Volume 11 (1865) (424 pages)

82 Ghee Mining andl Scientific Dress. OPENING ADDRESS Of the Mechanlew Institate Industrial Exhthition, delivered at Platt’s Mull, Wednesday Evening, August 9th, 1865, BY HON. FRANK M. PIXLEY. ¥ROM THE DAILY AMERICAN FLAG, AUG. 10TH! Thomas Carlyle, a distinguished English writer, bas asked, with the illiherality which characterizes some Englishmen, “ What great human soul? what great thought? what great noble thing, that one could worship or loyally admire, bas yet been produced in America? May we not answer him this: We bave elevated labor and made it bonorable; we bave established a commonwealth on a broad and) dnrable hase, recognizing the dignity of labor; . we have builded a government for the people, laying its foundatious deep and broad in the recognition of the great truth, “that all men are equal.” and we bave carried up the superatructure, preserving, iu all its grand proportions, the symetrical beauty of the idea, that uot birth, but merit, intelligence and virtuo are the essentials of true greatness. May we not answer this English writer that we bave provided tho means of education for all our youth; that we give all the honors and offices of our nation to those who strive for them; that we give the right of tbe elective franchise to all of our race, making every one a sovereign; clothing bim with all the power, dignity and responsibility of a citizen. If to-night I was reading an address to tho mechanics of England, to what proportion could I direct my reflections upon political questions? How many of them might consider themselves interested in the discussion of great topics of national importance, which are so appropriate for you to understand ? How many of them would havo any other interest than inthe question of beef and beer ? In the Kingdom of Great Britain there are five millions of white men of lawful age deprived of the right of the elective franchise, who can take no part and have no voice in the administration of the Governmentunder which they live. Tatlaplaga only one in eighty bave a right to vote. ‘When we are asked, what great buman soul we bave produced? may we not point with pride to tho birth, and life, and death of bim, who led our armies of working men through the war of our Rebellion aguinst England to victory. Who hecanie the first of the great Republic which bis sword had carved out ; who ripe in years and full of honors claimed as bis ouly reward for a life of patriotism the indulgence to retire from the service of bis country. May we not claim a great buman soulia George Wasbington, the Father of the Republic? . Whea asked what great thought have wo developed? Have we not demonstrated the sublime idea that men are capuble of self-government; and luoking back through all the bright pages of English story, back through all their centuries of time, back to the twilight of their early civilization, do we find any great thougbt oom parable to this 7 When asked what great noble thing that one could worsbip or loyally admire, bas yet been produced in America? May we notanswer, we have produced the grandest ecmniwnwealth of freemeu that the world has ever seen? ‘We have established a Government by the sacrifice of our sires, preserved by the blood of their sons tor the refuge of the oppressed of all tbe world. We have carried out a system of laws which afford protection alike to all. We have laid firm and broad and deep the foundations of our Temple of Liberty in the edueation and intelligence of our masses. We bave builded up an altar to the worsbip of the ever living God, before whieb all creeds and forms and faiths may kneel in fearless freeom. Discarding all privilege to class, all title to nobility, all preference to the eldest born, we have placed our soil, onr social honors, and political ambitions within the reach of all. And more than all this we have dignified labor and given to it the letters patent of true nobility. May we not claim sometbing more in the lessons taught by the stern and terrible trial through which our people bavo passed in the tour years of war that bas desolated our beautifulland? England has produced her heroes on land and sea. Collingwood and Nelson bave proudly fuugbt their fleets to victory. Marlhorough and Welington waded through fields of blood to glory, but in all their galaxy of heroes, bave they any brighter constellation of glorious names than Porter, Farragut, Sheridan,Sherman and Ulyeses Grant? (Great applause. } ‘We may not ba ashamed to compare with their grandest naval victories of the Nile and Trafalgar our exploits at New Orleans and Port Royal; their sternest fights, their grandest armies, their Agincourt and Waterloo, witb the terrible encounters of our gallant boys in blue, our noble array of strong-armed men, whose many battle fields hewilder us in the recital of their names. [Applauso.] Has not this war demonstrated the strongth of repubiican governments; that the ideas and theories of a free commonwealth can be protected on the battle field by the freemen who compose if; that it is not only strong in peace, and prosperous when under the sunshine of repose, but strong in war, and terrible when asaailed, or its existence menaced by civil war? The sublimest lesson taugbt in this conflict, and the one which most strikingly illustrates the ability of our people for self-government, . was in the moderation and calmness witb which wag received the last, saddest and most terrible blow in this sad and torrible drama—the asassination of our Chief Magistrate, our loved and bonored President ; he who