The Placer herald., 1858-11-27
The New Almaden Mine Case.

State profess to have found a new cause Of
complaint against the General Government
in its action in successfully contesting the
claim of the New Almaden Company to the
two leagues of land upon which the valuable
quicksilver mines of that company are locat-
ed. These sheets would feign have their
readers to believe that the Government is
about inaugurating policy that aims at the
eectment of miners from the known rich
gold mines of the State, because, forsooth,
the Government has entered the Courts,
proved the New Almaden claim to be a fraud,
and obtained writ enjoning the working
Of the mine. They would impress upon min
ing communities the belief that there is no
real difference between the case of this quick
silver mine and the valuable deposit and
quartz mines of the State, and once having
established its claim to this valuable property,
the government is ready to dispossess every
gold miner to whose lot has fallen a valuable
claim.
Under an assumed interest in the welfare
of the miner, these newspapers have failed
to disguise their real design, which is nothing
more nor less than to excite a feeling of
hostility to the present Administration, the
effect of which is to be felt in ensuing politi
cal campaigns. But we much mistake the
miners of California if they do not compre-
hend the full scope of these insidious at
tempts, and have already repudiated in their
own minds. the unworthy projectors of this
new scheme for political capital.
AS a class, the miners of California are as
intelligent as any body Of men in the Union;
and are extensive readers and practical think
ers. They understand this New Almaden
case fully as we'll as editors who are seeking
to give them false ideas upon the subject,
and are we'll aware that the Government is
guided by the same motives in contestng
this claim, with its quicksilver mine, as the
Fremon. grant, with its rich veins of gold,
or the Limantour swindle, that claimed
large portion of the city of San Francisco.
Miners understand that they are occupying
the gold fields by the authority of Congress,
and that under its laws they will be protect
ed in the quiet possession Of their claims
while on the other hand they are aware that
the New Amaden Company claims to have
title in tee to their lands, acquired by grant
from the Mexican Government, and deny
any ownership in it on the part of the Unit
ed States.
We observe that the Alta Gan indepen-
dent press,) administers proper rebuke to
the fault-fnding sheets that are so eager in
their efforts to stir up popular feeling
against the Administration aud its officers
for their prosecution of this case. That pa
per SAYS in answering these complaints,
1.-THE great complaint has been heretofore,
that the government has been too lax in the
prosecution Of land grants that have been
set up by public report as fraudulent.
These very spurious and fraudulent grants
have leen pointed to for years as the great
oyerprown incubus that had been fastened to
the vitals of California, that retarded her
growth and prosperity to fearful degree.
Now when there is a manifestation made by
the Government of determination to sub
iect these titles to rigid test-when agents
are appointed to give them a ventilation, to
place them fairly before the proper tribunals
for an impartial djudication-there is a
strange cry made that dangerous precedent
has been set that private individuals are
about to be despoled Of their rights by the
power of the Government and, as in the
case of the New Almaden property, there is
departure from fixed rule of governmen
tai policy, which has heretofore declared al
mineral lands as public property, open te
development by every citizen. This we con
ceve to be the weakest of all the PROPOSE
tons that have been thus put forth.
The Fremont Marposa claim was unsuc
cessfully contested by the government, and
the sympalhes of very large majority o
the population of the State were in favor o
the Government, as they probably are to this
day. And yet there was no complaint made
in that case, no cry of "a dangerous prece
dent the Government trying to take away
certain rights, &c." such as has been pu
forward in this case. 1t strikes us that the
homely old adage "a poor rule that will no
work both ways" may be called in here te
advantage.
Il Il
It is claimed that the title of the pres
ent occupants is fraudulent. Upon this
eroud the case is presented to the U. S
Court, and on motion for an injunction te
stay waste, which we presume is very pro
perIy the preliminary step toward testing the
question, sufficient evidence is presented te