Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-19
CALIFORNIA.
Letter from an East TenneS-
Seean.

VIII Tennessee Ratify the Fifteenth
Amendment?-The Mining and AgrI-
cuIGura Interests of CalIfOrDIa-SaIa.
ries I'm San Francisco.
THE following extracts from private
letter received by gentleman in this
city from an East Tennessee friend in
California, will be found very Interest,"
ing:
SAN Francisco, Sept. 2, IS69-Dear
Sir: was greatly rejOiced, though not
surprised, at the Conservative triumph
in Tennessee. l hope, indeed, the State
may be purged and purified under the
new administration. What will TennesS
see do in regard to the fifteenth constitu-
tiOnal amendment ? Will she adopt it e?
We hear that Senter intends calling a
special session Of the Legislature for the
purpose of taking action upon it. Should
he do SO, which is the Legislature under
the constitution of Tennessee, the newly
elected or the old one? The former, l
take it.
l am frequently asked, will Tennessee
adopt the amendment? l do not know
what kind of compact subsists between
the Democracy and the Senter Republi.
cans, nor how the majority of the mem
bers elect stand on the question, if I'M
trammeled by any compact. But this
much | know. If Tennessee adopts the
amendment, she will not only be giving
upa vital right and prerogative of sOver.
" hnf oh ha 1nA
/ sisters Kentucky, Delaware, California,
and the other States which have re-
jected or will reject it, gross, outrageous
wrong. Up to the year 1865, every
amendment made to the constitution was
an additional restriction upon the powers
of the federal government or an
additional guaranty Of the rights
Of the States and the rights OF
the people, except the twelfth, which
was neutral in its character in that re,
Spect. Passing over the thirteenth and
fourteenth amendments, the States are
asked, in the fifteenth amendment, for
the first time, to surrender an integral
part OF their sovereignty. 1t is en- insult
to any State to ask its assent to this
amendment; 1t is an objectionable
wrong for 1t TO give its assent. Those
States that are in favor of ratifying, can
amend their own constitutions, but they
hrye no right to interfere with those Of
their sister States. California does not
want the amendment will Tennessee
assist in perpetrating the foul outrage OF
forcing it upon her? If every man, wo-
man and child in Tennessee were in
favor of giving the right of suffrage and
holding Office, without regard to Grace,
color, or previous condition Of servitude,"
yet they ought tovote down the amend
ment. and declare to the whole country
that each State has the right, and ought
forever to have it, Of Judging Of this
matter for itself. California is far more
deeply and vitality interested in this
question than any other State in the
Union. There are 10000 Chinese here
now, and every steamer from the
"FloWery Land'' adds to their number.
This-is one eighth Of the entire pOpula'
of the State. Ten per cent. would,
think, be full estimate for the women
and children. This leaves $1,000 Chinese
voters, when qualified. By reference TO
the figures, find the total number Of
votes cast in the congressional election
of last year was l0S,323 The next
Congress will strike the word aOhte out
of the naturalization laws, and when the
fifteenth amendment becomes a part Of
the constitution, tho Chinese will be
voters. 1t is unnecessary TO tell you
what the Chinese are. If there are any
Christians among them | do not know
it. Pagan worship, you are aware al
ready exists in this city. ! have seen
the temple of their idols. | do not
think it improbable shall live to sec the
car of Juggernaut in the streets Of San
Francisco.
California asks Tennessee to return
good for evil, and to reject the amend
ment. 1t is by no means certain that
the amendment will be ratified by the
requisite number of States. Senator
Casserly telegraphs from Washington
that only twelve States have as yet
ratified - not counting Kansas and
Missouri, whose ratification is detective
end that two States, Delaware and
kentucky, have rejected it. California
spoke through the ballot>box yesterday,
in the election Of members to the Legis-
ture, and the amendment is disastrously
defeated.
But must leave this subject, with
this remark, that the only amendment
to the constitution of the United States
which | should be in favor of at this
time, is this, that hereafter all amend
\ ments to the constitution shall be bind
ing only upon the States ratifying thu
same.
In my former letter l told you yer,
little about this city; and, being afflicted
with the headache this evening, desigl
telling you but little now. San FRANCHISES
is surrounded by the bay on one eide ant
a succession of barren sand hills, devOi,
Of vegetation, on the other. Such, in
deed, was the character of the ground q
which the city stands. Water, however
and Al thin layer Of soil soon carpet th
sand with yerduro, and make the deser
bloom like a garden. So the singula
scene Is presented Of beautiful parl
while the adjoining lot is waste of SAND
Property has advanced here with in
credible strides 1t EQUALS Chicago i
this respect A small lot recentIy sol
Oh ANOh'SvAhCiN HtICGI LOT SlSJ lbO
Away cut IN the suburbs, two miles froI
the business part Of the city, small Ioi
Just large enough for building n hons
upon, are worth from s. 600 to Sl50v
Three years ago they could have bee
bought for as many hundreds. Monde,
iul are the tales we are told how me
have made wealth here, and how the
have squandered it. They sound III
the story of Aladdin. When the min,
were fret discovered here the gold W.
found On the top Of the ground, in Il
beds of riyulets, creeks and rivel
N the mountains The mining W
altogether surface digging A gent
man told me that in lS49 he and anoth
had claim, from which they obtained
much as $4,000 per week, they two alo
working it, 1t was on the banks OF
river. When first discovered there "
so much gold glittering in every direct
in the sands around there, they actua
hesitated where to begin. Their ],
days work panned ont $500, That ii
the floods descended, and, when I
morning came their treasure was ten f