The Placer herald., 1858-08-28
California and the Pacific Slope.

lation than entitled her to admission as
State. Her population is now $4,000, in
Guiding negroes and Chinese; or 900 ex-
elusive of those races. More than half
a million of white people in ten years.
That is more than the population of any Of
the other States Of the Union save eight.
In respect of white population, California
ranks the ninth State in the Union. The
rank is thus: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Virginia, Massachusetts, Indiana, Tennessee,
Kentucky, California, Maine, North Carolina,
Illinois, DC, &c In ls49 California was
wild, desolate, dilapidated province Of enfee-
bled, degenerate Mexico. In ls4s she be-
came the domain of the United States. In
1858 she is the ninth State in rank in con.
federacy numbering thirtytwo great Com
rlonwealths. The progress Of even our At
lantic Commonwealths had been the especial
wonder of the world. In less than two cen
turies and half Virginia, Massachusetts.
New York. Pennsylvania, and their confed.
crates had attained greater magnitude and
doms Of Europe, which boast history of
thousand years. Our republic, founded less
than century ago, is the second or third,
if not the first power of the earth, in wealth
and political power. But yesterday it OBJ
tanned footing upon the Pacific; and already
great State has sprung up there. the ninth
in magnitude of the confederate States.
Soon, in probably less than another ten years,
we shall have like result in Oregon and in
Washington. In the same period we shall
also probably see two OF three States lining
that stretch Of tie Pacific shore which is
now occupied hy California; for. under the
development which has been experienced in
the ten years past, going on by geometrcal
progression ten years longer, We shall have a
population on the California shore of the Pa
cifc too large for one State and entitled to a
fuller representation in the federal Senate
than is allowed TO one State.
Nor is it probable that the development
and progression will stop with the admission
of Oregon and Washington into the Union,
and with the division into more than one
great State of what is now Caforn a. Ali-
zona is dependent, for egress TO the ocean
upon the acquisition of Sonora: and we shall
in all probability have propositions from The
residents of that province for its annexation,
to the Union. A great railroad, already
commenced and much of it constructed on
the Texas division, will have pu he'd itself
ere long to the boundary of Sorora and
thence northward to the Pacific. and proba-
by also thence, by another prong, southwark
to the Gulf of California. In that event we
shall have the silver and quicksilver Of
Arizona and Sonora. together with the gold
of California and Oregon, pouring their in
cessant streams into the cornucopia of our
national wealth; we shall have half a zen
Commonwealth in our Pacific slope as great
and wealthy as California is at present. But
for the reality which is presented us in the
growth of California. these anticipations
could be regarded by the rational mind only
as rhapsodic dream. They are accepted
however, in view Of that growth, as matter
Of course, and may be mentioned in mat
ter of fact strain as the natural consequen
ces of causes actively working out their
necessary results.
1t is time that the attention Of our people
we're directed more actively to these things
While the popular mind is absorbed in a
wretched little local squabbe in Kansas, and
petty quarrel is allowed to emLroil the
tenre, great causes are in operation which, if
allowed to work out their natural and neces-
sary results, will achieve a destiny for the
Union su~h as the world never contemplated
before. Soon cluster of States on our Pa
ciic slope will have grown up, rivaling in
population and wealth those en- the Atlantic;
and the two shores will occupy to the States
in tie great basin of the Mississippi the re-
lation of arms and wings to the body for
they will watt its products to the ends of the
earth, will supply it with money, ships, and
manufactures, will fetch and carry wait upon
and work for it.
Nor is it possible for the rapid growth of
our institutions on the Pacific coast to fail
Of producing great results on the narrow
portion of our hemisphere over which the
chief highways between the Pacific S ates
and the body Of the Union must pass. The
drippngs of our civilization, as it passes
and epasses backwards and forwards between
its seats on the two oceans, cannot fail to
fertilize, in a most wonderful degree the
susceptible soil on which they fall. The pre-
else form in which this civilization of ours
will develop itself in the islhmus States can
not be foretold. Much will depend upon
Tue WiSuOii Vi our governments, anu upon
the prudence and moderation of our people
If these he such that our civilization will be
welcomed and cultivated by the native pop
ulations, the most happy and the most valu-
able results must ensue at a very early peri
cd. If our policy be such as to offend those
populations, and to array them against the
establishment of our institutions in their
domains, these results may, of course be very
much delayed. 1t is most probable, too,
that the destiny Of Cuba is intimately inter
woven with that of Central America: and
that if the policy of our government be such