San Andreas independent., 1858-03-27
LETTER FROM "A MINER.
SAS AspaEAs, March 24th. ,5a.

SAN ANDaEAs, March oath, SO.
Mr.. EDIToR:-The diffusion and dis
senination Of knowledge amongst the
masses OF the American people, forms tn,
distinctive difference between them ane
the ignorant and superstitious inhabitant.
Of despotic governments,-or, rather. gen
eral intelligence has produced the differ
ence IN the character of their respectiv,
iornis OF government, which is mostly at
trlbutable to the efforts of free press,
.r For ignorance mai Iy b ds people IN ehai4s;
in Tails, too, th. empire Of folly mai iltaias"
Vice shrinks from instruction like dark
ness from light, and despots shun noon
tide and covet the night. The free pres.
ot the United States has been Justly stylec
the great moral lever to move the mind.
OF the masses; and to carry out the meta
phor, the intelligence and virtue of the
people is the fulcrunl, and vice, ignorance
immortality and superstition-inseperablt
concomitants - is the superintendent
mass to be removed from the surface O
society, and to complete the diagram O.
our moral machine, 50 that our modern
Arehlmedcs can apply this efficient ma
chinery to the entire overthrow and de-
molition of desputisln, ignorance and socia
misery; and in order to afford bulwark
whereon to stand, and motive power {,
cot tho pnbla c<rn.t,,.x, -, 80: fsBr
1t moving with an accelerated momentum,
II is necessary that the masses Of our citi.
zens should properly appreciate the value
and Importance of the .treezpress of our
country by a proper support and cheer
lul and unhesitating patronage. In all
despotlc countries the press is placed un.
der the surveillance of government: thev
dare not publish a word contrary to the
policy OF the rulers, however despotic
but IN our free government, the liberty OF
speech, and the citizens being entirely
untranmeled, and free to express their
sentiments, opinions and feelings, while
great portion of our people do not seem
to set proper value on this inestina-
BILE privilege, which is the very quint-
essence of liberty, and the palladium of
true democracy. But it is the bounden
duty Of every man who wishes to exercise
the privileges of citizen and the fran
chlse OF freeman to read for himself
every side of all the important questions
of the day, and not pin his faith to the
skirts of any leading demagogue, whose
aims are frequently the emoluments Of
office, and their interest to misrepresent
the objects of the different party issues.
1 therefore,, | would adlnonish every work
ing man, and especially miners, to adorn
their cabins throughout the mines, with
one or two well conducted newspa pers. and
examine the policy OF our legislators, our
county and State officers, 50 that YOU can
be prepared to vote and act understand
inyly.
1 he fact that so large portion of the
miners of California consider themselves
only transient residents, and care but
little about what kind IF laws are passed.
or what kind of men are elected to admin
lister those laws, is nearly the whole rea-
son why 50 many corrupt men get into
office. Any person aspiring to office, pos
sessed OF a good supply of ef1rontery and
specious political garruIity, who can enter
tain IA mixed crowd with rehearsal and
rehash of obsolete party isms' After
having properly walked up the ideas Of
their hearers with the usual amount OF
the indispensable-treats, then they are
prepared to effect an impression. Citi-
zens OF California, you owe Il duty to Cal
ifornia, whether you remain in the State
or take your departure to reside in any
other State in the Union. and YOU are
directly responsible for nearly all the evils
society labors under, as well as the NAL
administration Of our officials. Then be-
stir yourselves, patronize the candid indc-
pendent press of our own State, in order
to obtain correct views, lend your infu
ence whilst you remain in the State. to
place matters on IA proper basis, which is
a duty you owe to the common family of
States, to freedom, to yourselves, and to
the obligations Of society, member of
the citizens ofa government which is the
pioneer in the grand problem of free gov
ernment Caliiornians, do not prove re-
crcant to SO high behests, is the admoni-
tion of A MINER