San Andreas independent., 1858-03-27

l
this natural token, some have asked,
with little feeling of superstition, that
the future men of California are to be
only brittle or brash stock and without
any real timber of endurance in them?-
Why any more a token than the giant
pines, and redwoods, and cedars are
token of prodigiously tall men, a race at
least twelve or fifteen feet high? Why
any more than the often naked hills and
plains are token of no men at all? What
other sign do we in fact require that the
future stock of California will be stock
of high capacity, than that the climate is
healthy, the growths bountiful, and that
we are capable ourselves of the greatest
endurance there, both bodily and mental,
and have, in fact, sense of robustness
that we have nowhere else?
At the same time it requires no gift
of prophecy to perceive, IN the physical
resources and commercial advantages OF
that country, that an immense wealth is,
in due time, to be developed there, such
wealth as will give vigor to all Institutions
and works that require expense, and put
everything on a scale of breadth and mag
ni6cence. If there is any country in the
world where the future men are not to be
crampcd and Whitfield by close restrictions,
it is California At present the Califor-
mans say they are poor; they feel poor,
because they are now at the dead point Of
retrocession, where their extravagant ex-
pectations are being shortened in for that
second beginning, which every new State
and city has to make And yet there is
nothing more wonderful, with all this de-
ready created on that shore. How many
thousand years of day labor has it taken
simply to build so many houses, fences,
shops, steamers, bitches, towns and cities
Three of these cities, San Francisco, Sac
ramento and Marysville, have so much of
city life and character, that we hardly
recognize their newness. And yet only
nine years have passed since all this I'M
; mense wealth began to be created land
that, 5000 miles away, on the shore, as
it were, of another continent.
There is good and cultivated society
in California, such rs there never has
been in any new State In the Union
The number of literally educated men is
t greater by far, than ever was found in
{ any other State of the same political age.
} Carpets, good beds, clean tables, bright
knives and forks, courtesy, hospitality,
public entertainments on a footing of civ
ilization-all these indications of comfort
t and society are widely diffused. One sign
or token of this kind we cannot forbear
to mention, because it signifies much
While passing hither and thther on the
little steamers, up to Marysville, to Stockton,
or the towns north of tile bay, where often the
number of passengers did not exceed thirty,
J we have seen, again and again, table most
neatly set, the silver bright and clean, the
meats well prepared and good, without any
nonsense of show-dishes the servants tidy,
quiet and respectful-in short the whole figure
of the entertainment more rational and better
than we have ever seen on the boats of the
Mississippi, or the Atlantic coast. Such facts
Indicate society, more than any most splendid
entertainment gotten up by private opulcnce
can.
One other consideration must be named. if
California is to be understood, viz that with
all the violence and the savage wrongs and
dark vices that have heretofore aboundcd
there, they seldom do a mean thing. They
can perpetrate real atrocities, but they must
be generous. \ considerable part of their
bamable profuson comes of their extreme
jealousy of littlencss or meanness Men re-
ally poor will often share their last dollar in
helping sick friend, or even a sick stranger.
II poor minister, whom they have often seen
at their funerals, is known to be on short al
lowance, they will have ticked supper not
slro1x- 10 lotx. I 4. Il -
best way of establishing religion, does at least
show their generosity. fla preacher asks the
privilege of addressing them in gambling sa-
loon on Sunday, they are very likely to ac-
} cede, to hear him respectfully, pass round a
hat and make up liberal purse for him. then
put down their stakes and resume the play =
The recent vote of the people to assume and
pay the State debt was an act of pure magma
nimity. Here was debt of So 900 900. which
, was expressly forbidden by the Constitution
of the State. This provision of the Consttu-
tion was known, discussed, openly understood
and the loan was obtained directly in the face
of it. The money too had gone for nothing
but to feed the political vampires. for whose
J plumber it was raised, and the State has not
vestge of property to show for it, but some
old benches that belonged to the State House
in Vallejo. If then people have any right,
BY Constitution, to guard themselves against
5 being plundered by their rulers, the people of
, California had right to stand upon tile re.
r striction so prudently established in their Con-
stitution, and were undsr no obligations
whether of right or of honor, to pay this debt
Ito refuse was act of Reputation. But
their instincts were too generous; they had
too much pride of feeling to insist on their
right. Where Mississippi raised a bubble 10
get off from her honest debt, California took a
gratuitous obligation to get it on, and to fasteu
it,
The writer concludes his very able pamph-
let by referring to the necessity now existing
for College or University in California. the
absence of which he considers dctracts mora
from our future prospects than anything else
Parents desrous of giving their sons n thorouo,
and finished education will either not co1a
here, or when their children have reached
suitable age, will go elsewhere to secure i
and thus our State be deprived of a most do,
srable class OF inhabitants through the wan.
OF such an institution. The importance oftb;s
snhject is presented in striking LIGHT . "a
enforced by series of arguments that ouch.
to secure to it the early attention of the Cei;
fornia public, unless some wealthy c;t;-..,
shall, in pursuance Of Dr. Bushnelrs s,,.~-.s.'