USA > California > Los Angeles County > Ingersoll's century history, Santa Monica Bay cities prefaced with a brief history of the state of California, a condensed history of Los Angeles County, 1542-1908 > Part 7
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The success of the revolution was most bitterly disappointing to the mission padres. Through the long years of strife between Mexico and the mother coun- try they had hoped and prayed for the triumph of Spain. In the downfall of Spanish domination and the rise of Republicanism, they read the doom of their feudal institutions, the missions. On the promulgation of the Federal Constitu- tion of October, 1824, in California, Father Vicente de Serria, the president of the missions-a Spaniard and a royalist-not only refused to take the oath of allegiance to it, but also declined to perform religions services in favor of it. An order was issued by the Supreme Government for his arrest ; but before it reached California he had been superseded in the presidency by Father Narciso Duran of San José. A number of the padres were hostile to the Republic and evaded taking the oath of allegiance on the ground of obedience to the orders of their Superior. Their unfriendly attitude to the Republic was one of the causes that led to the secularization of the missions a few years later.
The Mexican government, shortly after its inauguration, removed most of the restrictions imposed by Spain against foreigners settling in California and the colonization law of 1824 was liberal. The state religion was the Roman Catholic and all foreigners who settled in the country were required to embrace it. During Spanish domination not more than half a dozen foreigners had been allowed to become permanent residents. The earliest English settler was John Gilroy, who was left by his vessel at Monterey in 1814. He married a daughter of Ignacio Ortega and at one time owned a large body of land, but died poor. Joseplı Chap- man, the first American settler, was one of Bouchard's men, captured at Monterey in 1818.
Beginning with Baron Rezanof's visit to San Francisco, in 1806, for the purpose of buying grain for the starving Russian colony at Sitka, the Russians made frequent visits to the coast, partly to obtain supplies, but more for the pur- pose of hunting seal and sea otter. Their Aleut fur hunters in their bidarkas, or skin canoes, killed otter in San Francisco bay and the Spaniards, destitute of boats or ships, were powerless to prevent them. In 1812 they built a village and fort about 18 miles north of Bodega bay, which they named Ross, and which mounted ten cannon. They also maintained a port on Bodega bay, and a small station on Russian river. The Spanish protested against this invasion of terri- tory and threatened to drive out the Russians, but nothing came of either their protests or threats. The Russian ships came for supplies and were welcomed by the people and the padres, if not by the government officials. The Russian colony was not a success, and after the decline of fur hunting the settlement became unprofitable, and in 1841, the building and stock were sold by the Russian gov- ernor to Captain John A. Sutter for $30,000. The settlement was abandoned and the fort and town have long since fallen into ruins.
Among the foreigners who came to California soon after the establishment of Mexican independence and became prominent in affairs may be named, W. E. P. Hartnell, Captain John R. Cooper, William A. Richardson, Daniel A. Hill
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and William A. Gale. William Edward Petty Hartnell came from Lima as a member of the firm of McCullock, Hartnell & Co., engaged in the hide and tallow trade. Hartnell was an Englishman by birth, well educated and highly respected. He married Maria Teresa de la Guerra and twenty-five children were born to them. He died at Monterey in 1859. William A. Gale came in 1810 as a Bos- ton fur trader. He returned to the territory in 1822 on the ship Sachem, the pioneer Boston hide drogher. It brought to the coast a number of Americans who became permanent residents of the country. California on account of its long distance from the centers of trade had but few products for exchange that would bear the cost of transportation. Its chief commodities for barter, during the Mexican era, were hides and tallow. The vast range of country adapted to cattle raising made that its most profitable industry. After the removal of the restrictions on commerce with foreigners by the Mexican government, a profitable trade grew up between the New England ship owners and the California ranchi- eros. Vessels were fitted out in Boston with a cargo of assorted goods suitable for the trade. Voyaging around Cape Horn and stopping at the various points along the coast they exchanged their stock of goods and Yankee "notions" for hides and tallow. It took from two to three years to make the voyage out from Boston and return, but the profits on the goods sold and on the hides received in exchange were so large that these ventures paid handsomely. Cattle raising, up to the time of the discovery of gold in 1848, continued to be the principal industry of the country.
