USA > California > History of California, Volume IV > Part 21
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" The junta had been convoked in Dec. 1840 to meet in Jan. Requena, Pio Pico, and José Castro excuse themselves on the plea of ill health; and Requena also argues that the junta expires legally on Dec. 31st and must be renewed in toto. Dept. St. Pap., MS., v. 34-6. Jan. 9, 184], Santiago Ar- güello caunot attend on account of his duties as prefect, fcaring disorders in his district. Leg. Rec., MS., iv. 1. March 12th, Alvarado complains that all the vocales but one replied that there were 'legal impediments' to their attendance. S. Diego, Arch., MS., 280. June 21st, A. to min. of rel., com- plaining of a lack of interest on the part of the dip., which body will not even meet to discuss important matters. Dept. Rec., MS., xii. 34.
4 See ITist. Cal., vol. iii., chap. xx., this series. In a letter of June 5, 184], Requena says the chief reason why the tribunal has not been opened is be- cause the gov. is unwilling to give J. A. Carrillo an opportunity for intrigue. Requena, Doc., MS., 2.
HIST. CAL., VOL. IV. 13
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POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND GENERAL CONDITION.
eral condition of the people was concerned, was not altogether unsatisfactory. Local matters were well enough managed, according to Hispano-American ideas, by prefects and jueces de paz; and in several instances the perpetrators of serious crimes were pun- ished with a promptness almost unheard of in Cali- fornia. Doubtless there was room for great reforms in the administration of justice. Indian horse-thieves were becoming bold in their operations, petty thefts and drunken quarrels among vagabonds of the towns were too often unpunished; but it must be added that current statements of foreign visitors respecting the reign of crime and the utter lack of protection to life and property were grossly exaggerated.
The year brought no changes of a general nature in the administration of mission affairs, and the con- dition of the different establishments remained prac- tically as in 1839-40.5 No successor was appointed to Hartnell as visitador, and the majordomos in charge of the estates were responsible directly to the government. There are no accounts and little cor- respondence extant respecting drafts upon those estates in behalf of the departmental treasury;6 but while it is impossible to estimate the amount obtained, there is no doubt that such drafts were freely made whenever mission products could be utilized. Foreign visitors allude in general terms to the destruction of the missions, but refer rather to the period than to the year; and in its general phases this subject has al- ready received sufficient attention.7 From the mass
5 See chap. ii. of this vol.
6 Feb. 1841, 1,100 sheep delivered by governor's order from Sta Clara to Douglas; in March, 50 cows to the same person. St. Pap. Miss., MS., ix. 43. These animals were sold by the gov. to the H. B. Co.
7 Jan. 29, 1841, Ethan Estabrook writes to Larkin: 'Should his excellency continue in office I have no doubt the missions will suffer till there is nothing left to suffer.' Larkin's Doc., MS., i. 122. Mofras, Explor., i. 390, 420, says that Alvarado took all the cattle left at Soledad, with all the iron-work, and the tiles for his own house, and gave everything remaining to his friend So- beranes. He also speaks of the deliberate plunder of Mission S. José by the Vallejo family.
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CONDITION OF THE MISSIONS.
of petty local items extant I judge that in 1841 there was less of abuse and robbery in the administration of these estates than in former years-either because of reforms introduced by Hartnell, a weeding-out of some of the worst administrators, greater vigilance on the part of the governor, or a lack of desirable property to be stolen : perhaps for all these causes com- bined. The padres, increased in number to twenty- three by the return of García Diego and the coming of Santillan and Ambris, novices who soon became priests, served as curates at their respective estab- lishments, and nothing was heard of those in the south beyond an occasional protest against the con- duct of an unmanageable majordomo, or against the granting of some mission rancho. In the north the Zacatecanos sustained and increased their unenvi- able reputation by the disgraceful conduct of the drunken Padre Quijas, and the hardly less apparent immoralities of certain others, which foreign visitors especially did not fail to notice and to write about.8
At or in connection with each of the southern es- tablishments, as at several of those in the north, a small number of Indians were still living in commu- nity, on one basis or another, more or less completely under the control of administrators or padres, or both .? Mofras gives the number of Indians living in com- munity in 1841-2 as 4,450, varying from 20 at Sole- dad and San Rafael to 500 and 650 at San Gabriel, San Diego, and San Luis Rey; but in these figures he must include at several places in the north many Indians who had no other connection with the mis- sions than that of living somewhere in the vicinity.10
8 Wilkes, Simpson, and Peirce speak in plain terms on the subject; still it must be admitted that so far as their personal observations went, P. Quijas was the one mainly responsible.
