USA > California > A memorial and biographical history of the coast counties of Central California > Part 6
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* * that he must be telling the truth. *
"Castañares keeps his room most of the time, where many of the passengers have called on him, all of whom he receives with the courtesy of a Castilian. In an interest- ing interview with Dr. Gwin (in which the writer acted as interpreter, as Señor Cas- tañares does not speak English), he spoke with the intelligence of a statesman and the fervor of a patriot of his country, its government, its president, and of the future of Mexico."
In the meantime Micheltorena had been overthrown, and his office was declared va- cant by the Junta and Pio Pico, on the 15th of February, 1845, was proclaimed the legal governor,-and he was the last governor under Mexican rule. Don Pio is still (1892) alive and vigorous, although in his ninety- second year. He was born at the Mission San Gabriel, in 1801. He is believed to be the only living representative of the Mexican ex-governors of California. His residence is in Los Angeles.
Bancroft estimates the number of overland immigrants to California in 1845, at 250 persons, of whom he thinks 100 were women and children. They came from Oregon, and
over the Sierra Nevada mountains. Ameri- can influence now began to grow very rapidly in California. Thomas O. Larkin was United States Consul at Monterey. Later he received an appointment as confidential agent of the United States Government, and he carefully kept his government advised of the course of events here; and being a man of excellent judgment his views were considered, and really were very valuable.
Mr. Larkin was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1802. He came to Monte- rey in 1832, on the Newcastle, by way of Honolulu, and, at first, was employed by his half-brother, Captain Cooper. Larkin and Dr. Semple; in 1847 founded the town of Benicia, and both he and Semple were members of the Constitutional Convention, in 1849. He after- ward lived awhile, 1850-'52, with his family in New York, but returned in May, 1852, to San Francisco, where he died in 1858. Of his children, two sons and a daughter, were living only a few years since. There is an excellent portrait of Mr. Larkin in the old Cooper mansion at Monterey.
CHAPTER IX.
THE CHANGE FROM SPANISH TO ANGLO- AMERICAN.
LTHOUGH the actual change of gov- ernment in Alta or Upper California dates from the raising of the American flag at Monterey, July 7, 1846, by order of Commodore Sloat, of the United States frig- ate, Savannah, the gradual modification of manners and customs, and modes of life,
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and the slow substitution of the English for the Spanish language, began some time be- fore that date, and they have been going on ever since; indeed, the changes are not yet altogether complete. American civilization in California has certainly been sensibly and probably permanently modified in an infinite variety of forms, by the adoption of Spanish nomenclature, Spanish ideas and Spanish ways of doing things, etc., as Eastern, or American, agricultural methods, under the four annual seasons of the East, have been radically changed here in the West of neces- sity under our only two annual seasons, the wet and the dry.
And a further very important change, far- reaching in its effects, has been caused by the new and in the East, practically unknown use of water for irrigation, in many portions of this State. It is a fundamental maxim in the Eastern States and in England, from whom we derive our theories of water and water- rights, that the water of running streams must not be diminished. It is equally a fundamental maxim in dry countries, where irrigation is an absolute necessity, that the volume of flowing water must be diminished, or, in other words, it must be absorbed in the thirsty ground. As a matter of fact, the Spanish theory of the use of water from springs and running streams, and evolved by long experience from the actual necessities of the case, has come in contact and in conflict here in California with the English or ripa- rian theory, which is based on entirely differ- ent uses of such running streams, to wit, for
motive power and navigation. As all our lawyers and law-makers are educated under the English law, the change or adaptation of our legislation to this new use of water or to the Spanish theory, is necessarily very slow. Nevertheless it must, and eventually will be effected; though much wrong, and perhaps violence must be suffered, pending the irre- pressible conflict between the two theories.