During the first decade of republican rule, there was but little change in polit- ical conditions or in the views of the people concerning the government. Mission rule was still dominant and the people were subservient to the governors appointed over them. But with the increase of foreigners and the advent of ex-revolution- ists from Mexico, the old-time native California Loyalists gradually became im- bued with a kind of republicanism that transformed them into malcontents, whose protests against the sins of governmental officials took the form of pronuncia- mentos and revolutions.
The first of the numerous revolts against the rule of the governors appointed by the Mexican government occurred in November, 1829. The soldiers at the presidios for years had received but a small part of their pay and were but poorly clothed and provisioned. The garrison at Monterey rebelled and seized and im- prisoned their officers. That at San Francisco followed their example. Under the leadership of Joaquin Solis, an ex-revolutionist of Mexico who had been ban- ished from that country, they marched southward to meet Governor Echandia, who was moving northward with a force of about one hundred men from San Diego, where he had established his capital. The two forces met at Dos Pueblos, near Santa Barbara, and a bloodless battle ensued. The rebellious "escoltas" (militia ) were pardoned and returned to duty. Herrara, the deposed commissary- general ; Solis, and several other leaders were arrested and sent to Mexico to be
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tried for high crimes and misdemeanor. On their arrival in that land of revolu- tions, they were turned loose and eventually returned to California.
The principal cause of the California disturbances was the jealousy and dis- like of the " hijos del pais " (native sons) to the Mexican-born officers who were appointed by the superior government to fill the offices. Many of these were ad- venturers who came to the country to improve their fortunes and were not scrupu- lous as to methods or means, so that the end was accomplished.
CHAPTER V.
REVOLUTIONS AND SECULARIZATION.
M ANUEL VICTORIA succeeded Echandia as gefe politico of Alta Cali- fornia in January 1831. Victoria was a soldier, arbitrary and tyrannical. and refused to convoke the diputacion, or territorial assembly. From the outset he was involved in quarrels with the leading men of the territory. Exile, imprisonment and banishment were meted out to small offences and some- times for none at all. At length José Antonio Carrillo and Don Abel Stearns, who had been exiled to Lower California with Juan Bandini and Pio Pico, residents of San Diego, formulated a plot for the overthrow of Victoria, and issued a pronunciamento arraigning him for misdeeds and petty tyrannies. The soldiers at the presidio, with their Captain, Portilla, joined the revolt, and with the leading conspirators and fifty men marched northward. At Los Angeles they released the prisoners from the jail and chained up instead, Alcalde Sanchez, the petty despot of the pueblo who had been very ready to carry out the arbitrary decrees of Victoria.
The San Diego army, augmented by the liberated prisoners and volunteers from Los Angeles, to the number of 150 men, marched out to meet Victoria, who with a small force was moving southward to suppress the rebellion. The two armies met west of Los Angeles in the Cahuenga valley. In the fight that ensued José Maria Avila, who had been imprisoned by Victoria's orders in the pueblo jail, charged single-handed upon Victoria. He killed Captain Pacheco, of Vic- toria's staff and dangerously wounded the governor himself. Avila was killed by one of Victoria's men. Victoria's army retired with the wounded governor to San Gabriel mission and the revolutionists retired to Los Angeles. Next day, the governor, who supposed himself mortally wounded, abdicated ; later he was de- ported to Mexico. Pio Pico, senior vocal of the diputacion, was elected gefe- politico by that body, but Echandia on account of his military rank, claimed the office and Pico, for the sake of peace, did not insist upon his rights.
Echandia did not long enjoy in peace the office obtained by threats. Captain Augustin V. Zamorano, late secretary of the deposed Victoria, raised an army of
4
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about one hundred men, some of whom were cholos, or convicts, which under the command of Captain Ibarra marched southward and met no opposition until it reached El Paso de Bartolo, on the San Gabriel river. Here Captain Barrosa, of Echandia's force, with fourteen men and a piece of artillery stopped the onward march of the invaders. Echandia had gathered an army of neophytes, said to have been a thousand strong. On the approach of this body, Ibarra's men re- treated to Santa Barbara. The diputacion, which was really the only legal authority in the country, finally effected a compromise between the two rivals. Echandia was to be recognized as military chief for the country south of San Gabriel, and Zamorano for all territory north of San Fernando, while Pico, who by virtue of his rank as senior-vocal, was the lawful governor was left without jurisdiction. After this adjustment there was peace.