9 July 26th, Alvarado by a decree releases an Indian from his condition of neophyte, allowing him to support himself and family as he pleases. Bandini, Doc., MS., 52. Prefect Argüello complains to Capt. Guerra of the scandalous immorality prevalent in the southern missions, some of which are little else than brothels. Guerra, Doc., MS., vii. 82-3.
10 Mofras, Explor., i. 320. This author gives a very good description of the condition of each establishment.
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POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND GENERAL CONDITION.
There is no satisfactory information respecting the Indian pueblos of the south;11 and the only event of local annals requiring notice in this connection is the dissolution of the neophyte community at San Juan Capistrano. This action was taken by the governor in consequence of dissatisfaction with the majordomo, and of a petition from citizens of San Diego to have lands assigned them. The order was issued in July and the lands were distributed some months later. The Indians were given the preference in the choice of lands, and the new pueblo was named San Juan de Argüello.12 Bishop García Diego arrived in 1841, landing from the Rosalind at San Diego with a suite of twelve persons the 11th of December; but his formal reception, together with the beginnings of the grand work he no doubt intended to accomplish for his diocese, belongs to the annals of another year.13
Bare mention is all that is called for in the matter of Indian affairs. Though fears were expressed that hostile gentiles might again possess the country,14 and
11 Feb .- April 1841, some dissatisfaction of the Indians at Las Flores, S. Pascual, and S. Dieguito, at the interference of the Picos. Hayes' Mission Book, 347, from S. Diego Archives.
12 Extracts from archives in Hayes' Mission Book, i. 121-2, 126-8; Jans- sens, Vida, MS., 167-9; Los Angeles Star, Nov. 13, 1869; S. Diego, Index, MS., 137; Dept. St. Pap., Ang., MS., xii. 54; Dept. St. Pap., MS., xviii. 46, etc.
13 Dec. 12, 1841, Argüello to governor, announcing the bishop's arrival, and ordering some preparations for his journey to the presidio from some point not clearly defined. He was to start in a silla de manos as soon as the people had assembled, and was to lodge at Bandini's house. Dept. St. Pap., Ben. Pref. y Juzg., MS., iii. 102-4. Nov. 5th, contract with Capt. Crouch of the Rosalind to carry the bishop and suite from S. Blas to S. Diego for $2,000 and all tonnage dues. Id., vi. 80-1. July 29th, Alvarado to Vallejo, announcing that the bishop is on his way. Vallejo, Doe., MS., x. 236. His episcopal influence was felt before his arrival, as appears from an order of the alcalde of S. Diego on Sept. 1, 1840, to keep cattle out of the streets, as the bishop might arrive any day! S. Diego, Index, MS., 109. On Dec. 18th García Diego confirmed 125 persons. S. Diego, Lib. Mision, MS., 45. Va- llejo writes to Virmond on Dec. Ist: 'The coming of a bishop is going to cause much trouble. The priests are beside themselves with pride, and begin to fulminate sentences of excommunication, etc., relying on that prelate. Poor crazy fools, if they think they can browbeat the leading men in California. The age of theocratic domination is past. However, Californians who have never seen bishops will now know how they dress and observe their ceremo- nies. If they intended to plant new missions among the savages, some good might result; but nothing is further from the minds of the priests.' l'allejo, Doc., MS., viii. 333.
14 Dec. 24th, Vallejo to chief of staff in Mexico. Vallejo, Doc., MIS., x. 398.
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INDIAN AFFAIRS.
foreign writers spoke in a general way of continual outrages, I find in records of the year nothing of de- tails beyond the facts that several expeditions of citi- zen soldiers and friendly Indians were sent out from San José against the horse-thieves;15 that there was a continuance of hostilities, or at least of warlike ru- mors, on the southern frontier, particularly from May to July;16 and that the fierce Sotoyomes of the north were said to be planning a new attempt to destroy the gente de razon.17 Thus even rumors of hostilities were less plentiful than usual; and while horse-stealing was a regular industry of the gentiles, often in league with Christians, and occasionally an Indian was killed in a conflict between the two classes, there was no real hostility in a warlike sense, and no special danger in any part of the country. General apathy in Indian affairs as in everything else.
