Calaveras chronicle., 1851-12-20
[San Francisco Correspondence ]


Mr.. EDrroR.-Your many friends in this
city are pleased to learn that the success
of your enterprise is no longer problem.
In the tone of its articles the Chronicle
gives evidence of prosperity, while the
press here are unanimous in pronouncing
it one of the ablest papers in the mines.
Every intelligent miner is aware of the i'm
portance to his interests of a free, un-
shackled press, which will fearlessly rip
up any rotten humbuggery that may assail
them When they can boast this, and have
men true to the parties they represent at
the capital, they can bid defiance to world
of knavish combinations
San Francisco is gradually acquiring
some of the characteristics of older cities
" Fashionable balls, soirees and theatri-
calls are all the rage, and their remoter ten
denotes are already perceptible. Classifca-
tion appears to be the order of the day,
contrary to all reason or philosophy. In
the early settler mt of some of the western
States, like Caufornia's infancy, all were
on an equality; until gradually the shrewd-
er portion of the community acquired the
bulk of its wealth, when society assumed
their respective gradations. Old cent-per-
cent smiled patronizingly on the merchant !;
the merchant bowed graciously to the pro-
fessional who winked knowingly to the en-
ployer, who, in turn, scowled contemptuons-
ly on the poor devil below him. And the
luckless wight at the foot of the scale, had
either to hoard up his pennies, sell every
particle of manly principle, or 60 farther
west to seek for independence. But the
enormous wealth of California attracted to
her shores a class of people, such as the
world never beheld in a community. They
were literally the herdsmen of the old world
every atom cloud. With them many
brought virtue and honesty, combined with
shreWdness and knowledge of the world
but the circumstances with which they
were surrounded, showed so plainly the
utter impotency of the first, that they laid
them aside reluctantly, until fortune should
crown their desires, when they hoped to
renew their cast-offs. But though many
have acquired wealth here, it does not ar
que they are the embodied intelligence of
the land; for fires and floods, and other
unforeseen events, together with the great
uHCcT CAlHGy hGHHulHB 1OHCuno-HuA0AnB III
the mines, havekept some knowing ones in
the background who would tear up the tree
by the roots, ifthey saw the ladder pulled
up. But this classifying desire is not SO
much on the part Of the possessors of
wealth, as it is that of species of ichneu-
mon who bask in their sunshine, and are
never more useful than when applauding
the vices of the rich as g elegant affairs"
or denOuncing the peccadillOes of some
rough one as heinous offence against the
peace of society. If these precipitate young
sters persist in their efforts, it will even
tually reveal the almost transparent design
Of nature, in Withholding to this late day
her enormous treasures-the overthrow Of
a system as rotten as it is unnatural-one
that every mortal man with the smallest
share of unpolluted sense, can see is the
source Of vice and crime.
You will be able to CLEAN from the city
papers the general topics, which are now
agitating the public mind. When anything
especially interesting to your locality oc-
ours, you may rely upon my complying
with your request to post you up.
Yours. NooKLTs