The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-12 00:00:00

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[PRICE 4D. STAMPED SD•

York Tribune furnishes sonic additional informa-
tion touching this affair. He writes
" But, unfortunately for the cause of ' law and
order,' and the peace and prosperity of the State,
David S. Terry, one of the justices of the Supreme
Court—whose residence, family, and business are
in this city—would go to Francisco to regulate the
Vigilants, or help to organise forces to put them
down. Arms were sent from this city by Governor
Johnson to the State militia at San Francisco. The
Vigilante heard of it by telegraph as soon as they
were shipped. A detachment of Vigilant police
was ordered to cruise in the Bay of San Pablo or
the Bay of Suisun to capture the sailing craft in
which they were stowed. The arms were cap-
tured, and the United States' Marshal, M'Duffie,
the gambler, who was appointed by Pierce at
the command of Weller—for Herbert denies for him-
self and Denver all connection therewith—arrested
Mr. Durkee, the leader of the Vigilant boarding
party, on a charge of piracy. Durkee has been exa-
mined before the United States District Judge
Hoffman, and held to bail in the sum of $25,000.
It was thought at one time that the Vigilante
would rescue, or attempt to rescue, Durkee from
the custody of the United States' Marshal, and
thus bring that body into direct collision with the
Federal forces, but no attempt of the kind was
made. As a kind of retaliation, the Vigilants sent
their marshal, Mr. Hopkins, to arrest Ruben Mc-
lony, a well-known time-serving politiican of San
Francisco, who had charge of the State arms when
Durkee seized them. Hopkins went alone, and
found Molony in the office of the navy agent, Dr.
Asbe, Judge Terry, and one or two others
were there also. Bopkins told his errand, but
Molony refused to go with him, as Terry, Ache,
and others volunteered,t9,_ defend him. Hopkins
then left to gain assistance, and, soon after, Mo-
lony, Terry, Ache,. and the others, armed with
double-barrelled guns, knives, and ,pistols, sallied
forth into the street and pushed for the armoury
of the San Francisco Blues, where they hoped to
gain and might command protection. While on
their way thither they were overtaken by Hopkins
and his posse, consisting of five men, which was
just equal to the number of Molony's guard. Terry
was in the rear. Hopkins was pushing by him,
when Terry placed his double gun horizontally iu
front of Hipkins to prevent his progress. Hop-
kins wrested it from him, pistols were fired, but no
one was hit by the balls, nor was the firing done
by either of the principals in this affray. Terry
finding his gun gone, drew his bowie-knife and
struck Hopkins on the left side of the neck, be-
tween the spine and carotid artery. The wound
made was some four inches deep and an inch and a
half wide, the point of the knife entering the wind-
pipe. The news of this assault spread like a praire
fire in a gale , the great bell on the Vigilant Com-
mittee rooms was tapped for the first time since the
commencement of the Revolution ; the whole town
was in wild excitement ; merchants left their stores
unlocked, masons dropped their trowels, draymen
with loaded drays conveying goods from the ships
to the warehouses, or from the stores to the
steam-boats, unharnessed on the instant in the
streets, and mounted their horses to join the
Committee's cavalry. Where all was peace and
quietude a moment before, all now was bustle and
amaroment, and from every quarter of the city all
classes and conditions, armed and on foot or on
horseback, were impetuously rushing towards the
head-quarters of the Committee to await and
execute its orders. Terry, Molony, and that party,
in the meantime made their way unmolested to the
armoury of the Blues, and there raised the barri-
cades or closed the doors to all but friends. They
were hardly in, however, before the Vigilants in
immense numbers surrounded the building, and
placed sentinels on all the entrances thereto, with
orders to let no man out until the will of the Ex-
ecutive Committee could be ascertained. Soma of
the Vigilante, thinking Hopkins had been killed
on the spot, were clamorous to obtain possession
of Terry, and sacrifice him on the spot. In this
state of things, and while the whole city, as it were,
was collecting around the armoury, Dr. Ashe, the
navy agent, appeared at one of the second-storey
windows, and informed the excited multitude that
Terry was in the building, and would not attempt
to make his escape. He also requested that a
messenger should be sent to the Executive Com-
m mittee, and ask a delegation from that body to
come to the armoury, in order that they might
agree on the terms on which Terry would be sur-
rendered. It was ascertained that Terry was
willing to give himself up to the committee, pro-
vided that body would pledge itself to protect him
from the fury of the rabble. The courier was de-
spatched, and in 10 minutes returned with a note,
ordering Terry to give him himself up, and the
military in the building to deliver up their arms
and render themselves prisoners, or in 15 minutes
the Committee would commence firing on it. Two
large cannon were hauled in front, were loaded,
and the burning torch placed in the hands of the
cannoneer. Not a word was spoken by either
party ; there were 5,000 armed Vigilante, in the
building, the time had just expired, and the doors
were opened from the inside. Terry, Ashe, and
Molony gave themselves up, were placed in car-
riages, and under a strong guard were escorted to
the rooms of the Committee. The State soldiers
were then made to bring down their arms,.
which were soon uncapped, placed on drays,
and escorted to the armoary of the Vigilante. The
military were offered their freedom if they would
swear not to take up arms against the Vigilante.
This they refused to do, and were made prisoners,
but most of them were released in a few days after.
The Committee also went to the armoury of an-
other military company—the only remaining one in
that city that had not disbanded rather than hold
themselves in readiness uncle; the Governor's pro-

