The national Republican., 1861-01-09
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,.
A CALIFORNIA VIEW.
From the San Francisco Bee.

says;
South need look for aid and comfort from the
Pacific coast The Almighty has piled up the
elements along these shores for q great empire,
and If it needs be we can make it one. We
have no such interest that would demand an
alliance with either of the belligerents upon
the other side. We are, and have been for ten
years, as fully separated from them as though
we were but foreign colony. This coast can
stand alone, and if disunion between North
and South ever comes, it will stand alone and
independent. When that day comes, if unfor.
tunately it should ever come, then Long live
the Pacific Republicl'"
How do you know that this coast will choose
to declare its independence What would it
gain by it2 This is a matter of dollars and
cents-a question of profit and loss We don't
expect to have any better Government or any
greater liberty out Of the Union than in it.
What, then, would be the object of separate
RepublcH Have we navy or an armyP How
could we, in case that any nation chose to dep
rebate upon and cripple our commerce, defend
ourselves, or punish the aggressors? Could q
people who number less than million cope for
national rights with any respectable Power in
the world2 How much would it cost in cash
to establish ourselves as an eighth or tenth
class nation-a mere nothing, at that-and how
much per annum would it require to keep up
even the semblance Of nationality Will the
Herald make the figures? or does it blunder
into these wild assertions, as some of its cotem-
poraries do, without knowing what it is about
without, in fact, having counted the cost or
estimated the profits
But it is said, in case of disunon between
the North and the South, we would be attached
to neither without action Of our own to that
end. Whence comes such supposition Is
not California member of the Confederacy
now? Did she not in due form ask admission
into the Union, and was it not so granted, not.
withstanding that these secession States op.
posed her on this point, and voted against her
urgent request and in defiance of her entrea-
ties? Aud can the separate and independent
action of any other Stute forfeit the allegiance
Of California to the Union, or deprive her of
that membership? Certainly mott The with
drawal Of one or two or half dozen States
cannot disrupt the Government SO as to de-
prive any Of the remaining States of their
rights aud privileges in the Union. Hence
California must of necessity remain in political
connection with the States that do not with
draw, until by her own solemn act she shall
declare otherwise.
And an act of this kind will require some
time for its consideration. The proposition to
withdraw from the Union, if it shall ever be
seriously made by parties who from their mum.
bers shall be entitled to a respectful hearing,
will be carefully examined, and, we doubt not,
wisely adjudged. First, Convention will have
to be called by the Legislature the people will
choose delegates thereto and we doubt not will
elect, save perhaps in a few isolated instances,
men pledged to let California remain Just where
she is-in the Urion. She will not connect
harva oil L., Al. Al
than now, but will remain a sovereign State of
the Contederacy of the United States of Amer
lea. If the Herald man doubts this, let him
put the question to the people.
We want a railroad-daily overland mail
and will have both, if We remain Just where we
are. If every Southern State secede, that will
not delay either of these works one year-nay,
it will rather hasten them to completion. The
South would never build them for us-it has
always opposed US in these matters-and if it
were favorable, it has not the means; whereas
the North has been for them, and has the cap
ital.
In case of secession, the South will, by he,
revenue laws, initiate against Northern manu-
factures, and admit British and French anG
other goods on more favorable terms thar
American goods. The Northern States are
filed with u manufacturing, commercial, rich
energetic people, who will find out new mar
kets for their wares, wherein they can com
pete with Europeans. They will turn thei
eyes to Asia, and carve for themselves a new
market among her hundreds of millions of in
habitants. The dire road to Asia is acros.
the plains by steam to San Francisco, ant
thence by steam across the Pacific. They will
construct the road-the whole energies of tn,
Government would be devoted to that end
there would no longer be opposition thereto
from Southern Senators and members of Con
gress in the National Councils-the Govern
ment, from the President down, would be
unit on this great measure, and in San Fran
cisco would soon be laid the foundation of tn
seat of the centre or heart of the worlds com
merce. AS the first Napoleon considered Con
stantinople the natural seat of political empire
so is San Francisco looked upon as the natura
seat, in the not distant future, of the empire O
commerce. A continental railroad will max,
her sach.
We, then, are railroad people, and canno
be driven by few abstractionists to separat
ourselves from the only Power in the world tina
is likely to or can give us a railroad nor wi
we conI ect ourselves with any other. 1t ma
be well enough to talk about Pacific Reput
ic but the party that would advocate it as
leading measure would be ground into powde
beneath the heel of public disapprobaton. LIE
those who will, submit it to the decision of tn
people, and, if they do not be repudiated wit
an energy more intense even than that whic
drove Senator Gwin from the Sta.e, and a
signed him to political oblivion, then have W
sadly mistaken the temper of this people.
VIRGINA.-A Union meeting at Parker
burg, January l, adopted declaration of pri