The Shasta courier., 1861-02-16
Exaggerated self-Importancc.

A universal American " weakness" is an ex-
agerated self-importance-an oyer-estimated
value of personal possession-an inflated idea Of
individual consideration and of the Importance
of sections Now we venture to assert that the
author of each spread-eagle speech delivered at
foundly impressed with the conviction that if
his effort does not save the Union, then the
Union can't be saved except by the arm of Om-
impotence. Each one, no doubt, is thoroughly
impressed with the conviction that what he has
not said on the momentous topic is not worth
saying. We likewise venture the assertion that
each speaker has an idea that the United States
is the choicest portion of the world, and his ma
State) the choicest portion of the United States
Burbank doubtless has an idea that if Maine
were Topped off, the lumber business, as Jem
Begs says of the business of finding little dogs
"just around the corner would be " done bust
ed up" forever, and The Republic, to use the
language of Artemus Ward" would " sop
over" and spill the whole American people into
the Atlantic. Crittenden no doubt would rather
be hung from palmetto tree in South Carolina
than die natural death in mahogany bed
,saad-wtla-paen ent spring mattrass in Northern
palace. Thornton doubtless labors under the
profound conviction that Alabama is to this
Union what steam is to an engine, what mule
power is to cotton-gin. And Merritt hasn't
tba liobtact norSihla dnuht hu+ tbat Virr;nia -
the best spot of ground on earth to be born up
on, land there we agree with him. and that he
would be great improvement upon our pres
ent delegation in Congres, land there we agree
with him again.) While the eloquent Edgerton
glories over the fact that Vermont is the best
State in the Union to emigrate from and is proud
to know that that is her peculiar forte he at the
same time, like the most of us, labors under the
pleasing hallucinaton that California is the very
axletree of the nation and the hub of the world
that without her this magnificent "machine"
wouldn't be able to reach any fire in time to win
any premium-that she controls the destines
of this nation-that she is the most powerful
State in the Union, that our Legislature, to use
Z
patriotism Of the State" and pleasing thought)
that he stands a giant among that garnered
talent, courage and patriotism" Here is his
idea, taken from Ais spread eagle effort to save
the Union
"Let the voice of California go forth to- day,
in tones that shall thrill to the farthest verge of
the republic, prcclaiming that her patriotic sons
have pledged to their country their lives, their
fortunes and their sacred honor"
That's his idea of the Importance of Califor-
mia, and he is fair type of Californians in gen.
eral. Now let US see how they consider us in
the east. The last Pony brings intelligence that
Virginia had recommended the assembling of a
National Convention at Washington on the 4th
of February, that the President had sent Mes
sage Congress in reference thereto, and that
varion States were appointing delegates. No
90 Convention has been in session, and
MAJ !. vesitting. Here we see California has
not befn considered at all She was not even
perma ed the privilege of being represented in
that National Convention, called for the express
purpose of saving the Union What does Ed
gerton think of that? Ought not such ignoring
of the potency of the voice of California"
slightly take the starch out of our exaggerated
self-importance