San Andreas independent., 1858-09-11
A Retrospective View.

"A AsCIoopCCtAtc flCW.
We refer with pleasure and pride to
the past course of the Independent on the
leading topics which have agitated the
public mind in this section of the State
and which have demanded discussion
during the past year.
1t will be remembered by our readers
that something more than year since
there was quite stir in Calaveras and
several of the southern counties, about
the Big Tree Road and the Carson Valley
and Salt Lake trade At that time, we
assumed that it was matter of vital in
terest to Stockton and the southern mines
that this trade should be invited over the
Big Tree Road, which we then clearly
showed was by far the most feasible route
OF transit. We attached much Importance
to this inland trade; enumerated MANY
very cogent reasons to back our opinion.
and predicted that in a few years COM
plete line of defences would be estab-
lished between Genoa and Salt Lake.
thereby insuring continuous line of set
Elements and augmenting the immigration
to this State, overland. Recent events
have more than confirmed all our predic-
tlons. But our own supineness has driven
the prize away from our quarter of the
State. First, we have the Overland Mail
via Independence, Salt Lake and Placer
vile; next, the erection of telegraphic
wires from the latter place to Salt Lake;
and soon we shall have, following natur-
ally In the track of the stage and the tel
egraph, continuous line of permanent
settlements. Sacramento is the western
terminus Stockton should have been.
During last Autumn the question of
legislating the Chinese population from
the mines, and prohibiting their further
emigration to this State, came up before
the people. 1t was presented to the press
for discussion through the violent meas
ures which were then being inaugurated
among the miners in certain localities, for
their expulsion. They were becoming
the objects of general odium among that
class of our fellow-citizens. 1t was as
serted that they were a blight to the
mines, and wherever they placed their
camps no gold was to be found afterward; !;
that as different caste of people we
could not affiliate or fraternize with them,
socially, politically or religiously; and
that in pecuniary sense they were a
curse to all departments of industry, save
those of trade and commerce-and ques-
tionable advantage to those. Believing
in the correctness Of these propositions,
we advocated the policy of gradually leg
islating those out of the country now
amongst US, and of at once prohibiting
their further immigration hither In this
view we were sustained by the people and
by the Legislature; but opposed by the
trading and commercial interests of the
State.
We still adhere to our old opinion
The interior merchants, if we mistake
not, will soon be brought to agree with
us. If these heathenish people are ex-
PEELED from the country, their places must
and will be filed by better class of peo-
ple-by those who, having permanent in
terests here, and natural affections for
our people, will advance the material and
moral progress of the State. Eight
months ago we stated that the Chinese
merchants were monopolising all the trade
OF their oountrymen; and that the buy
ers of gold dust, and traders, were about
the only class of our people who were in
the least benefited by their presence
1t now appears from the statistics of our
own town, that even that business is
going into the hands of Chinese oapital-
lists. We predict that in another wear or
two it will be exclusively conducted BY
: them.