bad so safely piloted us througb this dark and fearful nigbt of civil war; our noble Chieftain, whose great loving heart was capacious enough to bave embraced all within its kindly sympathy. He was foully wurdered, and yet the people obeyed the law; order, not chaos followed;sorrow,not anger ruled the Nation’s heart; judgment, not revenge controlled the people’s acts; and then was seen the grand and simple operation of our conatitutional Government. ‘‘ Tbe President is dead, long live the President.” Oue lay dead in bis bloedy vestments, the othor placing his band upon tho word of God, witb simple oatb becomes Commander in Chief of the grandest army of the world; first magistrate ot thirty millions of people. Have we not, indecd, made labor¢ honorable, and given to ita just recognition, when tho poor farmer’s boy, the village attorney, the President of the United States dies, and is fullowed in bis bigh office by a self educated mechanic? There is great fitness in the fact of « mechanic being President of the Republic at this time. ‘The war through which we bave passed bas shown that we live in an age of mechanics. We may not call ours the age of bronze or iron or gold, we may ratber name it from tbe artificers in metal than from any of the metals themselves. Inno other era of the world’s history bas mechanical art been brought to so much perfection, und no event could bave illustrated the advancement of the mechanical sciences as bas the giant struggle in which we have so recently engaged. ~ Let us for one moment consider the fearful engnery of war as compared with olden time. When a castle’s walls of solid masonry was guarded by ditch and “moat and drawbriage, impreganble to the attack of battering ram or taggot, its ramparts armed witb stout men at arms, a‘ seige was but a question of vigilance ngainst surprise, water and food for long investiture. ‘he lance, the bow, the bill and sling of the olden time wore innocent implements of war; after the invention of gunpowder the blundering arquebusse, the unweildly culverin were but little effectual in the art of death. Knights and borses armed in cout of mail and plate of glittering steel went forth with sword and lance to deeds of single eembat; then the strong arm, the cool courage and the stout heart told inacts of personal valor. How different a field ot battle now, with its cunning strategy, its terrible implements of death, its fearful machinery of war? No coat of linked-mail to guard the manly breast, no stout shield of brass or bide to cover the warrior’s tront, no trick of the wrist or art of defense may shun tho deadly bullet from the unerring rifle; no personal valor or prudence may guard against the erusbing cannon ball that ploughs its furrow of death through unresisting ranks. Now the mad maelstroom of battle is the swift clashing of material force, to be determined by the quality and effectiveness of the implements of destruction. Victory rest with the Minie rifle against the flint musket; with ~ revolving barrels and repeating shot, ngainst the single bullet; with the grooved chamber, against the smooth bore, the unfailing percussion cap, the self-adjusting cock, the breach loading gun, against the older and less successful experiments iu arms. Inthe heavy ordnance war becomes but a contest in mechanies. Bursting shell, with their nice adjustment of fuse, the elevation scientifically calculated for distance, and taken hy telescopic observation. Red-hot shell from heated ovens, loaded tu the canuon’s mouth with the levor aud the inclined plane. The light artillery, on its mission of death flies across the ensanguined field, a failure ifa lineb-pin fails. Rifle cannon so nicoly poised, so exactly adjusted, as to elevate jor ‘depress at the finger’s touch upon the screw, and then hurling their three bundred pounds of solid steel against ship or fort or bastion. Ships, iron-plated, clad in chains and armor, with revolving turrets, burling their fire against the enemy and guarding from assault, those within their protecting shields. : I fancy that ovon Tbomas Carlysle would have admitted that if this last invention of the American mecbanie was not a neble thing for him to worship or loyally admire, he would at least have looked upon it with sonie degree of respect; and when he thonght of the boasted wovoden walls of Eogland, be might bave trembled for them in prospect of any warlike encounter with the American Monitor. This war too has demonstrated tbat all the Americans are a mechanical as well as a warlike people. It was a popular idea that all the iuventive faculty lay within the limits of New England, and all the manufacturing genius belonged tothe Northern States ;jthat our Southern:bretbren possessed the accomplishment and gallantry of the cavalier, but none of the genius to create or discover. But, under the stern necessity of their position we find all kinds of war material and ail the necessary requirements to maintain their armies and supply their people springing up under their bands; their foundries, powdor mills and sbip-yards, turned out gunboats of formidable character, and though now inthe day of peace, we may hope to see this people return to the arts ot agriculture, the lesson may uot be without importance in teaebing them the capacity of their people and the resources of their land. It has ever seemed to me, that the truest measure of a nation’s prosperity and greatness P 8) was the character of her mechanics, simply because a nation whose mechanics excel in all the departments of their various pursuits, is independent and