Mirror of the times., 1857-12-12

Mr.. EDITOR Since my return from
the late Convention at San Francisco,
have INDUCED in such thoughts and re.
Elections, upon the subject which is OF
should be, upPermost in the minds q
our people. And although the result oi
my reflections may not prove Of much
practical benefit to the people of Cali
fornia, am yet constrained to. send you
this efiusion, hoping it may help along
the excitement, and keep alive the sense
which appears to glimmer in the minds
of many Of the ignorant and illiterate
amongst us-of the necessity of unceas-
ing and well-directed action, if we cx-
pect to cleanes the worse than putrid
stable in which we reside, for what foul.
or mass can be found than the statutes
and social prejudices of this State at
present.
With free constitution, totally ig-
norlng slavery, and yet in many of their
laws, and i'll all their social and business
relations, copying after the most ultra
slave-holding Stale in the Union! For
all this inconsistency and this injustice
their is remedy, as their is for every
other evil ilunder the sun. And our peo-
pie could easily apply it if they would
only shake off the apathy and unmanly
servility, which makes them bow with
humility to the dictates of their masters,
as my esteemed friend, w. II. Hall truly
said in his address before the San Fran
cisco Convention. 1t seems to be an es-
tablished idea, that when anything is to
be done which is disgraceful in the ac-
ceptation of the community, the agents
to perform such duties must be invested
with a dark hue, and again, the "al
mighty dollar" controls the genius, the
greatness and the charity Of the Amer-
can peopls-and whatever race possesses
it, or its equivalent, is regarded and
cared for in proportion.
Now, Mr.. Editor, it remains for US
to do, instead Of to suffer. To accom-
plish what we desire, instead of setting
with our hands folded and crying aloud,
" Help US Cassius or we sink" Let
the Colored citizens of California, put
on the mantle of determination and set
themselves about accomplishing the
work they have on hand, and my word
for it, the consummation 50 deyoutly to
be prayed fcT, viii 10 ae a-sssaei 4
less time than we have
in talking aboLs.u.
The resolutions introduced by Mr..
w. IL. Hall embody apractical remedy,
and | would here reiterate some of the
Let every Colored resident in the State,
Il use word resident as including citizen
ship, abandon such positions as boot
blacks, walters, servants, and carriers,
and other servile employment, and if
they cannot engage in trading, mcchan-
cal pursuits or farming, let them pitch
into mining from which they have not
yet been dcbarrcd; although it perhaps
remains for the not, rious Taney to de-
bermine how soon that will be done.
Money can be made if followed with in
dustry, accompanied with strict econo-
my. And money will purchase and
stock farms, and certainly our people
are as well, if not better qualified for
that calling, as any on the face of the
ear tn.
do ct wish to be understood as des-
pising any Of the callings ! have men
toned above, or as wishing to bring
them into contempt. But would re-
our people to abandon them,
because so long as we follow such pur-
suits, SO long we will be despised. The
world may preach the dignity Of labor,
and the man who has attained prom
inent and influential position, may boast
Of having started in life as boot-black
or any other mcnial calling. But how
ever pretty this may be in theory, every
one is aware that it does not exist in re-
ality. The man is judged and courted
not for his inhcrant qualities, but for
his position and wealth. Let his charac-
ter be as black as the depths of the
Hades, yet if he possess either wealth
or position, orfoIlows so-called genteel