The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-09


poraneous discovery of the existence Of gold regions
unlimited in extent and inexhaustible in yield
first in California. and soon after in Austraia-has
created new epoch in the history Of mankind, and
is likely to produce more magnificent results than
any other event Of ancient or modern times. When,
some few years ago. the marvellous stories respect
ing the gold productions of California, which at
first exceeded the bounds Of credbility, received
confirmation, and were recognized as On undoubted
fact the greatest sensation created throughout
the whole country, and emigrants from all the old
States poured into New York, New Orleans, and
the other principal ports, to take shpring for the
newly discovered Ophir. A carrying trade thus
sprung up between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts,
which soon grew to an astonishing magnitude. No
less than million and half of persons have, with
In these four or five years. emigrated to California,
and the trade and commerce of this country have pros
pered more in that short space fme than they would
under ordinary circumstances have done in gene
ration. The influence of this movement was felt
through all the ramifcations of society Week after
week rich freghts Of gold dust arrived at this port.
The shipping interest was benefited to an enormous
extent. Trade and manufactures received great
impulse, and property increased proportionately in
value Emgrants having suddenly become wealthy
in California, large numbers Of them returned with
the riches they had acquired, and by the great cir
culation of money added to the general prosperity of
the community; and California itself, which at
that time was miserable, desolate region, is now
growing, wealthy territory, peopled with active
and intelligent commercial population.
What California has been and is to the United
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The arrivals of vessels in the English ports carrying
rich freghts Of gold dust, and the confirmation of
the glowing statements of its exhaustless mineral
wealth, are producing an excitement in Great Britain
as intense hat which we experiencedin respect to
California An immense emigration has set in from
England to Australia, and will continue to flow on
unintenuptedly, till the surplus population of the
British islands is transferred to her wealthy colony
We see by an extract from the London Times
which we publish elsewhere in our columns-that in
the months Of July and August thirty or forty
large emigrant ships will have left Liverpool for
Australia. This is independent Of the emigration
under government patronage, for which eight ships
are chartered monthly. Besides these, line of
steam vessels is being organized by the Cunard Com
pany, and the magnificent iron steam propeller, the
Great Britain is advertised to sail with passengers
tremendous is the rush to Australia at present;
nor is it at all likely to diminish, as the accounts
from the mines are of the most glowing character.
This new movement will have the same effect on
England as that Of California had on this country.
Her shipping and commercial interests will, by the
active trade which must spring up between the CO.
lony and the mother country attain in the course Of
few brief years to position, in point ofprosperty,
which it could not otherwise have arrived at for
centuries. An immense and profitable market will
be established in Australia for her manufactures
and importations. Artisans at home will receive
more remunerative wages and more constant en-
ployment-pauperism will vanish, and the value of
property will increase in the same ratio.
But, leaving out of the question the great infu-
ence for good which this new movement is destined
to produce on Great Britain, it will have most
decided effect on the social and political condition
of Australia itself There can be ne doubt but that
in the course Of few years,with the increasing tide
of emigratio her population will have doubled it
self The inexhaustible fertility Of the gold mines
would alone be a sufficient inducement to promote
an immense emigration from England and
other countries in Europe; but it is not in
her golden productions merely THAT Austria
Tia offers inducements to emigrants and settlers.
Her mineral wealth is not confined to the precious
metal for she also possesses rich and extensive iron
and coal fields, which could be very proftably
wrought, and made to promote the growth Of manu-
features. Though on the whole, the soil is not well
adapted to agriculture, some portions of it are
tremely fertile, and produce corn and fruit in
great luxuriance. There are no large forests there,
as in America, to be cut down by the settler before
he can sow his seed, but the lands are handsomely
wooded. The climate is said to be the most salu-
brious and delicious in the world, consumption
being unknown there, and instances of great lon
gevity being very frequent 1t is well known, how
ever, that hitherto the staple production of the
country has consisted of wool, in which great
trade is carried on with England the soil being
peculiarly fitted for large pasturages. A country
possessing advantages and attractions such these
in combination with its vast gold mines will rapidly
increase in population, wealth, and agricultural
and commercial prosperity, SO that Australia is
destined soon to become q great country, and to
form new home for the Anglo.sa on race
1t would be, however, unnatural to suppose that
she will long continue as a dependent colony Of
England. The development of her resources, and
the growth of commercial prosperity, will create in
the minds Of her active and enterprsing popua-
ton desire for independence; and whenever that
desire shall be Enthusiastically manifested, England,
swayed by proper and rational spirit, should un
hesitatingly accedc to the demand Of her colony,
and be ready to acknowledge Australia as free
and independent nation. BY this course of action,
she would derive far more benefit than by main.
tanning Australia as part of her domnons, even
if she were able to do SO, vi ct arms. England may
acquire a lesson from us in this respect. If Cali
fornia had not been sovereign State, but mere
dependency Of this country, we could never have
derived one-tenth of the advantages which have
followed the discovery of her gold mines. And SO
will it also be with Australia. As free and indie
pendent country, she will do more to increase the
commercial prosperity Of Great Britain, by opening
to her profitable market, than If she remained
dependency Of the British empire. The gold dis
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