self-reliant. The mechanical art gives permanence to every otber branch of industry. Of the European Governments of modern times, England bas attained the highest point in civilization, iu mora! and material progress. Her mechanics build the fleets which bear the products of her looms and forges, the bandicrafi of ber skillful workmeu to allparts of the world bringing in return the raw material which goes forth in exchange for everything which can onrich and exalt her realm. ‘Thus, trom ber little island iu the sea, bas sbe carried ber conquest, her commerev, ber arts, ber literature and her laws to all parts of the world. Let us uow consider some of the practical questions whicb touch the material interests ot our coast and people. Adam Smith bas put forth the axiom, “‘ that laber is wealth.” Laboris the source of wealth; every laborer who comes bere bringing bis musele, his industry and his skill, brings capital to be added to the wealth of the State. This labor should find employment tor every man willing to work, if left unemployed, to that extent paralyzes and retards the advancement of tbe State. Our continued effort should be to encourage the immigration of working men and women, and check by every possible means in our power the importation of any article that we can ourselves produce. Every dollar that we send abroad tur articles which could be produced or “manufactured bere, is a dollar worse than wasted. This State can never be truly prosporous until we can manufacture for ouraelves, and if one half the mouey which bas been wasted in gambling ventures in soarch of the hidden treasure of our mines, bad been expended in the legitimate busiuess of manutacturing, we should have saved bundreds «of millions of dollars to the aggregate wealth of the country. Half the money which bas beeu ventured in search of silver in Washoe; that has been wasted in bribes to prevent justice, in fees tor the subornation of jurors and. witnesses; that bas gone to swindling corporations, to profligate iniuing secretaries and criminal treasurers ; that has been paid for huncombe science and pretended experts, would buve made every water course In our State vocal with the music of the clacking wheel as in merry industry it toilod—would have builded shops and factories in every county, giving employment to labor aud wealth to the country. Halt the money risked and lost by our people in their wild excitement for new diggings from the time of Gold Bluff to the last expedition in search of lost treasure on Cocos Island, would biave given us railroads througb every valley ef our State. Half the money risked and lost by our mercbauts in desperate commercial ventures would have builded ships to convey our commerev to every sea. I speak now of gambling and speculative projects, not intending to discourage those legitimate enterprises which are calculated to develop the mineral resources of our State or open new avenues to wealth; for upon the prosperity of our mines in a great degreo depends tho prosperity of all other business; and it is a matter of congratulation, that while the gold products of our placers are diminishing, the skill uf our mechanics is perfecting appliauces which enable us to iucrease vur gold products from our quartz and gravel mines. ‘fho report of the Patent Office discloses this fact: ‘Tho inventions, improvements in mining processes, machinery whicb have been made iu California, bave grown out of our mining operations, aro more numerous and pertect thau all the previous inventious of similar character in the world ; that duriug the last ten years, California has taken out more patents than any other State ia the American Union, and especially in pumps, qnartz wachinery and chemieal processes for extracting ‘metals from ores, have our people been successful. We are discovoring silver, coal, copper, quicksilver, borax, iron, marble, and other valuable minerals in such quantities and character of deposits as ensures the prosperity of mining interests tor long years to come. And while we have not made as rapid advancement as would be desirable in manufacturing we have been by no means idle. I would have been glad to bave gathered some statistical information touching these interests of our State, for I believe the figures would do us great credit, hut the time afforded for this address was too limited for the attompt. We are now ianufacturing blankets and coarse woolen cloths, powder, paper, glass ware, shot, matcbes, brooms, tubs, pails, vabinet work, jewelry, soap, starch, macearoni, bricks, marble, granite work, fire bose, carpets, aud leather. We are building ships, steamers, steam engines, boilers, railroad cars, carriages, wagons, producing machinery for quartz crushing, mill work and castings of every deacription and agricultural implements; our grains are floured in our own mills, or distilled; casks, barrels and lumher from our own forests ; cider, and vinegar made from our own orebards ; pickles and can fruit of our own raising; beet and pork packed for our own consumption; wine from our own vineyards. A cotton factory is in process of construction, which if successful, and shall encourage the cultivation of cotton upon the Pacific coast, will be worth to our State half a dozen silyer mines. We are raising the cotton now; we are producing tobaceo, and manufacturing large quantities of cigars; we are producing more whisky than is good for our people to drink ; our wine product is in the millions of gallons already, though the vine culture is but in its infancy ; we are packing onions and figs with