Prior to the year 1846, English-speaking trappers and traders came hither in consid- erable numbers by land, where they found the sweet Spanish idiom was the vernacular; and a few English speaking sailors landed here from the occasional vessels that touched on this coast; and, as almost withont excep- tion, they liked the country, its climate, and its people, they married and became fixture, or permanent settlers. And thus they in turn, as they increased in numbers, came to exert not a little influence on the Spanish- speaking population, and to predispose it ta- vorably toward American ways, and toward the American people. That this predisposi- tion was a very important factor in facilitat- ing the change of governments, no one can deny. Of course the marrying, occasionally, of Englishmen intoinfluential California fami- lies, as in the case of Don Juan Forster, who married a Pico, had a tendency to dispose favor- ably such families toward the English, and this fully and very naturally explains why Governor Pico, when he saw that a change of government was inevitable, favored the English rather than the Americans. But of course Amer- ican alliances with native Californian families
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were much the more numerous, and their in- fluence was therefore proportionately greater. It is only necessary, in order to appreciate how potently and yet how insensibly this in- finence was exerted, to cite the names of such early pioneers as the Temples, Captain Cooper, Leese, Robinson, Stearns, Wolfskill, Warner, Fitch, Howard, Bidwell, and many others who came later, but prior to the change of government, all of whom either married into native families or established intimate rela- tions with influential Californians.
The story of the exploits of those who offi- cially took part in effecting the change Fre- mont, Sloat, Larkin, Stockton, Kearny, etc., and of those who served under them-will always have an interest for Californians. To have brought about a transfer of allegiance of the people of California from the Mexican to the United States Government, almost with- ont the shedding of blood, comparatively speaking, was a feat requiring tact and jndg- ment, especially in view of the long distance of the actors from the scene of events trans- piring on the other side of the continent, on which, to a large extent, their own action must necessarily depend; and of the long and tedi- ous methods then required to communicate information between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Each acted his part according to his best judgment, though at times he was com- pelled to act in the dark.
As Monterey was the capital where events centered, an account of what happened here wonid have both a local and a territorial in- terest.
Captain John C. Frémont, an officer of the United States Topographical Engineers, in charge of some sixty men, reached the eastern territorial limits of California, via Great Salt Lake, on his second expedition to this western coast, in the latter part of 1845, and his party in two sections camped on Kern and Kings rivers. Desiring to obtain supplies for his exhausted men and animals, and give them rest before proceeding to Oregon, Fremont deemed it advisable to obtain permission from the authorities for his company to camp in the valley of the San Joaquin. He therefore came to Monterey, where he met the Ameri- can consul, Thomas O. Larkin, and through him obtained the desired permission from the prefect, General Castro; Governor Pio Pico at Los Angeles was duly advised of Fré- mont's request, to the granting of which he interposed no objection.
Of course in the interview between Fré- mont and Larkin, the former became thor- oughly informed concerning the pecular sta- tus of political affairs in California at that time; and of course the information thus gained influenced his future action, which lias been sharply criticised by various writers, and especially by l'rofessor Royce. Frèmont may not always have acted wisely; but his in- tentions were certainly patriotic. Imbibing Senator Benton's advanced, but enlightened views, as to the very great importance of opening communication with Oregon, and the far Westof our own country, then undeveloped, and almost unknown; and well knowing that in case of war with Mexico, which was liable
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to break out at any time, England might at- tempt to secure the debt due her from Mex- ico, by seizing California, which our govern- ment could never permit; it was very nat- ural that he should take a lively interest in the course of events in California, and should desire to do all in his power to further the views, which he knew were held by the ad- ministration. Undoubtedly he was stimn- lated to take steps, at times, which were in- discreet, by mingling freely with the Amer- ican settlers (who also ardently desired to see California become an American territory;) as for example, in the cases of the " Bear Flag " and other episodes. The native Californians had twice initiated movements looking to- ward independence. If war broke out, of course, as a mere war measure, California would be seized by United States naval forces in Pacific waters. Although Fremont was engaged in a purely scientific exploring expe- dition, it was natural and right and patriotic, that he, being on the ground, should take an interest in the important events which were then transpiring here. That his instincts were right, in assuming as he did, that the administration at Washington would expect him, in case of war, to assist the navy and and such land forces as might be sent here, in forestalling the English in the seizure of California, is shown by the fact that orders to that effect were not long afterward re- ceived by him.
