Southern Standard

Slavery in California.

The San Francisco Herald of the 12th November, in the course of a long article deprecating excited and angry discussion on the subject of introducing slavery, makes the following interesting statement:

"It may startle those who happen to be nervous on this subject, to be informed that slavery now exists, and has always existed, in California since the adoption of the constitution. In the mining counties and even in San Francisco, there are many slaves, and yet there is no manifest derangement of public morals in consequence, nor do the people generally seem to give themselves much anxiety on the subject. There is no attempt to incite the slaves to run away, and they themselves, catching the healthy tone of public sentiment, never entertain a thought of such a thing. We know some of them whose earnings amount to as much as the pay of a post captain in the navy, and who can purchase their freedom at any time, but are perfectly content with their present condition.

These facts go to prove that it will be difficult, without persevering agitation, to generate bigotry in the minds of the people of California on the slavery question, or to convert it into an element of discord; and such persevering agitation we hope never to see."