success. Tbere are doubtless many other sources of home wealth tbat I bave overlooked, and I have named only a portion of our manufacturing aud producing occupations; but even this glance will enable us to contrast tbe present with the time when we used to wonder if our mountain land would grow vegetables ; when our onions and pototoes came trom the Sandwich Islands, our soiled linen washed in China, our eggs and butter brought from Boston, our lumber from Anstralia, and our bricks from New York. This glance at our produetions teaches us also how many other articles we ought to produce and manufacture, and which we will undoubtedly accomplish in the good time coming, when Jabor is plenty and money ig cheap. The question of curreney is now claiming the attention of our people; let us briefly consider it. It is one of those questions in which we bave all a common interest—we all desire the same result. We want cboap money and plenty of it. A thousand schemes of industry would be entered upon if money could be obtained at low rates of interest, and tor want of which our Stato is nnw languishing. Gold and silver is our only circulating medinm. Whether wisely or not, the Constitution of California prevented the establishment of banks tor the issue of paper money, and for twelve years we operated with only gold and silver coin. The war came, and the Gevernment found it necessary to issue paper currency; and to declare that it should be Legal Tsndet tor the payment of all debts. The people of the Bastern States bnd been in the use of paper money and they found the transition from the one kind of paper to the otber easy. The substitution of the bills of National banks for the bills of private banks was not difficult. Nearly all the war expenditure was in the Eastern States and thus the people of those States become familiar with tbe National Currency. The substitution of paper money for coin was tound more difficult. On this coast we were far removed from the scene of war and war money. Our capital was largely owned by foreigners, our home indebtedness had been created for gold, we were in danger of a financial crisis, the bolders of capital began to draw in their money, to deny further accommodations unless they could bave a guarantee that if they loaned gold they sbould be paid gold. Itthe merchant sold for a gold price and the mecbanic manufactured for a gold value and the laborer worked for gold wages, these moral obligations should be legally enforced by payment in gold, and legislation wisely, I thcugbt at the time, passed what is known as the Specific Contract Law, but which is simply an amendment to the Practice Act, providing _ that when contracts are made for the payment of gold, or silver, or paper, the courts shall entoree the obligation in the specific currency in which the contract is made. In other words, it extended the machinery of tbe law and tbe process of the courts to carry out the contracts which business men entered into with eacb other. Tbe repeal of this law is now being agitated. Itis bard to convince the working-man that a paper dollar at twonty-five cents below par, is equal in value toa gold dollar; but two paper dollars, worth seventy-five cents each, are worth just fifty cents more than the brightest gold dollar that ever left the mint. We need all the money we can get, still we must not confound cause witb effect. tis said that the Specific Contract Law prevents paper money from coming to California—prevents the establisbment of National Banks—that nearly atbousand millions of dollars of National Currency are floating in the Eastern States, seeking investment at low rates of interest, and that the repeal of the Specifio Contract Law would encourage the introduction ot that capital to our State, would aid to develop our resources, encourage our manufactnring interests, and build up internal improvements. gaNow, we would all of us bo glad tn have more capital, and I do not believe there are any of us who are so prejudiced against paper money that we would not be glad to bave our pockets full of it. We would be glad to see National Banks established in rivalry with our own hanks for the reduction of rates of interest; we are all in favor of cheap money, and we are all patriotic enough to believe our Govornment is able and willing to pay her entire debt, gigantic though it be. Bat is it not well to inquire whether the repeal of the Specific Contract Law will hring about all the improvement and benefit we desire; whether its repeal will ward ofl all the evils we deplore and all we anticipate? It is a delicate matter to attempt to legislate~ upon questions of curreney. Money is sensitive, timid, and easily disturbed; and unless we are very certain tbat the repeal of the Specific Contract clause will improve our financial condition and alleviate the monetary embarrassment, we bad better leave the law undisturbed. Capital is the nursing mother of labor, and any legislation that disturbs the one destroys the other. There is another qnestion claiming public attention touching the interests ot labor. refer to tho position of the Freedmen of tbe Nation. b Our war has happily terminated in the enfranchisement of four millions of people who ere formerly slaves. Upon tboir labor depended tbe production of certain leading staples. They were the working foree of a large section of our Union; whether ‘thi lahor force shall be retained in the spot of their former employment, or sball invade the fields of industry now ocenpied hy the white laborers of the North, involves the prosperity of both parts of our country.