On January 14th, 1833, José Figueroa, "gobernador proprietario" of Alta California by appointment of the Supreme government of Mexico, arrived at Monterey. Zamorano at once turned over to him whatever authority he had and Echandia did the same. Figueroa was Mexican born, of Aztec descent, and is regarded as one of the ablest and most efficient of our Mexican governors. He instituted a policy of conciliation and became very popular with the people. He inaugurated a number of reforms, especially in the treatment of the neophytes and in his attention to the conditions of secularization, which took place during his term of office. Another important event of this time was the arrival of the Hijar colonists.
In 1833, Jose Maria Hijar, a Mexican gentleman of considerable property, aided by Jose Maria Padres, set about organizing a scheme for the founding of an extensive colony in California. Each settler was promised a ranch and was to receive rations to the amount of four reales per day with a certain amount of live stock and tools. All to be repaid later from the products of the farm. A corporation known as the "Compania Cosmopolitana" was organized for the purpose of buying vessels and carrying on a shipping business between Mexico and California. About 250 colonists were recruited and left the City of Mexico for San Blas where they were to be given free passage. One of the vessels bringing them landed at San Diego, September Ist. 1834, and the other, reached Monterey September 25th.
Hijar had succeeded in securing an appointment as gefe-politico: but after his departure for California, President Santa Anna countermanded the order and sent a courier overland by the way of Sonora with an order to Figueroa not to give up the governor-ship. By one of the most remarkable rides in his- tory, this courier reached Monterey before Hijar, and delivered his message to Governor Figueroa. Hijar, on his arrival at the capital found himself shorn of all authority. Part of the scheme of Hijar and Padres was the sub-division of the mission property among themselves and their colonists. But the revoca-
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tion of his commission deprived him of his power to enforce his plans. An attempt was made to form a settlement at San Francisco Solano, but was not successful and many of the colonists returned to Mexico, while the remainder were scattered throughout the territory. Hijar and Padres were accused of insti- gating a plot to overthrow Figueroa and seize the mission property. They were shipped out of the country and thus ended in disaster to the promoters the first California colonization scheme.
The missions had been founded by Spain for the purpose of converting the Indians to the "holy faith" and transforming them into citizens. The natives residing between the Coast Range and the ocean from San Diego to San Fran- cisco had been gathered into the different mission establishments, each of which held in possession, in trust, for its neophyte retainers, large areas of the most fertile lands in the territory. This absorbtion of the public domain by the missions prevented the colonization of the country by white settlers.
The first decree of secularization was passed by the Spanish Cortes in 1813; but Spain was then engaged in a death struggle with her American colonies and she had neither power nor opportunity to enforce it. In July, 1830, the territorial diputacion adopted a plan of secularization formulated by Echandia in 1828; but before it could be carried out, he was superseded by Victoria who was a friend of the padres and strongly opposed to secularization. Governor Figueroa was instructed to examine into the condition of the neophytes and re- port upon the best method of bringing about a gradual emancipation of the Indians from missionary rule. He visited some of the older missions himself and, after careful study, was convinced that any general measure of seculariza- tion would be disastrous to the neophytes. A few might be given their liberty and entrusted with property ; but the great mass of them were incapable of self- government or self support.
In the meantime, the Mexican Congress, without waiting for information from Figueroa as to the advisability of the step, ordered the immediate emancipa- tion of the neophytes. August 17th, 1833, a decree was passed ordering the secularization of all the missions. It was provided that each mission should constitute a parish, served by a priest, or curate, who should be paid a salary. The Franciscans and Dominicans who had taken the oath of allegiance to the republic were to return to their colleges or monasteries ; while those who refused to take the oath of allegiance were to quit the country. The expense of putting the decree into operation was to be paid out of the "Pious Fund." The Pious Fund of California was made up of contributions for the founding and main- tenance of missions in the Californias. It was begun for the benefit of the missions of Lower California, in 1697, and increased until it amounted to one and a half million dollars, in 1842. It was confiscated by the Mexican govern- ment ; but after long litigation the money was finally awarded to the Catholic church of California by the Hague Tribunal in 1902.