clamation, demanded their arms, which they at
once received, and took them prisoners also. The
committee then sent for Major-General Volney
E. Howard, who was commanding in San Fran-
cisco. He made haste to obey their summons, and
while on his way to their rooms the Vigilants had
to take possession to save him from the fury of the
people whom he had exasperated by his very fool-
ish behaviour and ungentlemanly language. So
thus in 40 minutes after Terry struck Hopkins,
although the city was quiet at the time, and nearly
all the people engaged in their avocations, the
Vigilants had arisen, like the followers of Roderick
Dhu, out of the earth, and captured the State
Government, generals, soldiers, guns and ammuni-
tion, without the firing of a single shot. It was
certainly the best-concerted military movement of
modern times. Although most of these men were
raw recruits, many of whom never shouldered a
musket before, the agility of their movements and
decision would put to blush many an army of regu •
lars. It is true the first shot would have created
consternation in their ranks, but their numbers
and enthusiasm would soon have prevailed over
the State forces. And now the State is without a
musket or a soldier to bear ono. The Governor is
on his haunches, and cannot move, nor does he in-
tend to. He is up here quietly reposing in the
bosom of his family, like Mr. Micawber, waiting
for something to turn up.' His power and his
glory have departed. Imbecile at first, he hasin-
creased in imbecility. He treated with the trai-
tors, as he called them, till they out-generalled
him, and now they laugh him to scorn. Had ex-
Governor Bigler been here holding the reins of Go-
vernment in his bands this would have never been.
If he could not have done otherwise he would have
made them a speech so plausible, pathetic, fervent,
and patriotic, that he himself would have surrounded
the whole committee, and captured the affections
of every man of them. Hopkins was stabbed on
the '2.2d of June, and he still lives, although his
physicians entertain no solid hope of his recovery.
Day by day has he been sinking till the public look
for his death any hour. Terry is in prison, shut
out from all correspondence, even with his wife,
and it is everywhere believed that if Hopkins dies
from the effects of the wound Terry will be hung.
In fact, from a letter of Terry's published on the
2d inst., he seems to expect this. But it is not
doubted that whether Hopkins dies or lives, Terry
will be banished the State. It is almost certain
that be will not again be allowed to sit on the su-
preme bench."

The committee had taken forcible possession of
the armoury of the Marion Rifles, which was the
rendezvous of " the law and order party." The
place was surrounded by over 1,000 of the com-
mittee men in arms, with three or four pieces of
ordnance planted in front of it. Before this for-
midable array it soon capitulated, and all the arms
it contained were seized, together with about 100
prisoners of war. The latter, however, were soon
released from custody. The committee had also
seized a quantity of Government arms which had
been sent to San Francisco for the law and order
party, on board a schooner. The governor re-
mained at Sacramento, and it was stated that he
would make no more attempts to destroy the func-
tions of the Vigilance Committee. The general
commanding thState forces had retired and ren-
dered his report to the executive of an ineffective
campaign. The courts continued to hold their re-
gular sessions in San Francisco, and the law was
said to be more respected than over before. The

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