82 Ghee Mining andl Scientific Dress. OPENING ADDRESS Of the Mechanlew Institate Industrial Exhthition, delivered at Platt’s Mull, Wednesday Evening, August 9th, 1865, BY HON. FRANK M. PIXLEY. ¥ROM THE DAILY AMERICAN FLAG, AUG. 10TH! Thomas Carlyle, a distinguished English writer, bas asked, with the illiherality which characterizes some Englishmen, “ What great human soul? what great thought? what great noble thing, that one could worship or loyally admire, bas yet been produced in America? May we not answer him this: We bave elevated labor and made it bonorable; we bave established a commonwealth on a broad and) dnrable hase, recognizing the dignity of labor; . we have builded a government for the people, laying its foundatious deep and broad in the recognition of the great truth, “that all men are equal.” and we bave carried up the superatructure, preserving, iu all its grand proportions, the symetrical beauty of the idea, that uot birth, but merit, intelligence and virtuo are the essentials of true greatness. May we not answer this English writer that we bave provided tho means of education for all our youth; that we give all the honors and offices of our nation to those who strive for them; that we give the right of tbe elective franchise to all of our race, making every one a sovereign; clothing bim with all the power, dignity and responsibility of a citizen. If to-night I was reading an address to tho mechanics of England, to what proportion could I direct my reflections upon political questions? How many of them might consider themselves interested in the discussion of great topics of national importance, which are so appropriate for you to understand ? How many of them would havo any other interest than inthe question of beef and beer ? In the Kingdom of Great Britain there are five millions of white men of lawful age deprived of the right of the elective franchise, who can take no part and have no voice in the administration of the Governmentunder which they live. Tatlaplaga only one in eighty bave a right to vote. ‘When we are asked, what great buman soul we bave produced? may we not point with pride to tho birth, and life, and death of bim, who led our armies of working men through the war of our Rebellion aguinst England to victory. Who hecanie the first of the great Republic which bis sword had carved out ; who ripe in years and full of honors claimed as bis ouly reward for a life of patriotism the indulgence to retire from the service of bis country. May we not claim a great buman soulia George Wasbington, the Father of the Republic? . Whea asked what great thought have wo developed? Have we not demonstrated the sublime idea that men are capuble of self-government; and luoking back through all the bright pages of English story, back through all their centuries of time, back to the twilight of their early civilization, do we find any great thougbt oom parable to this 7 When asked what great noble thing that one could worsbip or loyally admire, bas yet been produced in America? May we notanswer, we have produced the grandest ecmniwnwealth of freemeu that the world has ever seen? ‘We have established a Government by the sacrifice of our sires, preserved by the blood of their sons tor the refuge of the oppressed of all tbe world. We have carried out a system of laws which afford protection alike to all. We have laid firm and broad and deep the foundations of our Temple of Liberty in the edueation and intelligence of our masses. We bave builded up an altar to the worsbip of the ever living God, before whieb all creeds and forms and faiths may kneel in fearless freeom. Discarding all privilege to class, all title to nobility, all preference to the eldest born, we have placed our soil, onr social honors, and political ambitions within the reach of all. And more than all this we have dignified labor and given to it the letters patent of true nobility. May we not claim sometbing more in the lessons taught by the stern and terrible trial through which our people bavo passed in the tour years of war that bas desolated our beautifulland? England has produced her heroes on land and sea. Collingwood and Nelson bave proudly fuugbt their fleets to victory. Marlhorough and Welington waded through fields of blood to glory, but in all their galaxy of heroes, bave they any brighter constellation of glorious names than Porter, Farragut, Sheridan,Sherman and Ulyeses Grant? (Great applause. } ‘We may not ba ashamed to compare with their grandest naval victories of the Nile and Trafalgar our exploits at New Orleans and Port Royal; their sternest fights, their grandest armies, their Agincourt and Waterloo, witb the terrible encounters of our gallant boys in blue, our noble array of strong-armed men, whose many battle fields hewilder us in the recital of their names. [Applauso.] Has not this war demonstrated the strongth of repubiican governments; that the ideas and theories of a free commonwealth can be protected on the battle field by the freemen who compose if; that it is not only strong in peace, and prosperous when under the sunshine of repose, but strong in war, and terrible when asaailed, or its existence menaced by civil war? The sublimest lesson taugbt in this conflict, and the one which most strikingly illustrates the ability of our people for self-government, . was in the moderation and calmness witb which wag received the last, saddest and most terrible blow in this sad and torrible drama—the asassination of our Chief Magistrate, our loved and bonored President ; he who bad so safely