The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-18

L MI lhAA 10 <ot Ia IN
FoRN1A ENTERING UPON HER REALLY GOLDEN
DAYs.-In the midst Of the gloom which our
financial disasters have cast over the greater
portion of the Union, there Is one ray of light
breaking upon us from a quarter in which it
was least to be expected. While the storm has
swept relentlessly over most Of our other
States, California seems to have been almost
entirely exempted from its effects. Its general
condition, in fact, has never been more sub
stantAlly prosperous and dourishing than at
the present moment. Whilst il has sympathized
in the commercial embarrassment that have
overtaken as only to the extent of some half
dozen failures of leading houses, it presents
commercially, socially and politically all the
the evidences of a steady progress. The politi-
cal publication that il underwent through the
agency Of the Vigilance Committee seems to
have exercised q healthy influence over
all the other features Of its condition.
The elements of disturbance and dis.
organization which created so much alarm
in timid minds a few months ago,
have gradually settled dow into a state of APP
parent quiescence and co%ntentment. The ad.
ministration of public affairs is no longer mark
ed by the avowed corruption and r~ascality that
formerly invaded every department. We hear
no more complaints of the dishonesty of public
officers or Of malversations of the public funds.
The criminal statistics of the State also exhibit
a marked improvement-the number of muir
ders and acts Of violence being considerably
less than at any former period. In fact, judg-
ing from the evidence afforded by the newspa-
pers alone, we should say that the condition of
San Francisco and Sacramento is In this latter
respect relatively much better than that of New
York.
Whilst we notice these political and social
ameliorations in the condition of California, IL
gives us pleasure TO add that the material pro-
gress of the State fully keeps pace with them.
Taught by experience, the Californians have
arrived at the conviction that gold Is not the
real basis of the wealth of a community, and that
the attention that Is bestowed on agriculture is
infinitely more productive In the long run than
that devoted to the slow and painful process Of
mining. Accordingly we find that the quantity
Of grain raised during the past year is nearly
uVuoit thnt kiONu uuiihb tuc pttNlOus Que, anu
there is no doubt that in the course of a little
time California will become almost az noted as
a corn exporting country as II now il for its
metallic products. And in this latter respect IL
il equally satisfactory for us to learn that the
increased attention devoted to agricultural and
industrial operations has in no way affected the
returns of the precious metals. If we are justi-
fed in forming an estimate Of the produce of
gold for the next eleven months, by the excess
of the first arrival in January over that of the
corresponding period last year, we should say
that Il will be considerably in advance of it
the difference between the two months amount
ing to $500, 900. An unmistakable evidence of
the growing internal prosperity of the State is
10 be found in the statement that, while the pro-
duce Of gold is Increasing at this ratio the
amount retained for domestic uses II relatively
much larger than 1t has ever been before. This
proves, of course, an augmented activity in oil
the branches of industrial and commercial ope-
r%ations, as well as a healthy condition of things
generally. When we take in connection with
such facts the rapid multiplication of the faciii-
tieG OF internal communication, as shown by
the Postmaster Generals report, VIC cannot but
arrive of the conclusion that California IL -
last entering upon a career OF substantial am
permanepf prouner;iv