That Frémont and Sloat, and others some- times erred in judgment, for reasons already suggested, is not at all strange.
With this proviso, it is but just to say, because it is the simple truth, that all those officials who took part in the conquest of California, aimed to do their duty to the best of their ability, with the light they pos- sessed; and that they deserved and received therefor the communication of the American Government aud people.
It is vastly easy for the student in his closet to criticise the daring explorer who, thousands of miles away from home and from his base of supplies, must constantly encounter new and unexpected exigencies, involving, as they sometimes do, the success of his expedition, and not infrequently the very existence of the party uuder him. Only a carper and a prig would pretend that an academician or finnicky doctrinaire, in his seclusion, is better able to decide what should be donein a given emergency, full of complica- tions, in a distant part of the world, than the man of action who is on the ground, and knows intimately and practically all the com- plex circumstances of the sitnation.
As Frémont's company moved about the country rather freely, General Castro became uneasy, and on the 7th of March, 1846, dis- patched a note to him, reciting that he and his party, contrary to law, had entered the settled portions of the Territory, and notifying him that he must immediately re- tire beyond the limits thereof, threatening to expel him if he did not at once obey his order: On receiving this rather brusque notice to get out of the country, Frémont fortified himself on the Gabilan mountain,
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probably in order to save his party from be- ing overwhelmed by a force superior in numbers to his own, which Castro had hastily gotten together. Frémont, in answer to a note from Larkin, insisted that he had in no wise done wrong to the people or the authorities. He undoubtedly intended, after the receipt of this note, to move on northwardly, but he evidently did not propose to be incontinently driven out, and thus run the risk of being attacked on the road, where he would be at a disadvantage; if compelled to protect himself and party from assault, he would do so in a position which could be defended. On the 10th of March, Frémont, finding there was no prospect of immediate attack, withdrew his company into the San Joaquin valley, and from there proceeded on his way to Oregon.
Frémont's own account of this affair is given briefly in a letter to his wife: " About the middle of next month, at latest, I will start for home. The Spaniards were some- what rude and inhospitable below, and ordered us out of the country, after having given me permission to winter there. My sense of duty did not permit me to fight them, but we retired slowly and growlingly, before a force of three or four hundred men, and three pieces of artillery. Without a shadow of a cause, the governor suddenly raised the whole country against us, issuing a false and scandalous proclamation. Of course I did not dare to compromise the United States, against which appearances would have been strong; but though it was
in my power to increase my party by many Americans, I refrained from committing a solitary act of hostility or impropriety."
This is certainly coherent and altogether reasonable, if we take the view, which seems to be the true one, that Frémont's course was wholly defensive, and that it was only adopted after the sudden change of policy of Castro. In the permission given lıim to en- camp and recuperate his party in the country, there may have been some misunderstanding as to how much that permission implied. Perhaps Frémont interpreted it too freely, and that the subsequent movements of his party alarmed the Californians, causing Cas- tro to suddenly change his attitude toward Frémont, thus giving his acts the appear- ance of being, as the latter expressed it, "rude and inhospitable." Being called upon to defend his party-that was one of the imperative functions imposed on him by his position as the responsible leader of the ex- pedition from the time he left the Missouri till his return thither-Frémont promptly placed his men where they could defend themselves against all comers, on the summit of Gabilan peak, where they hastily fortified themselves, and raised the stars and stripes. All this was done strictly in the line of self- defense and self-preservation, and not at all in the line of aggression, or as indicating in- tent to raise the standard of revolution, which would have been absurd. If these acts implied apparent defiance of the Califor- nians, it was clearly defiance of the defensive kind, and not intended to be aggressive in
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any sense of the word, if interpreted in the light of prior and subsequent events.