piloted us througb this dark and fearful nigbt of civil war; our noble Chieftain, whose great loving heart was capacious enough to bave embraced all within its kindly sympathy. He was foully wurdered, and yet the people obeyed the law; order, not chaos followed;sorrow,not anger ruled the Nation’s heart; judgment, not revenge controlled the people’s acts; and then was seen the grand and simple operation of our conatitutional Government. ‘‘ Tbe President is dead, long live the President.” Oue lay dead in bis bloedy vestments, the othor placing his band upon tho word of God, witb simple oatb becomes Commander in Chief of the grandest army of the world; first magistrate ot thirty millions of people. Have we not, indecd, made labor¢ honorable, and given to ita just recognition, when tho poor farmer’s boy, the village attorney, the President of the United States dies, and is fullowed in bis bigh office by a self educated mechanic? There is great fitness in the fact of « mechanic being President of the Republic at this time. ‘The war through which we bave passed bas shown that we live in an age of mechanics. We may not call ours the age of bronze or iron or gold, we may ratber name it from tbe artificers in metal than from any of the metals themselves. Inno other era of the world’s history bas mechanical art been brought to so much perfection, und no event could bave illustrated the advancement of the mechanical sciences as bas the giant struggle in which we have so recently engaged. ~ Let us for one moment consider the fearful engnery of war as compared with olden time. When a castle’s walls of solid masonry was guarded by ditch and “moat and drawbriage, impreganble to the attack of battering ram or taggot, its ramparts armed witb stout men at arms, a‘ seige was but a question of vigilance ngainst surprise, water and food for long investiture. ‘he lance, the bow, the bill and sling of the olden time wore innocent implements of war; after the invention of gunpowder the blundering arquebusse, the unweildly culverin were but little effectual in the art of death. Knights and borses armed in cout of mail and plate of glittering steel went forth with sword and lance to deeds of single eembat; then the strong arm, the cool courage and the stout heart told inacts of personal valor. How different a field ot battle now, with its cunning strategy, its terrible implements of death, its fearful machinery of war? No coat of linked-mail to guard the manly breast, no stout shield of brass or bide to cover the warrior’s tront, no trick of the wrist or art of defense may shun tho deadly bullet from the unerring rifle; no personal valor or prudence may guard against the erusbing cannon ball that ploughs its furrow of death through unresisting ranks. Now the mad maelstroom of battle is the swift clashing of material force, to be determined by the quality and effectiveness of the implements of destruction. Victory rest with the Minie rifle against the flint musket; with ~ revolving barrels and repeating shot, ngainst the single bullet; with the grooved chamber, against the smooth bore, the unfailing percussion cap, the self-adjusting cock, the breach loading gun, against the older and less successful experiments iu arms. Inthe heavy ordnance war becomes but a contest in mechanies. Bursting shell, with their nice adjustment of fuse, the elevation scientifically calculated for distance, and taken hy telescopic observation. Red-hot shell from heated ovens, loaded tu the canuon’s mouth with the levor aud the inclined plane. The light artillery, on its mission of death flies across the ensanguined field, a failure ifa lineb-pin fails. Rifle cannon so nicoly poised, so exactly adjusted, as to elevate jor ‘depress at the finger’s touch upon the screw, and then hurling their three bundred pounds of solid steel against ship or fort or bastion. Ships, iron-plated, clad in chains and armor, with revolving turrets, burling their fire against the enemy and guarding from assault, those within their protecting shields. : I fancy that ovon Tbomas Carlysle would have admitted that if this last invention of the American mecbanie was not a neble thing for him to worship or loyally admire, he would at least have looked upon it with sonie degree of respect; and when he thonght of the boasted wovoden walls of Eogland, be might bave trembled for them in prospect of any warlike encounter with the American Monitor. This war too has demonstrated tbat all the Americans are a mechanical as well as a warlike people. It was a popular idea that all the iuventive faculty lay within the limits of New England, and all the manufacturing genius belonged tothe Northern States ;jthat our Southern:bretbren possessed the accomplishment and gallantry of the cavalier, but none of the genius to create or discover. But, under the stern necessity of their position we find all kinds of war material and ail the necessary requirements to maintain their armies and supply their people springing up under their bands; their foundries, powdor mills and sbip-yards, turned out gunboats of formidable character, and though now inthe day of peace, we may hope to see this people

