Year: 1859

In the year of eighteen hundred and fifty
two, the question was first agitated in North
ern California and Southern Oregon relative
to the formation of an independent State
comprised of the territory therein included.
In 1853, Convention was called in the
Rogue River Valley, to take into considera-
tion the practicability and propriety of these
measures, when it was unanimously declared
to be the correct policy. An effort was &C.
cordingly made in the California legislature
resulting In the eDgrossment of considera-
ble time, and in the proposition of various
plans of DIVISION none of which proved sat.
lstactory. Some advocated the propriety of
separating the agricultural from the mineral
land, urging that their interests were incom
patl6le with the equal laws of common
government and therefore proposed that the
State should be divided into three parts, set
ting aside the Northern counties, which with
liberal slice of Southern Oregon. should
form the Northern District, and retaining
Shasta, the central and q portion of the
southern Mines for the Southern District
leaving the Cow counties rs they are called
for the Southern State After the expendi-
ture Of great deal of gas in the Legislature
by the press and the people, the subject final
| ly settled down into comparative repose
with the exception of citizens in Siskivou.
the northern counties, and in the Umpaua
and Rogue River Valleys Of Southern Ore.
gon-this portion of the coast not being so
easily satisfied with the difficulties with which
they were obliged to contend, in travelling
several hundred miles to and from their res
| pectlve capital. A temporary quietus was.
however soon placed upon the Umpqua citi-
zens in tke establishment of Port Of Entry
at town founded on the coast bv the name
OF Roseburg. Here the postal department
made 1t obligatory for the mail steamer to
land regularly and exchange its mails which
fact has impaired sort of independence
to that portion of Southern Oregon. But
1t seems that notwithstanding the necessity Of
the landing of the mail steamer, there are
owing to fearful shipwrecks, but few vessels,
whose masters have the hardhood to enter
its port; and owing to the expected revision
Of the General Government in the proposed
economy of its postal arrangements, even the
mail steamer will probably? he Withdrawn,
when they will again be reduced to entire
dependence on Crescent City and the over
land roads.


Citizens of the Rogue River Valley are
alive, we are informed, to the local advanta.
ges of a Central Government, and in the
northern counties of our own State the dues-
tion of "divsiOn" is again becoming a topic
of conversation, and question of serious con
sidcration.


The apparent apathy of central and south
ern California, in the interests of the North
and their seeming want of confidence in our
local importance and WORTH is arousing
sense of self-dependence whose natural ten
denotes are favorable to an independent Gov
ernment. 1t is true that railroad, such as
we have advocated, would greatly tend to
remove the barriers against reciprocity which
exist between US | ut it also seems true that
lower capitalists do not appreciate the COM
mon benefits that would result from it; while
with us at the North, railroad or diuision !
is becoming the watchword.


There are advantages that would accrue to
the formation of more States on the Pacific
coast, among the most important of which.
is the additional influence which we would
command in Congress And, it is but fair to
concede, that the increased and increasing
Importance of the Pacific, demands addition
al votes in our National Legislature. One
thing Is quite certain-something must be
done for the North or otherwise, she will be
forced inte retrcnchment. and to the necessi-
ty of acting for herself~lSiskiyon Chronicle