California Farmer and Journal of Useful Sciences, Volume 10, Number 4, 27 August 1858 — The Duty of American Citizens towards California. [ARTICLE]

(From the New Yorker.)

The Duty of American Citizens towards California.

|p California is what her frienils claim her to he, she assumes an importance second to no other State. Her vast resources arc as yet scarcely beginning to be developed. No approximation can yet be made to her immense wealth, her unbounded agricultural products, and her numerous and vi't unthought-of channels of trade and commercial enterprise. The great amount of raw material produced there, that may easily bo converted into staple and fancy articles needed in every land, her geographical position, standing upon the outermost verge of civilization, upon the most important continent on the globe, all invest her with an interest and power that will inlluence. for weal or woe, the destiny of our country and the world, for many generations. What then, should bo the course pursued by our fellow-citizens towards a young State, containing so many elements of power, increasing with such intenso vigor that it must soon crowd out petty jealousies, and merely local interests, and stand forth, as one of the great centers of power and influence. As stated before, she holds the keys of the future commerce that will spring up between this country and Japan, India, Egypt, and the great Eastern Atchipelago. San Francisco willjjecome the central entrepot of the Pacific coast. The facilities that will be required of her. will call forth and concentrate the genius, skill, and wisdom of the whole continent for the benefit of all, and cannot be confined to any narrow sectional clique, or controlled by any mere local interests. They must be furnished by t very section of our country, by all classes of our fellowcitizens, and must be concentrated there, and. trom that poiut, like the radii of a circle, dispense vigor, energy, and prosperity through all her borders.

If such be the fact, the great question naturally arises, as to the duty of our fellow-citizens in the premises. No one will deny lhat the mighty power, now wielded by that Slate, will coulinue to iucrcaso until even its feeblest exercise will be far moro vigorous aud decisive, in a moral, physical, and financial view, than the combined strength of Europo. What is our duty, then, to California ? Our citizens residing on the Atlantic slope may, can, oruirr to do much in giving a proper direction to that power. It might, from ils very position, from its great distance from our Federal capital, after a few jears neglect from government, cut asunder the lies that bind h«r to our common interests, and swing loose from the great center of attraction, tho greatest good of our common country,and,driven by Ihe tieice storms ol passion, drift among the Mattered fragments of the ship of Slate ; her power crippled and shorn of its glory, and leave the glorious banner of our country soiled, rent, and trailing In the dust. To avoid such a fearful calamity should be the earnest endeavor of every American citizen, and call forth tho greatest and best efforts of every member of the great social compact. Every year Ihe tide of emigration from the Atlantic seaboard sets in with a mighty current to the West. As all aie intensely interested in this matter It should, with thoso emigrating, be a matter of grave ennsidcratiun. whether il may not be their duty to turn their steps tow ards the (ioldeu Stale, and settle for life under her deep, clear, dark blue sky, and gather riches aud happiness from her Iruilful valleys, her verdant hills, and magniticcul plains. Why uot go there, where nature has done more than in other lands to invite the honest and intelligent pioneer to take up Ins abode there ? Fortunately, most of those going from 'the East to the West are among the most intelligent at d worthy of any classes of our fellow-citizens, and

they can do much by settling there, by giving tone, moral purity, and sterling integrity to harmonize the heterogenous materials from which tho massive structure is to be reared. Every living tide that rolls from the Atlantic to the Pacific shores must necessarily strengthen the bonds that bind the whole together as one brotherhood. Every working, intelligent family transplanted From the eastern slope of the itocky Mountains, forms a strong additional tie. Every neighborhood, composed principally of families from any part of the East, links the country where they nave reared their new home, by ties of kindred, friends, and association, still more strongly to those from which they came. Then, as wo value the perpetuity of our institutions, and the permanent glory of our common country, perfect in all its parts, vigorous in its living principles, and magnificent in its collossal power, let large portions of our emigrating population feel in duty bound, for the sake of the best inrerests of lhat country to not only go themselves, but, if possible, induce the right kind of people lo go there. The sun never shone on a better country, where a more munificent reward awaits the industrial pursuits. All should esteem it a high and holy privilege to assist in strengthening the very outposts of civilization, in rearing and adorning the great marts of trade, through which tho commerce of the world must pass, and from which will emanate the moral, financial, and political power that will control the destinies of our own country, and widely influence, if it does not govern, the interests of all thecommercial nations on the glubo. If our citizens are unwilling lo act in this matter, and, by absolute indifference), permit the moulding of this mighty power to pass from their hands, they must expect lhat strangers will step in, and modify it to suit their views, to estab liah a policy and infuse an element antagonistical to our institutions, and gradually undermine the principles of loyalty now so firmly established In the hearts of our people. Lot us send enough of our own citizens there to make that State, in every sense of the word, a part and parcel of ourselves.

At this point, two great obstacles present themselves :

First. The great distance from the Atlantic coast to our Pacific possessions, and Second. The exorbitant rates of fare demanded of those desiring to go. This latter item tt enough to blast the prospects and ruin the interests of tho most power ful State in the world. No other State in the whole Union, however prosperous, could have stood the drain half so long as she has done, against the grasping, soulless monopolies that have, vampire like, been sucking their life blood for the past ten years. Even California, with all her strength and energy, is absolutely staggering under the heavy pressure imposed on her people. Often has she endeavored to throw oil" the incubus, but the hydra-headed monopolies have reared their bloated forms and with a threatening shake of their gulden locks, frowned down all attempts to carry the people to her shores at fair living prices, and thus benefit the State by settling within her borders the intelligent, honest and hardy sons of toil, who would soon cause even the waste places to bloom in perpetual beauty and vigor. Here is the point where Californians are most imperiously called upon to buckle on their ai mor in this battle for the mastery. Thus far the monopolists have had their own way aud have crowded California to the very verge of ruin. She has tamely submitted and forborne to take her own part, until her forbearance is her lasting ■hatnt, and will prove her utter ruin if persisted In any longer. All true Californians then should gird themselves and go forth to battle on this subject, and they should remember that they hold in their own hands the sinews of war; that they also hold all the sinews of war belonging to the other party, and deal out that material aid to them semi-monthly, and thus enablo them to crush under their iron heel the very germs of power and prosperity springing up in their midst. They do not seem to realize that they might in a few short months'place themselves in a position to withhold their semimonthly installment to the old steamship companies, anil thus effectually sap the foundation of their power and break up alt the secret springs ol their energy aud ruinous activity. In my next I propose to discuss this branch of my subject more fully on ils influence on the present and future of California. J. 11.