return to the arts ot agriculture, the lesson may uot be without importance in teaebing them the capacity of their people and the resources of their land. It has ever seemed to me, that the truest measure of a nation’s prosperity and greatness P 8) was the character of her mechanics, simply because a nation whose mechanics excel in all the departments of their various pursuits, is independent and self-reliant. The mechanical art gives permanence to every otber branch of industry. Of the European Governments of modern times, England bas attained the highest point in civilization, iu mora! and material progress. Her mechanics build the fleets which bear the products of her looms and forges, the bandicrafi of ber skillful workmeu to allparts of the world bringing in return the raw material which goes forth in exchange for everything which can onrich and exalt her realm. ‘Thus, trom ber little island iu the sea, bas sbe carried ber conquest, her commerev, ber arts, ber literature and her laws to all parts of the world. Let us uow consider some of the practical questions whicb touch the material interests ot our coast and people. Adam Smith bas put forth the axiom, “‘ that laber is wealth.” Laboris the source of wealth; every laborer who comes bere bringing bis musele, his industry and his skill, brings capital to be added to the wealth of the State. This labor should find employment tor every man willing to work, if left unemployed, to that extent paralyzes and retards the advancement of tbe State. Our continued effort should be to encourage the immigration of working men and women, and check by every possible means in our power the importation of any article that we can ourselves produce. Every dollar that we send abroad tur articles which could be produced or “manufactured bere, is a dollar worse than wasted. This State can never be truly prosporous until we can manufacture for ouraelves, and if one half the mouey which bas been wasted in gambling ventures in soarch of the hidden treasure of our mines, bad been expended in the legitimate busiuess of manutacturing, we should have saved bundreds «of millions of dollars to the aggregate wealth of the country. Half the money which bas beeu ventured in search of silver in Washoe; that has been wasted in bribes to prevent justice, in fees tor the subornation of jurors and. witnesses; that bas gone to swindling corporations, to profligate iniuing secretaries and criminal treasurers ; that has been paid for huncombe science and pretended experts, would buve made every water course In our State vocal with the music of the clacking wheel as in merry industry it toilod—would have builded shops and factories in every county, giving employment to labor aud wealth to the country. Halt the money risked and lost by our people in their wild excitement for new diggings from the time of Gold Bluff to the last expedition in search of lost treasure on Cocos Island, would biave given us railroads througb every valley ef our State. Half the money risked and lost by our mercbauts in desperate commercial ventures would have builded ships to convey our commerev to every sea. I speak now of gambling and speculative projects, not intending to discourage those legitimate enterprises which are calculated to develop the mineral resources of our State or open new avenues to wealth; for upon the prosperity of our mines in a great degreo depends tho prosperity of all other business; and it is a matter of congratulation, that while the gold products of our placers are diminishing, the skill uf our mechanics is perfecting appliauces which enable us to iucrease vur gold products from our quartz and gravel mines. ‘fho report of the Patent Office discloses this fact: ‘Tho inventions, improvements in mining processes, machinery whicb have been made iu California, bave grown out of our mining operations, aro more numerous and pertect thau all the previous inventious of similar character in the world ; that duriug the last ten years, California has taken out more patents than any other State ia the American Union, and especially in pumps, qnartz wachinery and chemieal processes for extracting ‘metals from ores, have our people been successful. We are discovoring silver, coal, copper, quicksilver, borax, iron, marble, and other valuable minerals in such quantities and character of deposits as ensures the prosperity of mining interests tor long years to come. And while we have not made as rapid advancement as would be desirable in manufacturing we have been by no means idle. I would have been glad to bave gathered some statistical information touching these interests of our State, for I believe the figures would do us great credit, hut the time afforded for this address was too limited for the attompt. We are now ianufacturing blankets and coarse woolen cloths, powder, paper, glass ware, shot, matcbes, brooms, tubs, pails, vabinet work, jewelry, soap, starch, macearoni, bricks, marble, granite work, fire bose, carpets, aud leather. We are building ships, steamers, steam engines, boilers, railroad cars, carriages, wagons, producing machinery for quartz crushing, mill work and castings of every deacription and agricultural implements; our grains are floured in our own mills, or distilled; casks, barrels and lumher from our own forests ; cider, and vinegar made from our own orebards ; pickles and can fruit of our own raising; beet and pork packed for our own consumption; wine from our own vineyards. A cotton factory is in process of construction, which if successful, and shall encourage the cultivation of cotton upon the Pacific coast, will be worth to our State half a dozen silyer mines. We are raising the cotton now; we are producing tobaceo, and manufacturing large quantities of cigars; we are producing more whisky than is good for our people to drink ; our wine product is in the millions of gallons already, though the vine culture is but in its infancy ; we are packing onions and figs with success. Tbere