Weekly Trinity journal., 1857-04-25
Thoughts Beautifully Written.


We take the following beautifully written ar
ticle from the San Francisco Chronicle Of the
1lth inst:
The cry of gold was heard in the mountains
and the echo came flying on the breath of the
winds. Over the hills, across the plains, along
the rivers, far over the ocean, the Isthmus, the
Gulf, the news was carried. and the types sent it
broadcast throughout civilization. People list
ened to the wendrous tale gazed at specimens of
the yellow god, and thousands prepared for a
pilgrimage of devotion to its shrine. Gold
enough for each, for all, forever ! Who would
not be o worshipper at such an altar? In the
seaports ships were up for the voyage, and goods
of all description for traffic shipped for the prom
sed land Town and hamlet, city and country
had furnished their human pioneers. The broken
down merchant fresh from doubtful insolvency |;
the lawyer with long practice and few clients ;
the doctor whose patients being mostly in the
graveyard could be left without risk the cler-
gyman who had waited long for q CALI and Ion
ger still for good salary; the politician too we'll
known at home for success the clerk with salary
too mcagrc to allow indulgence at the thcater,
and champagne suppcrs, and whose employers
carried the keys of the till apprentices tired Of
their trade. and workmen who had toiled for
for years for pitful support; hypocrites with
pockets full of tracts, and gamblers with pockets
! full OF cards murderers anxious to escape from
the trace OF blood and thieves willing to dodge
the constable; embezzlers running from the
chance of penitentiary, and refugees from their
native places and scenes OF fraud ignorance
that could not get living at home, and vice that
desired new fields for exercise debauchery need
| ing replenished purse, and avarice greedy for
more all heard the word gold, the cry Of the
new FL Dorado, and joined the motely throng al
ready beginning their marchlike the army worm,
( or the locusts of Egypt.
| ri ra1 vi tho
oppression of toll and u pittance, started for
where brighter promise shone and many sad
hearted traveller along Lile's journey sorrowng
over the departed, and wsarying of scenes which
only brought bitter memories, were glad to turn
their faces aud thoughts westward. and leave the
graves of friendship and love behind them, con
! secratcd by tears, and sacred memory. Ocean
aud land were alive with the hurry'ng throngs
From st. Mary's TO the Brazos, from Easiport to
st. Joscph. from st. Tammany and 81. Giles from
j ohm O'Groat's to Smyrna. the gold hunger
raved, and its victims dotted the sea and tralled
the land. AZ snails mark their slow Journeys
There was much OF the best material thus set
aGoat upon the watc-. and sent abroad upon the
land, and much which it had been better for the
land OF golden dreams had il stayed at homo, or
found one by the way. Singly or in crowds they
touched the glittering soil. Many left their vir-
tue behind them, a somewhat doubtful boon to
the inhcrtors. Some had none to leave. Some
in moral energy. Many buried their consclences
in the blue waters before they reached Cape Horn,
7 others planted their virtue on the lsthmus, and
not few left their morality to keep company
with their dead horses and mnlcs on the desert
plains of New Mexico. or Utah. Arrived in rags
and hungry, hungry for food-starving for
wealth how they struggled and ocd. Mammon
never before had such crowd of worshippcrs.-
The Pcnatcs had been lett behind, there was no
! other god but he. Sudden wealth created sudden
passions. and soon n carnival spread all over the
land. Oh, how the pick and shovel rung in the
mountains; oh, how the dice ratified on the
tables, and the cards moved from hand to hand |;
oh, how five hundred per cent. rolled into the
merchants iill, bow customers were tlcaccd and
consignors cheated how pills wce rolled by
doctors, swallowed by patients, and paid for at
an ounce e piece how the graveyard spread its
area of mounds how the coroner iourshcd the
administrators grew rich how pettiloggers like
scissors though ever so keen. ne cr cut themselves
! but what's between opening a channel through
Blackstone for river of their clients yellow
gold ; how eoqncnt was the pulpit-at ten thou
sand dollars year how readily former profess
sors Of religion learned the game of monte, and
former swindlcrs put on the polite cloak Of aus
tere religion Transformation and transmgra-
tion conversion to and from the Church, any thing
tina. would secure success grew as easy as an
elastic cloak, or conscience Many got rich sud
denly; how, it matters not, and might not in
many instances he pleasant or thankful to inquire.
Success brought new desires AS in Eden 20
in El Dorado, woman came last. Caught by
glare, Mammon won his way where true heart
and thin purse might have sought long and in
vain. Then commenced Society," that fashion
able name given to frivolity, hcarlcesnces, visit
ing and scandal AT the door OF the temple which
it commcrccd building, stood rs ushcrs, sleek
faced conccit, brazen impudcnce and brainess ar
rogancc. He who had golden key received his
ticket and entered, took his character and his
purse with him, and when he departed left them
there AS this temple grew, greater was the
rush to enter and bigger the key required to
throw back the bolt. Morality approached the
gates but the stayes Of the porters drove il back.
Honesty knocked aud was knocked down on the
threshold. Intellect stopped down to ring tho
bell, but his coat was threadbare aud his key was
merely steel, and he turned away amid the mock
cry of fools. Religion came to the door, was
called brother by the crowd within, but the gates
were too narrow and he scorned to stoop low
| enough to pass beneath the arches. Worth passed
by without calling, and Virtue made long de-
tour to avoid contact with the miasma that spread
all around Society's Temple. But Curiosity Dor.
rowed million, at ten per cent. per month, and
| entered amid vocferOus applause. Oh, what
sights he saw what sounds he heard within this
Babel OF Society. 1t was full of Mrs. Candors.
Lady Sneerwells, Crabtrees, and Sir Benjamin
Backbtes. Its devotees were mostly accdentals.
There was plenty Of tongues, but brains were not
in estimation. The chink Of doubloons would
have drowned the smartest witicism ever spoken,
had one for q wonder been uttered in such an
unpropitious place. Ladiescame and went, aut-
tering in gorgeous array, but their acquaintances
were careful the momentYthey turned. to strip
the last rag from their characters Society has
established the axiom that tie only safe condi-
tion is to have no character and thus to be above
all fear Of loosng onc aud that there is no reality
10 life but gold.
Curiosity ascertained that The temple had
many vaults crammcd with the remains OF los
characters, and that beneath the foundations
were the records OF many crimes. They told how
the fortunes which gave aamitance its peneta a
liza had been won, but so guarded by hideous ap
parations of past misdeedswere these fearful rec
ords that even Curiosityt shuddered AZ the. IRE