The old military establishment of presidial com- panies was still kept up, nominally at San Francisco- or rather Sonoma-Monterey, and Santa Bárbara; but the company of San Diego had long since disappeared. The three companies had about one hundred men on their pay rolls, either in active service or as inválidos; and about $30,000 of the departmental revenues was devoted to their support.13 An artillery force with a
The general's object was to get an increase of military force, and he doubtless exaggerated the danger. Alvarado in his letters to Mexico declared often that the Indians could be easily controlled.
15 Jan. 24, 1841, gov. to prefect. In consequence of an encounter between pagans and a neophyte, bows aud arrows are to be distributed; and Capt. Estrada is to go with the force. Dept. Rec., MS., xii. 2. July 23d, J. J. Va- llejo to com. gen. Robberies frequent. 25 citizens will start day after to- morrow. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x.221. Feb. 19th, gov. orders payment of $20 to au Indian chief who has returned from his campaign in the Tulares. Dept. St. Pap., Ben. Com. and Treas., MS., iv. 62. May-July, payment of $254 and other sums for monthly expenses of auxiliary forces against Indians. Id., iv. 57-8.
16 May-July, 1841, slight corresp. on reported rising of Ind. of the Sierra de Jamur and Sierra de Tuzmin. Dept. St. Pap., Angeles, MS., vi. 32,43; xii. 57; Dept. Rec., MS., xii. 13; Fitch, Doc., MS., 166.
17 Vallejo to Alvarado, July 27th. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x. 230. Salvador Vallejo was about to march against the foc.
18 For particulars see local annals. I note the following military items: Jan. 1, 1841, Vallejo to min. of war. The Mazatlan squadron of 1819 has been for many years dispersed for want of resources, each man earning his
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POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND GENERAL CONDITION.
grand total of 24 men was also maintained; of which Captain Silva was made the commander, and respect- ing which certain reports were called for and made, with a view to increase its efficiency for the country's safety. The armament was forty-three cannon, or two to each gunner, to say nothing of seventeen use- less pieces.19 In addition to the military force already specified, there was a temporary auxiliary or militia company organized for service against the Indians, but about which at this time little is known.20
Having thus briefly noticed several matters con- nected with the general condition of the country in 1841, I come back to that of politics, or to the only phase of politics outside of foreign relations that still offered something of interest or importance-the con- troversy between the comandante general and the governor.
At the beginning of the year Vallejo wrote again to the supreme government of his grievances and of the ruin that Alvarado's policy was bringing upon the
living as best he can. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x. 7. Jan. 11th, the gov. has bought 100 carbines from the Catalina to prevent their being sold to private persons. Id., x. 2. March, Vallejo informs comandantes that he has been ordered to report on disabled officers, who are to be retired. Id., x. 82. Aug. 3d, a lieutenant authorizes his attorney to collect from Abrego $1,885, back pay for 4 years and 10 months. S. Diego, Arch., MS., 282. Aug. 7th, pur- chase of 100 carbines from Célis and 2,046 flints. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x. 239. Sept. 23d, $300 on account of the general's salary sent with money for the company. Id., x. 288. Oct. Ist, V. says that in accordance with orders from Mexico he has appointed a comandante for the frontier (distinct from that of S. F.) Dept. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., Ixxxv. 3.
19 June 1840, Silva appointed in Mexico to re-organize and command the artillery. Savage, Doc., MS., iv. 322-3. Feb. 19, 1841, min. of war calls for a report of guns and war material. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x. 63. April 17th, similar order. Id., x. 116. May 12th, report of chief of artillery at Monterey on armament and its distribution, as follows: Monterey, 18 guns, with cap- tain, sergeant, 2 corporals, drummer, and 7 privates; S. Francisco, 6 guus and 1 man; Sonoma, 7 guns and 5 men; Sta Bárbara, 3 guns and 6 meu; S. Diego, 9 guns and 1 man; besides useless guns and miscellaneous war ma- terial. Id., x. 125-6.
20 Feb. 16, 1841, general order in Mexico for organization of auxiliary com- panies. Vallejo, Doc. Hist. Mex., MS., ii. 169. June 28th, Alvarado consults Vallejo on the subject. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x. IS1. Payments to auxiliaries for service. Dept. St. Pap., Ben. Com. and Treas., MS., iv. 57-8. Sept. 5th, Capt. Estrada states that his troops have ceased to serve. Id., iv. 55.
