The hydraulic press., 1860-06-16
A PACIFIC REPUBLIC.

hhSAaSon SouicuCIoCy, anu nave IL set up
for itself, or tecore an integer in a new
coibinatioh Of States, between the Rocky
Mountains and the siaeres OF the Pacific
Perhaps she aSion-ioviAg sentiment is stron-
ger in California than id any other portion
of the Republic and the reason is that the
great bulk of the people have not been here
long enough to iose their Home memories.
They still look Back with atrectionate yearn-
ings, to the happy fresides and loving hearts
which they left behind THIN, on the eastern
slope of the Aiieghanfes, or in the vast VAL
ley of the Mississippi. Almost eSery CAL
ifornian, man and woman, speak Of SOME
spot in the cast as f'homel" aAd, to him or
her, that spot is but little hess sacred than is
the holy Mecca to the Jealous yotary of Is
iamism. In the coming generation this SEN
tment viii be measurably lost Neverthe-
less; at the present nnoment, there are Cali
fornians, standing high in Official position
and clcthed with political honors, who HEST
tate not 10 hint at the possibility of sepa-
ration of the western side of the Republic
from the eastern. In the great speech which
Senator latham lately deliterad before the
Conscript Fathers of the Uhion-a speech
which has been much extolled-occurs this
significant sentence:
''But if all the efforts to preserve the Union
should prove unavailing; if the fury of Il
party should triumph over the devotion of
the patriot If mutual hatred and contempt
ameng the States should take the place of
love and mutual forbearance; if this glorious
Union, stained and torn in different direc-
tions, should at last be rent assunder and
destroyed forever. then, like the wretched
mariner, who, amidst his sense of woe at the
loss of his noble ship, follows the instinct of
self preservation, California would try to
save herself: though her existence afterwards
would be one Of niournful solitude"
What an eloquent text for political SER
mon! In certain terrible contingency,
"California would try TO sate herself" and
let her crazy sisters, of the Atlantic and Mis-
sissippi, cohsunih1ate their mutual ruin in
their own mad way. The ties of kindred,
the loved scenes of youthful homes, the pride
of race, all would fail to induce California to
unite her destiny with that of any eastern
fragment Of the disrupted Ccnfederacy. She
would try to SAFE herself, "though her exis-
tence Afterwards shotld be one of mournful
stlitudep She would SAVE herself by sew
ering, at once and forever, all old hometies,
and forming new ones. Senator Latham
speaks with the JUNCTION of an inspired pro
phet but the contingency he contemplates
the severance Of the nurthefh and south
ern States of the Confederacy-Mill not
arise in our day and generation and, there's
fere, it will be long ere California, from such
a cause, will be siezed by ftalgn centrifugal
forces, and hurled from her appropriate DR.
bit. Let the preseht Presidential contest
terminate as it hlay, the North and the South
will not separate, There is a strong and
solid substratum of common sense, undef-
lying the turbulent elements of both these
sections; that will hold them united in spite
of themselves. Self-interest is powerful
divinity among the Anglo-Saxon racos-a
divinity they worship more in actions than
in words-and the Anglo-Saxons of the
North and South understand this tutelafy
deity TOO well to perpetrate an act, inyolv-
ing such momentous consequences as would |
the disruption Of the UniUn itithUut first, |
soberly and seriously consulting her oracles
1t is true-and great many Californians
feel it to be true-that the Federal Govern
ment has played rather step-motherly part
in its treatment Of our young State. We
sehd to the eastefn side of the continent
nearly fifty millions of gold annually-thus
saving the people Of that section, and the
Federal Government too, from a threatened !
general bankruptcy, and making thetn all
rich, prottd, and happy-for which we re-
ceiye abundance of poisoned liquofs, and |
manufactured shirts and trowsefs, /
boots and Shoes for all Of which we are ex-
pected to pay enormous prices. Then, we
pay into the Federal Treasury, through the
gan Francisco Custom House, several mill
lions of dollars, in consideration of which
the Federal Government kindly allows us a
large scope for military glory, by giving US
as little assistance as possible in the fighting |
Ind killing our Indians. For ten years we
have entreated and implored the Federal /
Government for trans continental railroad
Our politicians and new spaptfs hate faved
ind ranted about it-and each Presidential
isplrant, during these ten years, has prom
sed us his good Offices, thercancnt but the
railroad still seems as far off in the future as
ever If the United States should blunder
INTO war with some strong natal power of
Europe, how temptingly defenteless, for lack
Of this railroad; would we be. With it-and
It's facilities for instantly furnishing us with
soldiers and munitions of wat-we might