In the meantime, changes in the condition of affairs, both in the East as well as on this coast, were going on. Lieutenant Gillespie arrived at Monterey, April 17, on the United States vessel Cyane, bringing instructions from Washington to Consul Larkin and Captain Frémont, which modified their sub- sequent action, somewhat. Matters here were rapidly approaching a crisis. Even as early as March 27, a meeting of leading citi- zens, with the military junta, was held at Lar- kin's house, to consider the situation, in which the several propositions were discussed, of independence, annexation to the United States, to England or to France, by Castro, Vallejo, Prudon, Hartnell, and others. From this it was evident that the partisans of all these schemes already believed that a political change of some kind was certain to come very soon. This belief, more or less clearly defined, extended throughout the Territory; but it was probably more actively discussed at Monterey than at any other locality. All through the various phases of events leading
to this change, Consul Larkin acted with great efficiency and skill.
CHAPTER X.
RAISING OF AMERICAN FLAG AT MONTEREY.
OMMODORE Sloat, of the Pacific squadron, on his flag-ship, Savannah, fifty-four guns, arrived at Monterey, July 1, 1846, from Mazatlan. There were in port, on his arrival, the Cayne, Captain Mer- vine, and the Levant, Captain Page, twenty- four guns each. Several days passed before Sloatdecided to take possession of the town, and to order Captain Montgomery of the Ports- mouth, then at San Francisco, or Yerba Buena, as it was more generally known, to raise the American flag at that point.
On July 7, however, having completed all his arrangements for the important step, he sent Captain Mervine ashore with a force of 250 men, who hoisted the stars and stripes over the custom house, whichi was saluted with three cheers by the marines and spectators, and by twenty-one guns from each of the three United States vessels of war in the harbor .* A proclamation in both Spanish
*Mr. Thomas Bralee (a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere), who was one of the actors in the raising of the American flag at Monterey, in 1846, gives some interesting details, not heretofore published, concern- ing that important event. Mr. Bralee served on the Savannah, a sixty-four gun, double bank, frigate, the flag-ship of Commodore Sloat. He says the American frigate sailed out of Mazatlan several times, and Ad- miral Seymour of the Collingwood would follow them to learn in which direction the Savannah would head. But every time she would return to port, and back again would come the British admiral. Once, on the oc- casion of a court martial having tried and found guilty a young sailor, who had struck an officer, the penalty
of which was death, the Savannah put to sea to carry out the sentence of hanging at the yard-arm, which was not permissible in a foreign port, under inter- national law. The poor boy was pardoned by Com- modore Sloat. But the incident served as a pretext to put to sea. The Admiral got tired of following the movements of the Commodore. Meanwhile, on the arrival of Gillespie, with later news from Washington Sloat set sail in earnest for Monterey, where he arrived July 1, having entirely eluded the Briton, who sup- posed the sallying forth this time, as before, was only a feint.
On July 3, some of the men from the Savannah were allowed to go ashore at Monterey. But on July 4,
Old Government Cuartel, Monterey.
Old Custom House, Monterey.
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and English, addressed "to the inhabitants of California," was posted in various public places; the necessary steps for the preservation of order were taken; and information of what had been done was sent to Montgomery, Frémont, Castro, Stearns and others.
At San Francisco Montgomery raised the American Standard two days later, without opposition, and on the same day Lieutenant Revere performed the same act at Sonoma. Thus was the change of government in cen- tral California effected quietly, as an event that was expected by all, and gladly welcomed by many.
On the 15th of July, Commodore R. F. Stockton arrived on the Congress from Nor- folk, via Honolulu. On the 16th, nine days after the raising of the American flag by Sloat, Admiral Sir Geo. F. Seymour, on the English man-of-war, Collingwood, arrived at Monterey from Mazatlan. Whatever views Seymour, as commander of the British squad- ron in the Pacific ocean, may have enter- tained concerning the desirability or feasibility of establishing a British protectorate over
California; and whatever may have been the wishes and hopes of resident partisans of any such scheme, all now saw that the time had passed in which it was possible of realization. At any rate, Seymour remained only a week in port, and then left for the Sandwich Is- land.
On the 23d of July, Commodore Sloat turned over the command of the United States land forces in the conquered Territory to his successor, Commodore Stockton, who, on the 29th, assumed command of the naval squadron, and Commodore Sloat sailed for home on the Levant.
