The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-06-22


curing trade With them has been deeply 'eit
in all ages. The Portuguese. the Spsniards,
ths Ouch, The English, The Rnssians, the
Americans had been striving TO obtain an en-
rance. acme Of them ever since the discovery
of the Cane Of Good Hope. but all Of them
With onlv partial success. The British Gov
eminent conceived il TO be matter Of such im-
meuse Importance, as even 10 send an immense
armament to break through the moral wall oil
the Chinese, much more efectual in keeping
out foreigners than the material wall which
they built 1900 years ago 10 keep out the Tar
lars. They succeeded. after much bloodshed,
and at an enormous cost, 10 opening China to
the commerce Of Europe and America. But
the distance ofboth Europe and America from
China offered bars to the extension of the trade
which were considered 10 be insurmountable.
The distance from New York to the Cape of
Good Hope is, we imagine. not much greater
than the distance from London to the same
point, by the way that ships are obliged to go
from both, so that thus far Europe and Ameri-
ca were nearly equal.
But the discovery of California threw the
weight into the scale of America. Ii brought
over swarms of Chinese to that land of gold,
and made such deep impression upon those
who were kept at home, that tens Of thousands
were preparing to follow. The Chinese had in
ell instances given the preference to our coun-
trymen. They preferred their goods and their
ships, and bought the fist and chartered the
last whenever they could do 80. The new
corners to California Immediately struck up
brisk trade with the mother country. Many
of them went back, it is true, and many others
are preparing to follow with their gains but
these gains are all destined to be employed in
trade with California. The Chinaman goes to
California-he makes enough money 10 do a
small business at home-he returns, buys pro-
ducts for the American market and ships it to
California. Several myriads engaged in this
way, though each on a small scale, must do
an immense business. California, in fact, the
land of gold, was, without having spent dol
lar, or shed drop of blood, gradually absorb
ing the entire trade with this nation Of four
hundred millions. The Pacific Ocean, as calm
and unruffied as a mill pond, lay between it
and China. tits very little over FIVE thousand
miles from shore to shore-from San Francisco
to Shanghai. Large numbers of ships we're
already employed between the two points. In
a few years the Pacific would have been cover
ed with steamers. The construction of rail-
road across the continent, one of those events
which may be calculated upon with as mach
certainty as though it had already taken place,
would have distributed this vast commerce all
over our country. We should, in truth, have
been to Europe what Tyre was to the ancient
world-what Venice was to the world of the
middle ages-whet London is to the world
of the present day. We should have been the
depot not only of Chinese, but of oriental com.
merce, in its largest sense. The trade of the
Indies would soon have followed that of China.
These golden, glorious prospects are about to
be destroyed by set of ignorant and violent
citizens, backed by still more ignorant and
equally violent Governor.
The great argument Of Governor Bigler is.
that these men come to California, get money,
and 60 home again. Well, do not Englishmen,
Frenchnfen, SpaniaTds, Dutchmen and Amer
cans from the Eastern States do the same
Certainly, and the drain which they make is
far worse than thar of the Chinese. They go
home and spend their money there. Not bit
OF it, in the shape Of merchandise, ever returns
to California. The Chinaman, on the contra.
ry, designs every cent which he gets to be en-
ployed in brisk traffic with California. Every
cent that he carries with him is designed for her
beneft-for the increase her trade with Chi
ma. China wishes TO give us all her trade.
She can get from US everything in the world
that she has occasion for, and she prefers get
ting it from US. Yet, these California men, ig.
norant of the first principles of trade, and con-
ceiving that gold of itself. and not the activity
which gold intuses into business, constitutes
the prosperity of State, are for cutting up all
these prospects by the roots. Cannot they
see, cannot Governor Bisler see, that as long
as the gold which they get from the mines is
employed in the promotion of trade, the more
they carry away, the better for California and
for the whole country7
This proceeding of the California Goyeruo,
IS, IN our view OF the case, entirely unconstitu
tional. 1t is but revival Of the old alien law
only that circumstances render it great deal
worse, for it is passed by State in time Of
profound peace, whereas the other was passed
by the United States at a time when all Europe
was engaged in war. We hope Congress will
take this matter into considerations.
HE MURDER OF THoMPsoN.-In the Peters.
burg, Express of yesterday. there is detail.
ed statement of the testimony before the Cor.
oners inquest. Thompson's dying statements
10 gwen, exactly corroborating the statement
Oh the afiray, which we published yesterday.
In addition, the two principal witnesses
state that they heard Montague charge upon
thompson; that he drew pistol upon him
lmontague,) before he fired. Another wit.
I