The Georgetown news., 1856-04-03
War with England.

The California Chronicle thus speculates
on some of the probable results OF war
with England:
How many of our citizens, in all their
thoughts upon the possibility of war with
Great Britain, have considered it closely,
and particularly in California light? No
man need consider himself wise enough, nor
gifted with sufficient prescience to enable
him to accurately and certainly to write
down, in advance, the results to which such
contest would lead. The general destruo-
tion of commerce is enough. The suffering
of those classes to whom a condition of
peace and amity and uninterrupted inter-
course is an essential of prosperity, is evil
dent. Manchester and New Orleans in
particular would feel the evil. The spin
ners and weavers, the cotton growers and
cotton merchants, the ship owners and ma
rine interests generally, would inevitably
suffer severely and long. So, in different
degrees, it is known, positively, would other
interests.
But as charity, like many other virtues,
begins at home, let US look at our own
stake and chances in case of such warfare
Our Government has not o sufficient naval
force in the Pacific to defend US. Our
ports, at least San Francisco, would soon
be in state of blockade. 1t would take
long time to put this port in a condition to
keep out British fleet. Should fleet en-
ter all may figure sufficiently the effects up
on the business and prosperity of this city.
Our lines of steamers would cease their
trips. They would no longer carry away
four millions of our gold per month. The
effects of this upon Wall street and the
American "Bourse," so to speak, generally,
we are not now considering. But upon our
own State the effect would be great indeed
The gold is here, it would be dug, and most
of it would stay in the State for a long time,
much of it forever.
Our good, kind, considerate brethren on
the other side, who look upon California
with exactly similar feelings as the old Cal
ifornians formerly did their cattle here, viz:
with an inquiry as to the value Of their hide
and tallow-would very soon begin to feel
different estimate. They must have our
gold They could only obtain it overland.
And with the present means of transporta-
ton, they could not thus obtain it. Imme-
diately as a necessity, we shosld have mil
itary road-an emigrant road-with the
ways smoothed, wells dug, military posts es-
tabli5hed, the country swept of its Indian
thieves aud murdererS, lines of coaches put
on, and cities in the Interior like Tadmor
in the desert, would grow up under the
inter oceanic trade thus established.
How long after this would the great rail
road project remain dead letter? How
long ere the wise men at Washington would
feel the absolute necessity of a telegraphic
communication with US? We should have
the mail brought from Missouri to Califor-
MIA through our own territory, a distance
of sixteen hundred miles, instead of as now
subjecting it to transit through foreign
territory and over two oceans, and dis
tance of near five thousand miles. Immedi-
ately from the Western States an emigra-
ton would commence and be permanent liz
its character The entire route, wherever
the country is susceptible Of cultivation and
residence, would begin to be dotted with
farms, villages and towns, and the railroad
would become an irrepressible necessity.
The evils which the war would or might
inhict, we do not care now t0 speculate up
on-bow, if British fleet could not enter
this port, it might land perhaps five or ter
thousand men IN or down the coast, ant
how we could call together an army of the
most effective character for defence the
world has ever seen, composed Of men all
accustomed to the use of arms, to dangers
and hardships, and how we think we could
defend ourselves against any force likely TO
be brought here. Let these epeculations
pass. But the others-the possible, the al
most certain results of "a war, in which this
State would be benefited, seem so obvious
as scarcely to admit of doubt. But yet not
for these and more, should war be sought
or desired