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After having appointed Walter Colton, who had been a navy chaplain, as alcalde, Stockton, in the Congress, with 360 marines and seamen, on the 1st of August, set out for San Pedro, to complete the conquest of the Territory in the south, the Cyane, with Fre- mont's battalion having sailed for San Diego two or three days before. The Savannah, Captain Mervine, remained at Monterey, whither Stockton returned in September.
Alcalde Colton and Robert Semple pub-
they were not allowed ashore, as they were liable to get too merry on our Nation's birthday, and thereby make trouble. Neither on the 5th were they allowed to go ashore, and the men began to grumble. But on the 6th matters were made clear to them. The dec-
laration of war with Mexico was read and active arrangements were made to them to go ashore the next morning. About 400 men, Mr. Bralee thinks (or one-half the force of the Savannah and the sloops of war, Cyane, Captain Mervine, and Levant, Captain Page), disembarked on the morning of July 7, and marched, under command of Captain Mervine, up to the custom house in the center of town to demand the surrender of the place, and detachments of the United States forces then took possession of the cuartel and other points in the town. Of course the inhabitants
recognized that they could not successfully defend the place against the gun United States men of war, and their well armed, formidable crews, and therefore no attempt was made to do so. It is customary for a con- queror, in taking possession of country or port, to go through the formality of lowering the flag of the con- quered before raising his own. But the Mexican flag had been removed, which caused some delay in the proceedings, while messengers were sent aboard the frigate to bring a Mexican flag. This was raised to the top of the flag-staff. Whereupon it was duly lowered, and the United States flag was elevated in place of it. Three cheers were given by the seamen and spectators, and a salute of twenty-one guns was fired by the men-of-war.
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lished the first newspaper in California, at Monterey, from August 15, 1846, till May 1847, when it was moved to San Francisco. The old press and Spanish type, which they used, they found in the government house, where they had been stored since the time of Governor Figueroa. As there is no letter w in the Spanish alphabet, the printers, in set- ting up matter for the English portion of this pioneer weekly journal of western civilization, which was called The Californian, were com- pelled to use two v's, thus, vv for w.
The following is Colton's own account of this journalistic enterprise, as recorded in his diary of Saturday, August 15, 1846: "To-day the first newspaper ever published in Califor- nia made its appearance. The honor, if such it be, of writing its prospectus fell to me. It is to be issued on every Saturday, and is published by Semple & Colton. Little did I think when I relinquished the editorship of the North American in Philadelphia, that my next feat in this line would be off here in California. My partner is an immi- grant from Kentucky, who stands six feet eight, in his stockings. He is in a buckskin dress, a fox-skin cap; is true with his rifle, ready with his pen, and quick at the type- case.
"He created the materials of our office, out of the chaos of a small concern, which had been used by a Roman Catholic monk in printing a few sectarian tracts. The press was old enough to be preserved as a curiosity ; the mice had burrowed in the balls; there were no rules, no leads, and the types were
rusty and all in pi. It was only by scouring that the letters could be made to show their faces. A sheet or two of tin were procured, and these, with a jack-knife, were cut into rules and leads. Luckily we found with the press the greater part of a keg of ink; and now came the main scratch for paper. None could be found, except what is used to envelop the tobacco of the cigar smoked here by the nations. A coaster (vessel) had a small sup- ply of this on board, which we procured. It is in sheets a little larger than the common- sized foolscap. And this is the size of our first paper, which we have christened The California. Though small in dimensions, our first number is as full of news as a black- walnut is of meat. We have received by couriers during the week intelligence from all the military posts throughout the Terri- tory. Very little of this has transpired; it reaches the public for the first time through our sheet. We have also the declaration of war between the United States and Mexico, with an abstract of the debate in the Senate. A crowd was waiting when the first sheet was thrown from the press. It produced quite a little sensation. Never was a bank run upon harder; not, however, by people with paper to get specie, but exactly the re- verse. One-half of the paper is in English, the other in Spanish. The subscription for a year is $5.00; the price of a single sheet is 12} cents, and is considered cheap at that."
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