The Empire County argus., 1856-04-05
Immigrant Road Memorial.

Road Meeting in San Francisco to draft memorial
to be presented to Congress, have presented the
following
Your petitioners citizens resident in the State of
California, respectfully represent to the honorable
the Congress of the United States, the following
facts, and ask your earnest consideration of our
necessities and immediate action for our relief
! We are population of five hundred thousand in
number, occupying the western limit of American
possessions upon the Pacific our State is the growth
of little more than five years. yet within that peri
Cd we have erected, as an outpost on the frontier
OF our republic, municipal government faithfully
rejecting the spirit of our common institutions.
BY energy and enterprise have laid the foun-
datlon tor great State, which properly protected
and encouraged, shall add to the dignity and stabil
ity of the Union. We have passed laws Welding
willing allegiance to the Federal Government. We
have built cities, villages, and works of improve
ment worthy Of an industrious people. We have
planted the germs of commerce already import
ant, and destined to produce the most magnificent
results, and from which we have already paid large
revenue to the Federal treasury.
Our mines, not yet fairly opened for successful
working have realized, by moderate estimates,
S3OO,OOOO0O which we have sent forth to the
world, and thus in no inconsderable degree con-
tributed to the prosperity of our whole country.
We have been and still are developing new sources
of wealth; we have explored and brought to notice
| pdllo VI JUL CouHtly ulucTtO UNKNOWN, we nave
planted ourselves on this distant coast, where we
are prepared to do loyal duty in protecting our
country from aggression or wrong. Our locality,
the character of our people, the nature of our pro-
ductions, the capabilities of our soil and climate,
accomplishments of the past, and the reasonable
hopes of the future, should all commend us to the
favorable care of the Federal Government And,
while we appreciate the benefit of all the appropri-
ations of the Federal Government for our debt de-
lenses and commerce, which have been so gener-
ously expended on our coast and which gives us
reasonable of the future, there is pres
ent necessity. for the want of which our State of
California and the whole Pacific coast is now Ian
gushing and unprosperous
Our great necessity is an increase of population
our requirement is an immigration of the working
and producing classes our State presents most un-
paralleled inducements for this class of persons
our climate is unequaled from its extremes suffer-
ing is unknown; our soil is productive, almost be-
yond belief; destution to the healthfu and willing
worker can never exist; mines yield as readily
as upon first discovery, and are as permanent and
durable as the eternal hills in which they are loca-
ted; every inducement for immigration is now as
strong as when in 1919 and 80 all the approaches
to our State were thronged with immigrants The
best portion of present population arrived here
by passage across the plains, and from the length
OF the Journey the character of The country, the
absence of settlements, the inability to obtain sup
plies and recruit their stock, this journey was not
without its Inconvenience and its dangers. The
recent hostile demonstrations of the Indian tribes
have multiplied the hardships and increased the
hazard of this our only land approach as to render
it nearly impracticable and the result has been al
most entire suspension of travel by this route
cause from which we are now laboring under much
embarrassment.
| Our petition to Congress is for the immediate
construction of wagon road between the frontier
OF the State of Missouri and California, following
the general route of the old immigrant road, pass
ing through the valley of the great Salt Lake, and
reaching California at point on the eastern slope
OF the Sierra Nevada where the Carson river leaves
the mountains and where is now established
flourishing village, known us Carson Valley Set
tlement." This is the route of the great immigra-
ton of 40 and so. 1t is mostly level plain, re-
quiring few small bridges, the establishment of
ferries occasional excavations, and the sinking of
few wells-it is central, already have 100000 peo-
pie crossed it, thus satisfactorily demonstrating the
practicability of the route.
Our petition is also for the establishment Of mill
tary posts at such convenient points along the line
of said road, shall etfectuay contribute to the
protection and safety of the immigrant; the con-
struction of work shops blacksmith shops and such
other aid as may be necessary for the public.
We most earnestly ask of our Government the
immediate and favorable consideration of our peti-
ton reflect that we are part of the People of the
United States, now separated from the twenty-five
millions of fellowcitizens by belt of our ma
tonal territory less than 1000 miles in width, and
over great portion of which is now the best ma
tional road in the world, requiring only here and
there improvement, and at cost by no means
great. We are now, as it were, distant colony
access from other parts of our own country to our
selves is by most crcuious route, requiring the
passage of two oceans, transit through foreign ter
rtory and tropical climate; our business is sub
ject to delays and hazards, our people to danger
and Inconvenience; our carrying trade pays reve-
nue. to a foreign government and in measure we
are the tributaries and dependents ON the will of
private corporations
Should Cur present friendly relations with other
governments be disturbed, our commerce, our cor
respondence and treasure, is subject to embar-
rassment, interposition and loss; would find
ourselves far removed from the central authority
that troops, munitions of war, aid could reach
US, we should have become subject ESQ far as
brave people could be subdued) to an enemy, and
the insoent exactions of foreign military power
over q defenceless people.
Moved by these and such other national consid-
erations will suggest themselves to the inteli-
gence and patience of your Honorable body in in
terest of the present. and anxiety for the future
most respectfully and earnestly ask the immediate
construction of this national highway protected by
adequate military strength.
Your memorialists will ever pray, &c.
H. M. Naglee moved to amend by leaving the
selection and location of the route to the Governor,
which was lost, and the memorial agreed to as re-
| II L.