199
VALLEJO vs ALVARADO.
country,21 expressing anew his conviction that relief must come from Mexico, and that the two commands should be re-united in one person. He also addressed a private letter to President Bustamante on the sub- ject, explaining that the unfortunate interruption of friendly relations between the two men had rendered it impossible for him to exert any influence upon Alvarado, who had done nothing of late but create offices and multiply expenses. A reorganization of the public service in all its branches was imperatively necessary; at the least, a commissioner should be sent from Mexico to study and report on California's needs. He also hoped to be soon relieved of his command and permitted to visit the national capital.22
Naturally, unworthy motives have been imputed to Vallejo. It has been thought that he not only desired to humble a rival, but to obtain the governorship for himself. Alvarado, as we have seen, had once gone so far as to suspect, or to pretend such a suspicion, that he was ready to effect his purpose by conspiracy with foreigners,23 and other partisans of the governor held and expressed similar opinions.24 A common
21 Jan. 1, 1841, V. to min. of war. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x. 4-6, 9-11. Sev- eral communications. He says 'the civil govt in unskilful hands has sworn the destruction of the military branch, and has not even respected its prop- erty;' declares the presidial companies must be restored, and given each its rancho-especially must the company of Sonoma have the rancho of Soscol; complains of an unjust distribution of the funds; states that Abrego, having been appointed comisario without bonds, obeys Alvarado implicitly; says he has only just received his official despatches from the war department for 1837-40, all having been opened at the capital; charges that not only public but private mails are tampered with; that the California sailed without his correspondence, being despatched by the gov. without his knowledge. Abuses cf every kind are constantly permitted and relief can come only from the national govt, the orders of which at present are despised. Jan. 15th, to Virmond he writes that the governor's sycophants have caused confusion in every branch of the govt, and now, expecting soon to lose their offices, are destroying everything as fast as they can. Id., x. 42.
22 Jan. 15th, V. to pres. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x. 46. He says Guerra y Noriega is the only officer at all competent to take his place temporarily.
23 See Hist. Cal., vol. iii., chap. xx., this series.
24 Feb. 25, 1841, Joaquin T. Castro from S. Pablo to prefect Tiburcio Cas- tro. Fears that Vallejo intends to get the command, and has good reason for his fears. The foreigners favor him, and Forbes says the Mexican govt has given him encouragement. Has never longed for Don José's presence more than now. Could say much more, but prefers to wait. Vallejo has threatened to make it hot for 'mas de cuatro' in case of success. Monterey, Arch., MS.,
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POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND GENERAL CONDITION.
version of the matter among Californians is in sub- stance that Vallejo, angry at not being allowed to control the government, strove to overthrow his rival and obtain his place, but overshot the mark, since both fell together.25 These charges and suspicions are, however, greatly exaggerated if not wholly unfounded. I have already shown that at the beginning of the quarrel Vallejo was influenced not only by well found- ed disapproval of the governor's acts, but by wounded personal pride and an exalted idea of his own author- ity. In 1839 he would have been flattered by an offer of the governorship, as an honor, a source of power, and as a means of humbling his foes; but I find no evidence that he ever openly or secretly sought the office, and I doubt that he would have accepted it at all in 1841. The whole tenor of his communi- cations to the Mexican government is against the the- ory that he desired to be governor.26 Naturally, he may still have felt some resentment toward Alvarado, or more specially toward his associates at the capital; but there are indications that his feelings in that re- spect were less bitter than formerly. He was tired of the estrangement and controversy, and he felt that under the unwise management of Alvarado and his advisers none of the reforms-political, military, com- mercial, and industrial-which he believed essential to the country's welfare were to be expected. He be- x. 6-7. 'An idea has got abroad that he [Vallejo] is looking to the guberna- torial chair, and to be placed there by the same force that has raised Alvarado and himself to the posts they now occupy.' Wilkes' Narr., v. 210-11.
23 Osio, Ilist. Cal., MS., 415-18, thinks the action of the govt at the first in writing a private letter to both officers did much to promote the quarrel, leading each to deem himself the favored one. Each tried, both in Cal. and Mex., to overthrow the other; but it is implied that V. was in the wrong be- cause his office was a subordinate one. See also, in a similar strain, some in- clining to one side and some to the other, Botello, Anales, MS., 95; Ord, Ocurrencias, MS., 120; Serrano, Apuntes, MS., 61-2; Fernandez, Cosas de Cal., MS., 109; Galindo, Apuntes, MS., 42-3; and many others. Narratives of foreign writers generally give a similar version.