are doubtless many other sources of home wealth tbat I bave overlooked, and I have named only a portion of our manufacturing aud producing occupations; but even this glance will enable us to contrast tbe present with the time when we used to wonder if our mountain land would grow vegetables ; when our onions and pototoes came trom the Sandwich Islands, our soiled linen washed in China, our eggs and butter brought from Boston, our lumber from Anstralia, and our bricks from New York. This glance at our produetions teaches us also how many other articles we ought to produce and manufacture, and which we will undoubtedly accomplish in the good time coming, when Jabor is plenty and money ig cheap. The question of curreney is now claiming the attention of our people; let us briefly consider it. It is one of those questions in which we bave all a common interest—we all desire the same result. We want cboap money and plenty of it. A thousand schemes of industry would be entered upon if money could be obtained at low rates of interest, and tor want of which our Stato is nnw languishing. Gold and silver is our only circulating medinm. Whether wisely or not, the Constitution of California prevented the establishment of banks tor the issue of paper money, and for twelve years we operated with only gold and silver coin. The war came, and the Gevernment found it necessary to issue paper currency; and to declare that it should be Legal Tsndet tor the payment of all debts. The people of the Bastern States bnd been in the use of paper money and they found the transition from the one kind of paper to the otber easy. The substitution of the bills of National banks for the bills of private banks was not difficult. Nearly all the war expenditure was in the Eastern States and thus the people of those States become familiar with tbe National Currency. The substitution of paper money for coin was tound more difficult. On this coast we were far removed from the scene of war and war money. Our capital was largely owned by foreigners, our home indebtedness had been created for gold, we were in danger of a financial crisis, the bolders of capital began to draw in their money, to deny further accommodations unless they could bave a guarantee that if they loaned gold they sbould be paid gold. Itthe merchant sold for a gold price and the mecbanic manufactured for a gold value and the laborer worked for gold wages, these moral obligations should be legally enforced by payment in gold, and legislation wisely, I thcugbt at the time, passed what is known as the Specific Contract Law, but which is simply an amendment to the Practice Act, providing _ that when contracts are made for the payment of gold, or silver, or paper, the courts shall entoree the obligation in the specific currency in which the contract is made. In other words, it extended the machinery of tbe law and tbe process of the courts to carry out the contracts which business men entered into with eacb other. Tbe repeal of this law is now being agitated. Itis bard to convince the working-man that a paper dollar at twonty-five cents below par, is equal in value toa gold dollar; but two paper dollars, worth seventy-five cents each, are worth just fifty cents more than the brightest gold dollar that ever left the mint. We need all the money we can get, still we must not confound cause witb effect. tis said that the Specific Contract Law prevents paper money from coming to California—prevents the establisbment of National Banks—that nearly atbousand millions of dollars of National Currency are floating in the Eastern States, seeking investment at low rates of interest, and that the repeal of the Specifio Contract Law would encourage the introduction ot that capital to our State, would aid to develop our resources, encourage our manufactnring interests, and build up internal improvements. gaNow, we would all of us bo glad tn have more capital, and I do not believe there are any of us who are so prejudiced against paper money that we would not be glad to bave our pockets full of it. We would be glad to see National Banks established in rivalry with our own hanks for the reduction of rates of interest; we are all in favor of cheap money, and we are all patriotic enough to believe our Govornment is able and willing to pay her entire debt, gigantic though it be. Bat is it not well to inquire whether the repeal of the Specific Contract Law will hring about all the improvement and benefit we desire; whether its repeal will ward ofl all the evils we deplore and all we anticipate? It is a delicate matter to attempt to legislate~ upon questions of curreney. Money is sensitive, timid, and easily disturbed; and unless we are very certain tbat the repeal of the Specific Contract clause will improve our financial condition and alleviate the monetary embarrassment, we bad better leave the law undisturbed. Capital is the nursing mother of labor, and any legislation that disturbs the one destroys the other. There is another qnestion claiming public attention touching the interests ot labor. refer to tho position of the Freedmen of tbe Nation. b Our war has happily terminated in the enfranchisement of four millions of people who ere formerly slaves. Upon tboir labor depended tbe production of certain leading staples. They were the working foree of a large section of our Union; whether ‘thi lahor force shall be retained in the spot of their former employment, or sball invade the fields of industry now ocenpied hy the white laborers of the North, involves the prosperity of both parts of our country.