The Placer herald., 1864-03-05
The Mining Exodus.

From time to time California has suffered
great depletion in population, by the dscov.
cry of other mineral fields Of reported rich
ness. A large per centage Of this popula
ton has never returned to the State; but the
vacuum has been measnrablv filed by immi-
grafton from the East Blu. it is safe to say,
that for the last four or five years, the annual
drain has not been made good-but that Cal
forna, and more especially The mining por-
ton of the State, has actually retrograded in
population.
We are now upon the eve Of another of
those excitements, and soon the stream of
emigration will set away from the State in a
curren. broader and deeper than any known
to our previous experience and give most
serious blow to the prosperity of every min
ing county in the State. 1t is useless to dis
guise the fact, that = very general disposition
exists in mining communities to try the
chances of fortune in the several regions
that have been brought prominently to no.
tice within the past year. Different portions
Of Nevada Territory, the Colorado, and more
particularly Idaho, are the points of attrac,
tlon, and thither thousands will be vending
their way-and other thousands will only be
held back by pecuniary disability, or business
engagements that will not admit of settle
ment speedy enough to enable them to join
in the throug.
This is not an encouraging prospect for
California; ut there is no help for it, It is
useless to advise against the threatened ex-
odus, with men who have experienced the
gradual exhaustion of placer and river mining
from year to year, which has rendered the
chances OF accumulatng means or making
good wages more uncertain and precarious.
1t is weak argument with miner that
he may utterly fail in the mines, while here
at least, he is sure of livelihood. He re-
CARDS mining as a lottery at best, and is
willing to take the chances. He may not
improve his condition, it is true-but on the
other hand he may better it. With him it
is an even game, And with his experience
and pluck, he is not afraid CT the result in
any land that produces the precious metals.
Idaho is more attractive to the mass OF
miners, because it is represented to possess
extensive pacers, and consequently will the
sooner yield returns to Individual labor with
out the investment of much capital. Thth
erward will the weight of the emigration
tend-and already steamers are leaving San
francisco crowded with fortune'huners for
the north. The stream in that direction
will increase in volume far into the summer
| moi M oil han ha
wave will set in?
The DRAFT A FAILuRE.-It seems the
Consorlptlon Act is an expensive failure in
the way of obtaining soldiers, although it
provides an army of civilians with lucrative
offices.
Gov. Seymour, in his annual message to
the Legislature Of New York, stated that.
out of II 900 men whose names we're dl avn
in that State, but $500 of them went into
the army And now we have the testimony
Of Gen. Garfield on the floor of Congress, a
strong supporter of the Administration and
the war, who said, while contending that
the 5000 commuation clause should be
done away with, so that there should be nc
exemptions, except for physical disability
that "On the l4th day of December last
there had been drawn from the wheel in the
late draft 900, 900 names. Of these 5000
were exempted in consequence of disability
"a 900 for other reasons as laid down in the
second section of the present Conscri pior
Law, Al 900 paid commuation, 24,O0C
furnished substitutes and 1900 went to the
field. Several thousand more were thrown
out as having been improperly enrolled
Therefore, it will be seen that out of 29O,
900 names drawn from the wheel the Gov
ernnent got l 900 men who went them
selves and "a 900 who went as substitutes
Look at The result: 100000 men placed ou
Of the enrolment list for three years to come
of whom only IL 900 are in the army! How
many men would you get at that rate from
the entire enrolment list of three million
If the entire number were drafted to morrow
under the present law, you would get 350
600 men-and then you have pledged the
faith of the Government that for three year.
to come not another man in the Uni'et
States shall be compelled to enter the mill
tary service. That would be the effect o
the present law if executed in full tomorrow
| say again, that under that law you can OBJ
tain but 100000 men by substitute anc
draft, and then you will have forsworn your
selves against calling for another man in
the United States for the army by any com
pu'sory process"
UNION COUNTY CoNvENTIoN.-S. r. Case
Chairman of the Union County Central