. Ewing which contemplated selgnorage and
revenue 70 the Government from these mines, and
in favor Of the provision contained III the bill,
which stipulates for nothing IN the way OF reve-
nue. but enough to pay the expenses OF regulat-
| ing the operations IN the MINES Moreover, dlS-
tinctions between races and castles are wees IN
every constitution OF government; and venture
to saw. that if we now refuse TO discriminate IN
California in favor of those who are already citl-
zens and those who are IN process OF becoming so,
we shall happiv crush in the bud that principle OF
Native Ancrcanism which if allowed to rlpen,
would there as elsewhere, produce only bitter
fruits.
Mr.. DAwsoN-The proposition is now distinctly
before us to open the gold mines of California to
the whole world and the only condition for the
exercise of this privilege the part OF all mankind
is that there shall be made a declaration to be
come a citizen of the United States Whether or
not this COMFORTS with American feeling shall
not undertake to decide; but it involves principle
Il, ,loti ~
and Justice toward our own people. In the war
with Mexico by which this territory was acquired,
we lost hundreds of lives in the field and by dis
ease and we have to pay millions OF dollars Tor
the acquisition of this territory. Who lost their
lives Who has to pay this money! American
citizens, whether native oradopted lof both stand
on the same footing.
If we adopt this amendment these MeXlcans,
from whom we took this property may easily
cross over the line and enter this country by thou
sands. declare their intention to become citizens
of the United States, dig i'll the gold mines, and
when they have got gold enough, cross the line
again into their own country, alter they nave
taken from the bowels of the earth what belongs
to our people. And it is not merely confined to
them but this is inviting the whole world 10 our
shores There seems to be now desire to con
| centrate all the paupers OF Europe upon the gold
mines in California If this amendment is adopt
ed in less than twelve months the foreign popua-
of California And why should it be SO Because,
as said on former occasion, those Interested IN
shipping would notify the whole world OF what
inducements we hold out 50 that they could IN
duce those who wished to emlgrate TO come IN their
vessels And when these people land ON our
shores the first thing they will do will be to de
clare their intention to become citizens OF the
United States, before some civil magistrate. and
they Will then 90 to one OF these Agents and
demand a permit to work iii the gold mines
Upon what principle is 1t Are we upon primer
piles of humanity to provide for the destitute OF the
whole world Was this Government construct
ed to render all mankind happy? Or was it for
the government of the people who are within our
own territory think it was for the latter OBJ
iect and if we adopt this amendment, where
will the wealth OF California 80 VIII 1t flow
here from foreigners Not at all. These foreign
emigrants will be controlled by some intelligent
leader who will direct the object OF their labor
and the products of that labor viii be transferred
back to the country from which they came
The proposition which has been referred to in
the bin granting land in Oregon was that a for
eigner should be entitled to land there who would
settle upon the soil and follow agricultural pur-
suits. But here this labor takes from the earth
That is the difference between the two. The
ground OF the Senator from Missouri in whose
views | confess there is great deal of wisdom
is that these mines should be worked by our own
people, free of tax. But this proposition is in con
lict with that in my judgment.
Why are those who formed this Government
who reared it-who fought to sustain it through
all the wars that have been brought against it, to
be sacrificed for the benefit OF those against whom
they fought 1t is put upon the elevated ground
of humanity and general bcncyoence. then
ask for your constitutional power to throw this IL
to benevolent Government, Tor the benefit of the
rest of the world, to the injury of our own coun-
try There is no such power vested. We have
no more power to appropriate the public proper
/ ty OF this country to the sustenance and supper
OF foreigners, than have to take away from
our people any of then rights, vested in the Con
stitntion 1t is true there is large foreign popu,
lation here. The foreign population is courted
+ with more assiduty than any other class Of popu-
j lation in this country Every nstrumentality
which can be brought to bear, by the influence Of
Legislative action, is made to bear for the purpose
Of securing their support They constitute nov