The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-11-20

F9- The New York Herald speculates a. fol-
lows on the probable consequences of the move
uent in California for a division of that State
Division OF CALIFoR sIA--The proposed di-
vision of the State of California is one Of the
most important domestic questions of the day.
II is no new question. 1t is no small question.
Nor is it merely local question. Ii is
tional question, and may possibly turn out to be
a sectional question: involving the issue of the
admission of slavery into, or its exclusion from,
the new territory to be erected out of the south
ern half of the present State of California.
AS we have heretofore declared, the division
of California, sooner or later, is inevitable. The
only question of doubt is the time. But from
the movements of the people in the southern
counties, there is every prospect that the work
will, in effect, be accomplished in the interval to
the approaching Presidential election. County
conventions have been held at several points in
the southern section Of the State, and 10 incipi-
ent steps to a general convention OF all the
southern counties have been taken. The mate
rial difficulty is the consent OF the Legislature
to the division desired by the south, the MAORI
ty of both houses being from the northern part
of the State, and in favor, as matter of local
policy, of keeping the, commonwealth intact.
But if the south resolve upon it, the project
must succeed for it is not in the nature of our
institutions to disregard the wishes and the in
forests of the people who are directly concerned
in movement of this kind, and under such cir
cumstances as these. The case is peculiar but
we apprehend little difficulty in the Legislature,
if the southern counties demand the privilege
of setting up in a territory to themselves.
These are strong arguments in favor of sep
aration from the northern section, and the estab-
lishment Of distinct territorial government in
the southern counties. The extent of the sur
face of California is an insuperable impeachment
to its continuance under a single State govern
ment. From south to north, the State extends
through ten degrees of latitude. straight
line eastward from its southern extremity at
San Diego, would strike through the heart of
Georgia while a similar line from its northern
boundary, eastward to the Atlantic, would run
the chain gang into Cape Cod. California
therefore, embraces all the diversites Of climate
that exists between Massachusetts and Georgia,
and even greater extremes. The products Of
the northern section are those of the middle
Atlantic States the general tone of the Pacific
coast being considerably milder than the At
antc seaboard; but the southern counties pro-
duce grapes, olives, tobacco and are no doubt
susceptible of rice and cotton, to great profit
The gold business, however, monoposes the
northern population, while the comparatively
| thinlv populated counties of the south are occu-
pied by farmers, graziers, and dealers in cattle,
horses, and mules 1t is impossible that ter
ritory SO extensive, and comprehendng local in
terests so diverse and distinct, can much longer
remain under the jurisdiction of one State
government The movement for division will
doubtless be prosecuted till the object is accom-
| plished.
At that point, an interesting piece of work will
be required of Congress. Once separated from
the State, the southern division of California will
require territorial government; and as it is
understood that considerable number of slaves
have already been introduced into this territory,
and as its climate and soil are we'll adapted to
the products of slave labor, the question arises,
how will Congress act 10 the premises! They
will not dare to apply the Wimot Proviso ; they
cannot very well recognise the existence of slav
cry in the new territory; and if they leave it to
the people themselves, they will find it con
, venient to introduce few slaves, more or less,
to do the rough work upon their large estates,
In this event, within few years an application
may be expected for the admission of a new State
into the Union--a new slave State on the Pacific
, coast. A thing of this sort would, no doubt,
stir up a rumpus among the nullifiers and the
Abolitonists for while; but there is every rea-
son to believe that the State would be admitted,
with or without slavery, the people of the ter
ritory may have elected. The admission of an
other slave State would give the South an equil-
ibrium in the Senate, which would be an object
of vast consequence to the protection of South
ern inst tutions in view of the Unsuitable malg-
nifty of the abolition traitors of the North.
I Hence, we reiterate the opinion that the move
ment in California for division of that State,
is one of the highest importance. A division
would unquestionably be advantageous to both
sections OF the country now embraced in the
State. We can anticipate no other result from
the present movement than division, and a
separate territory in the South. What will
Congress do What disposition will be made of
the slavery question, it this Southern territory
should ask to be admitted as slave State 7?
Will the South overlook this question in the
Presidential contest, and similar question in re.
gard to the division Of Texas? Perhaps not
On the other hand we may safely calculate upon
a sufficient quantity of work being cut out to
try the North upon the merits of another com
promise.