26 Alvarado himself, Ilist. Cal., MS., iv. 193-200, does not charge V. with having desired the office; though he does charge him with having been influ- enced in his opposition mainly by anger at not being allowed to manage the country. In his letter to Virmond of Jan. 14th, V. says his enemies believe he is trying to get the governorship, and is likely to succeed; but that such is not the case. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x. 42.
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VALLEJO'S POLICY.
lieved that the department was drifting toward ruin; he saw no way of averting the danger under the act- ual régime, and he advised a change. His advice, from the standpoint of a Mexican official, was sound; and I am disposed to think, notwithstanding the cur- rent charges, that it was honestly given. Before the end of 1841, moreover, the general had doubtless be- come convinced that California was not destined to remain long under Mexican rule. He was an intelli- gent man, foresaw that the change was likely to be an advantage to his country and to his own interests, and was not disposed to look with dread upon the prospect; but being also a man of honor, with a due sense of his obligations as a Mexican officer, he con- tinued in good faith to urge upon his government the imminence of the danger and the only means of avert- ing it. As comandante general he was impelled by his pride and sense of honor to protect Mexican in- terests; but he preferred that the impending change should find neither himself nor his nephew in charge of the department.
During the summer, while negotiations for the abandonment of Ross were in progress, relations be- tween the governor and general were not unfriendly, as we have seen; and in July letters were exchanged by the two, in which they expressed mutual regret for past estrangement, and a desire for reconciliation. A. personal interview was proposed, Jesus Vallejo exert- ing himself particularly in the matter; but the mag- nate of Sonoma was unwilling to visit the capital, and Alvarado declared himself too unwell to come to Santa Clara.27 It was also in July that there came,
27 July 15, 1841, fragment of a letter from V. to A. 'No men were ever united by so many tics from infancy to manhood.' Hopes to get rid of his office, and thus to remove all grounds of rivalry, and, if it be impossible to re- new cordial relations, at least to escape the ridicule of their friends. Vallejo, Doc., MS., xiv. 29. July 29th, A. to V. Is glad to know that V. desires a restoration of harmony; and is at a loss to know exactly what interrupted it after their last meeting. /d., x. 235. July 27th, V. invites A. to visit the frontier to have an interview and study the needs of thatregion. Denies the current charges that he desires to make himself a sultan and to ignore the
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POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND GENERAL CONDITION.
by the same vessel that brought back the foreign exiles from San Blas, a rumor that a new comandante general had been appointed, and was about to start for California with five hundred men. The rumor, though premature, had some foundation in fact, but was not credited by the governor.28
Meanwhile the government in Mexico replied in April to Vallejo's communications of January. In these replies, which seem not to have reached Cali- fornia until October, Vallejo was assured in the presi- dent's name that measures would be promptly dictated for the reform of abuses complained of. Alvarado was recommended to observe all due consideration for the general; both were urged to act in harmony, and mutually aid each other in the country's time of trou- ble which seemed near at hand.23 About the same time José Castro came back from Mexico, very likely with verbal instructions from Bustamante to effect a reconciliation between the two chiefs. At any rate, he took some steps in that direction, as it was evi- dently feared that a crisis was at hand when the gen- eral's cooperation would be needed. Writing to Vallejo he protested that his friendship was undimin- ished, denied that he had tried to compromise the general in Mexico, cursed the men who had kept their rulers at loggerheads, hoped he would, by coming to Monterey, teach those false friends a lesson, urged him to forget all personal differences for the country's good, and invited him to come to Mission San José for an interview. "The good begun by us for Cali- fornia must be carried to completion, and our foes confounded"!30 Alvarado also wrote, expressing his willingness to obey the president's instructions by political authorities. He has the force to do so if he wished, but has never entertained such unworthy ideas. Id., x. 230.
28 July 22d, Comandante Flores at Monterey to V. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x. 220. July 29th, A. to V. Id., x. 236.
29 April 6, 15, 1841, min. of war to V. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x. 98-9; 103-4 April 12th, min. of rel. to A. Sup. Govt St. Pap., MS., xvi. 19. March, June, reports called for on state of affairs in Cal. Dept. St. Pap.,. MS., iv. 137; Angeles, Arch., MS., ii. 68-70.
30 Oct. 5th, 25th, Castro to V. Vallejo, Doc., MS., x. 301, 313. The gen-
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CASTRO'S EFFORTS.
reducing the number of civil servants, attending to the organization of a military force, and taking coun- sel of Vallejo and others respecting the course to be followed, "so far as policy and circumstances could be reconciled with duty." 31
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