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Figueroa and the territorial diputacion, under instructions from the Su- preme Government, June 31, 1834, adopted a plan for the secularization of the missions and the colonization of the neophytes into pueblos. Each head of a family was to receive from the mission lands a lot not more than 500 nor less than 1000 varas square. One half of the cattle and one half of the farming implements and seed grains were to be divided pro rata among those receiving lands for cultivation. Out of the proceeds of the remaining property which was to be placed under a major domo, the salaries of the administrator and the priest in charge of the church were to be paid. No one could sell or incumber his land nor slaughter cattle-except for subsistence. The government of the Indian pueblo was to be administered the same as that of the other pueblos in the territory. Before the plan of the diputacion had been promulgated, Figueroa had experimented with the neophytes of the San Juan Capistrano mission and a pueblo had been organized there. For a time it promised to be a success but ended in a failure.
For years the threat of secularization had hung over the missions, but here- tofore something had always occurred to avert it. When it became evident that the blow would fall, the missionaries determined to save something for them- selves. There were, on the various mission ranges, in 1833, nearly half a million head of cattle. San Gabriel, the richest of the missions, had over fifty thousand head. Thousands of these were slaughtered on shares for their hides alone and the carcasses left on the ground to rot. So terrible was the stench arising that the ayuntamiento of Los Angeles, in 1834, passed an ordinance compelling every one slaughtering cattle for the hides to cremate the carcasses. The diputacion finally issued a reglamento prohibiting the wholesale destruction of the mission cattle. What remained of the mission property was inventoried by commissioners appointed by the governor and a certain portion distributed to the Indians of the pueblo into which the missions had been converted. The property was soon wasted; for the Indian was improvident and indolent and took no thought for the morrow. His property soon passed out of his hands and he became virtually the slave of the white man.
Governor Figueroa died at San Juan Bautista, September 29, 1835 and was buried in the mission church at Santa Barbara, with much ceremony. He was called the "Benefactor of California." Before his death, he had resigned his political command to José Castro, primer-vocal of the diputacion, who held the office for four months. By order of the Supreme Government, he delivered it over to Col. Nicholas Guiterrez, who held the military command of the terri- tory, until the arrival in May, 1836, of Mariano Chico, the regularly appointed "gobernador proprietario." Chico was a man of inordinate self-conceit and of but little common sense. He very soon secured the ill-will of the Californians. Shortly before his arrival a vigilance committee, or as it was called by its or- ganizers, "Junta Defensora de la Seguridad Publica," the first ever formed
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in the territory, had taken from the legal authorities at Los Angeles, two criminals, under arrest for the murder of the woman's husband, and had executed them by shooting them to death. This violation of law greatly enraged Governor Chico and one of his first acts on taking office was to send Col. Guiterrez with troops to Los Angeles to punish the vigilantes. Victor Prudon, the president of the Junta Defensora, Manuel Argaza, the secretary, and Francisco Aranjo, the military officer who had commanded the members of the Junta, were arrested and committed to prison until such time as the governor could come to Los Angeles and try them. He came in June and after heaping abuse and threats upon them, finally pardoned the three leaders of the "Defenders of Public Security." Then he quarreled with Manuel Requena, the alcalde of Los Angeles. who had opposed the vigilantes, and threatened to imprison him. He returned to Monterey where he was soon afterward involved in a disgraceful scandal which ended in his placing the alcalde of that town under arrest. The people, disgusted with him, arose en masse assuming a threatening attitude. Alarmed for his safety, Chico took passage for Mexico and California was rid of him, after three months of his rule. Before his departure he turned over the political and military command of the territory to Col. Gutierrez.
OLD CUSTOM HOUSE, MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA.
MEXICAN CUSTOM HOUSE, MONTEREY.
