The New York herald., 1851-11-04
Additional from California;
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CONDITION OF cALIFo

wings.
| Additional from California;.
| POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CONDITION OF CALIFORNIA
| PAST AND PRESENT.
| From the San Franc.fco Herald, Sept ~
inconsistent as it may seem to be with the spirit
OF active enterprize which induced the settlemen Mt
of California within the last three years. by large
and intelligent population, it has yet been sharac'
and improvdence, which have not been without
their evil effects upon her political, moral and mer-
camille condition. Tho majority Of immigrants
coming hther for the purpose of acquiring sudden
wealth with which to return to their former homes
or merely in qualification OF an adventurous spirit,
or for the purpose of accommodating the field OF po
with natural selishness the present and their
own welfare the sole object Of their regard.
| They left behind them, too, family ties and
old associations-links which, until severed by time
naturally withheld them from q heartfelt interest
in the future welfare of the land Of their temporary
| abode. The desire Of Immediate gain absorbed
their cares. The miner expected to realize his
fortune in a few months labor. The merchant, the
mechanic, the lawyer, built his store, his shop,
his office, of fabrics calculated to last but few
months. Both the place and the nature Of their
occupations were frequently changed They
pursuing their vocations in one place one week in
another the next. One might be seen to-day sell
ing pound Of coffee or ringing an auction bell,
and the next, at the head of a large aud wealthy
firm, making q learned address to q jury in the
character Of a counsellor and advocate Indeed,
San Francisco was, in her early days, fourshing
theatre; and perhaps no company ever performed
such variety Of characters did her citizens at
that time. Every strove for himself, and in tas
earnest struggle for precedence it sometime hap
pened that some acted with that disregard Of the
rig ghts of ethers, which they, der other circum
stances, might have called unscrupulous Soms
directed their designs upon the public property and
funds Of the pueblos, the towns, the Cities and tho
State. Some sought and OBJ .ained high places for
| the mere qualification of temporary am billion;
others for the purpose Of advancing particular In
terests and the journals of our Legislature are not
free from acts Of legislation conceived and prepared
| for private benefit, though adopted unthinkingy
| by that body. Such men were playing their ca-ds
for high stake, and they felt but little interest in
the consequences ofther game upon the future pros
perity Of the State, for it was not their homo. 1t
was q scrub race, then, and each mounted and
| charged the hobby that suited his fancy at the mo-
ment, and rode for the purse on the principle Of
Z" the devil take the hin jmost :"
But glad TO see that this state OF things
has nearly passed away Many have ,ome amongst
us with their families and their worldly goods, to
settle permanently in our State. Many others who
came as temporary sojourners, have found their
fortunes involved in the prosperity country
or have acquired such an attachment fo- it, that
they have adopted 1t as their home The evidence
Of this may be seen in the arrival Of numerous
families on every steamer, the elegant and substan-
t:al buildings which already adorn our city, or are
in process Of construction, the great and enduring
improvements which are being made both 10 public
and private property. Every class of business Is
settling upon q reasonable and substantial basis
There exists a community Of feeling and interest
between citizens. love for their adopted State
well regard for their own interests, are be-
ginning to attract their atten on, ,too and TO excite
in them q proper interest in the rules of conduct
which regulate their intercourse, social and mer.
camille and in the administration Of public affairs
With this knowledge, future lrulers ana legislators
will doubtless act with more preeaution and pro-
yidepce in the discharge Of their duties Political
and other designing adventurers viii soon be dis
carded, and trust ere long to see young State,
under the management Of men entirely Californian
in their feelings and interests, emerge from her pre-
sent embsrrassments into that high and untrsm-
melled position to which the richness of her
sources, and chaTa :ter Of her population entle her
AGRrcULTURAL RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA.
Prom the Gan Francisco Pcsyune, Sept q
Within the last few months, the public attention
has been drawn to the agricultural resources of our
state TO degree which marks their importance in
mos, significant manner. Two years ago article
occasionally appeared in a newspaper, by which it
might be Judged that the soil Of California was IN
many places not too poor to grow potatoes; but the
iees Of devotDg any time to the study Of what IL
would produce, was deemed preposterous. The
questions Of interest were, hsw much gold could be
-four ha been imported frsn the Atlantic States,
and from Chilli II was known that few humble
individuals were engaged in the tillage Of the soil,
but their interests were rot Of sufficient i'm portance
TO be studied, and their influence too slight to be
courted.
Within few months past, however, things have
wondetfully changed. The impression, for some
time, has been steadily gaining ground, that the
real basis Of prosperity in California, is her sgr
culture that However great the amount Of wealth
drawn from her mines, it Is her soil which Ia to make
her state, Investigations have been made into |
her agricultural resources, which have been attend.
Cd with the most satisfactory results, and now |
praise Il layshed what formerly excited bat the
fmile Of contempt, and predictions confidently |
uttered which would have been laug bed at year
ego.
That the inhabitants Of a country ~ extended az
eur own should be indebted TO foreigners for every
Tsund q n0ur they use, ard every pound Of pork
they consume, "a one Of those peculiarities which
mus az once strike the mind Of every examiner.
bat producers in the last should be able TO raise
miles, and sell them cheaper than they could be \
raised here, would astonish any one; and yet that
they have been - raised, that they have been 90 |
transported, that they have been 70 sold here, Is /
known 10 al. The reason, however, has not been |
hat they could not be raised as sheapy here, but
because the resources Of the county have not been
ha been attended 10 at the expense Of every other
The fertility Of cur soil V nOs acknowledged; its |
adaT.ation 70 the culture Of every kind Of cereal |
grain a. vel A. 70 every spe 'es Of vegetable eapa-
Il q ve known that IN the production Of fruits Il |
cannst be surpassed Limited as have been the ex-
perimsbts IN agriculture made during the past |
sea their results have astonished every body. II |
tsen plaDisd has sueeeeded admirably; and the /
queftsnf bov are, merely, hsv much land can |
- treusht utdsr cultivation, and how many ,an |
be iniaced 70 turn their attention 10 farmingl
Tie amoxnt q land In California adapted 10 the !
ysrTossi q agriculture -s believe 10 be immense.
here u, In cur opinion, hardly square league OF
hsf rss tsrritsry Which cannot be made 10 produse
.snstArg ~ othsr Al present, the santa Clara
Fallsy, M Fale q SOrona the Napa country, and
&c fFet la The neigkborh0od Of the great cities,
are tAs gny ocatons looked 20 Tor agricultural pro-
autit Iks great fertility % these, and their really
re.i sttttt, 81, for tome years probably, render
thfm capable a supplying most of the wants Of the
thatitanit a NE state but when, through the
ncrsAts u pobalstion, and the additional eonsump
iipn cchat tuent thereOn. necessity arises for
tsbdnG ~ srea q agriculture other selections will
hafs - te mats, other claims located other farms
isBest 10 7 he great valleys q the Sacramento
and ths san loaqgn vill be called into requistion,
snd he PAIN 81 vhich, % present, nothing Ia pro-
ducsd bui The fwest eioyer and the Wild ost, vil
s~is riA eFsps Of golasn grain. The country