The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-07-19
BALTIMORE.
MONDAY, JULY 10, 1858.

Everybody whose memory runs back dozen
wears remembers our Northwestern boundary
disnnte with Great Britain, and how belligerent
spirit we manifested in discussing territorial
claims-how got up the famous aterative
rallyng cry of ''Fifty-four-forty, fight" and
how we didn't get the line of fifty-four-forty,
did we fight for it, but consented to ratify, with
out much ado, the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. treaty of
June, 1876 which established the 49th parallel as
the Northern limit of domain West of the
Rocky Mountains. 1t was one of the many little
episodical sort of quarrcs which we have had
with Great Britain during the past forty years
and which, while they have given certain Spiel
ness 10 relations with that power, have always
terminated in an amicable arrangement of the
points in controversy Now, it is very possible
that we should never have troubled ourselves any
more concerning so rugged and sterile strip of
territory as that embraced within the five DEGREES
of latitude which we surrendered all claims
to jurisdiction by the Convention of 1916, if re-
cent events had not brought it once more prom-
nently into notice. South of the line of $40 4O>
so stoutly contended for by President Polk, and
between that parallel and the forty-ninth de
gree of latitude which forms the Northern
boundary of Oregon, there has lately been
discovered a gold-bearing region, which is report
cd to be superior in its abundance of the precious
metal to the most productive placers of California
or Australia. These revelations have produced an
extraordinary excitement throughout California
and Oregon. 1t has been computed that no less
than $4,000 persons have left California already
for Frazer river, and that the entire exodus from
that State alone, during the first six months of
what is called ''the Frazer river fever" will not
number less than &c, 900 adyenturcrs Nine first
class steamers and nnumerable sailing vessels
are now constantly plying between San Francisco
and the Northern mines; and everywhere through
out the old mining districts, the excitement was
increasing TO such an extent that the merchants
OF San Francisco, Sacramento, and Marysville,
were apprehensive of sustaining severe losses
from the inability of the small traders in
the mountains to collect the debts due to them
from the numerous mining companies and
individual miners that were either ABANDONING
their claims or were becoming rapidly deprived ofhe
requisite assistance to work them. Apart from
the temptations held out by gold placcrs of extra
ordinary richness there is nothing in the Frazer river
region to tempt any large body of men to found
there permanent settlement The whole coast
of the Pacific between the mouth of Frazer river
and Smith inlet, distance of 200 miles, consists of
an uninterrupted mass of high mountains. the de-
chvltleS OF which extend to the shores of Queen
Charlotte Sound, which separates Vancouver's
Island from the Continent. These mountains are
Tor the greater part of the year covered with snow
their shores are rocky and precpious and are only
partially covered with forest trees. They const-
tutea portion of the same range which extends
from Southern California across the British Dosses
slenS, with here and there drop or Il break and
Which, after passing Behring Straits, rc-appears in
Russian Siberia. Frazer river-itsclfsom 75o miles
IN lcngh-and its various tributaries flow from thcir
mead springs IN the Rocky mountains, through
lohS deep low canans, and it is therefore conicc-
l'ired that the mining region, rich as it is ac-
knoWledged to be so far il has been explored will
he limited to very narrow strip of country. and
that the nature of the climate will render miniror
operations, at the best but desultorv and uncertain
But the most serious difficulty which if is onnrc
hended that the miners will have TO contend with
VIII be the Indians. The wild tribes of the North
west are formidable enemies by reason of their
courage, their numbers, and their skill in the Use
of firearms. Unlike the Indians of Southern Cali
fornia, these men, stout active and perfectly fear
less, fair complexioned and of great physical
strength and hardihood, are jealous of their RIGHTS.
ana prompt TO resent any real or imaginary inrac-
uon Of them. Already they are growing suspi-
couS of the new comers with whom more than |
once the proverbial reckessness of the miners has
brought them into collision. Should these fierce
and lntractabe mountaineers be provoked into de-
carng war of determination against the whites.
the latter could scarcely maintain their ground
against an enemy thoroughly acquainted with the |
country, aud in possession of Businesses TO which
they could retire from the presence ofsuperior num-
hers, where no body of men would dare TO attack
them. To the merchants of California the increase |
OF trade at San Francisco will afford but little COM
pensatlon for the comparative inactivity of mining
operations in the INTERIOR and serious fears are al
ready entertained that the discovery of the new
gold region will prove anything but a blessing to
the Pacific States.