Gutierrez, like Chico. was a man of violent tem- per. It was not long be- fore he was involved in a quarrel that eventually put an end to his official career. In his investiga- tion of governmental af- fairs at Monterey. he charged fraud against Angel Ramirez, the ad- ministrator. and Juan Bautista Alvarado, the auditor, of the custom house. Volleys of words were fired by both sides This was an insult that
and Gutierrez threatened to put the two officials in irons. Alvarado, young, proud and hot-blooded, could not endure in silence. He left the capital and with José Castro, at San Juan, began preparations for a revolt against the governor. His quarrel with Gutierrez was not the sole cause of his fomenting a revolution. He was president of the diputacion and the governor had treated that body with disrespect, or at least, the members, of whom Castro was one, so claimed. General Vallejo was invited to take command of the revolutionary movement but, while he sympathized with the cause, he did not enlist in it.
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News of the projected uprising spread rapidly. Castro and Alvarado with . out much effort soon collected an army of seventy-five Californians. They also secured the services of an auxiliary force of twenty-five Americans-hunters and trappers-under the command of Graham, a backwoodsman from Tennessee. With this force they marched to Monterey, and by a strategetic movement cap- tured the castillo. The revolutionists demanded the surrender of the presidio and the arms. Upon the refusal of the governor a shot from the cannon of the castillo crashed through the roof of the comandante's house and scattered Gutierrez and his staff. This-and the desertion of most of his soldiers-brought the governor to terms. November 5, 1836, he surrendered the presidio and re- signed his office. With about seventy of his adherents, he was placed on board a vessel in the harbor and a few days later departed for Mexico.
CHAPTER VI.
THE FREE STATE OF ALTA CALIFORNIA.
T HE Mexican governor having been expelled, the diputacion, which was composed of hijos del pais, was called together and a plan for the independence of California was formulated. This plan declared that "California is erected into a free and sovereign state, establishing a congress which shall pass all special laws of the country, also assume the other necessary supreme powers." The diputacion issued a de- claration of independence which arraigned the mother country, Mexico, for sins of commission and omission : and Castro promulgated a pro- nunciamento ending with a "Viva for El Estado Libre y Soberano de Alta California." ( The Free and Sovereign State of Alta California. ) Amid the vivas and the pronunciamentos, with the beating of drums and the roar of cannon, the state of Alta California was launched on the political sea. The revolutionists soon found that it was easy enough to declare the state free; but quite another matter to make it free.
For years there had been a growing jealousy between northern and southern California. Los JOSÉ ANTONIO CARRILLO. Angeles, through the efforts of José Antonio Carrillo had, by the decree of the Mexican congress in May, 1835, been raised to the dignity of a city and made the capital of the territory. In the movement
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to make California a free and independent state, the Angelenos recognized an attempt to deprive their city of its honor. Although as bitterly opposed to Mexican governors and as actively engaged in fomenting revolutions against them as the people of Monterey, they chose at this time to profess loyalty to the mother country. They opposed the Monterey plan of government and formulated one of their own, in which they declared that California was not free and that they would obey the laws of the Supreme government only.
Alvarado had been made governor by the diputacion and Castro comandante general of the army of the Free State. They determined to sup- press the recalcitrant sureños (southerners). They collected an army of eighty natives, obtained the assistance of Graham with his American riflemen, and marched southward. The ayuntamiento of Los Angeles had organized an army of 270, partly neophytes, which was stationed at the Mission San Fernando. Before the northern troops reached the mission, commissioners from Los Angeles met them and a treaty of peace was patched up. Alvarado with his troops arrived in Los Angeles January 23rd, 1837, and was received with expressions of friendship. An extraordinary meeting of the ayuntamiento was called : Pio Pico expressed the great pleasure it gave him to see a " hijo del pais " in office and Antonio Osio, one of the most belligerent of the south- erners, declared that, "sooner than again submit to a Mexican governor, or dictator, he would flee to the forest and be devoured by wild beasts." Alvarado made a conciliatory speech and an agreement was entered into to support the " Monterey plan," with Alvarado as governor pro tempore, until the Supreme government should decide the question. Quiet reigned in the south for a few months. Then San Diego formulated a plan of government and the standard of revolt was again raised. The San Diego " plan " restored California to allegiance to the Supreme government and the officials at San Diego and Los Angeles took the oath to obey the constitution of 1836; this, in their opinion. absolved them from obedience to Juan Bautista Alvarado and his "Free State."
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