Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-09-03
From waady Thomp.on's Recolloctious of Mexico.
CALIEOR MA.

The inhabitants of California for the most
part Indians large proportion naked savages, who
not only have no sympathies with Mexico, but the
most decided antipathy. Mexico has no troops
there, and the distance OF the department prevents
any being sent.
Captain Suter, who was one of Bonapartes Off
GERS, and, believe, Swiss, has for many years
had an establishment there, and is the real sover-
eign OF the country, If any one Is, certainly so de
frcto if not de jure. The Government of Mexico
has done none of these things, such as settlement,
extending her law, and affording protection, which
alone give to civilized people right to the
Try of savage.one. As to all these, the natives
of California are much indebted to any other
nation as to Mexico; by the eXactions and tribute
which are levied upon them-it is literally waste
and belongs to the first occupants. Captain Suter
has two forts in California, and about two thousand
PERSONS natives and Europeans, in his employment,
all of them armed and regularly drafted. / have
no doubt that this force would be more than
match for any Mexican force which will ever be
sent against him. He has once or twice been or
dered to deliver up his forts, and his laconic reply
has been, "Come and take them"
From all the information which have received
and have been inquistve on the subject am
well satisfied that there is not on this Continent
any country of the same extent little desirable
as Oregon nor any in the world which combines as
many advantages as California. With the excep-
ton of the Willamette, there is scarcely any por-
ton oil oregon which is lnha0tablo except Tor that
most worthless of all, hunting population-and
the valley of the Willamette is of very small ex-
tent. In the South the only port Is at the Colum.
ba river and that is no pot at all, the loss of
the Peacock, and other of our vessels have proved
TO say nothing of her harbors in California, that of
San Francisco is capacious enough for the navies
of the world, and its shores are covered with
enough timber IA species of live oak to build those
navies there. There is no portion of our Western
country which produces all the grains well
have been told by more than one person on whom
| entirely relied that they had known whole fields
to produce quantity SO incredible that will not
state it. The whole face of the country is cover
ed with the finest OATS growing wild; sugar, rice,
and cotton find there their own congenIal climate.
Besides all these, the richest mines of gold aDd
silver have been discovered there and the Pearl
fisheries have always been sources of the greatest
profit; and more than these there are the markets
of India and China, with nothing intervening but
the calm and stormless Pacific Ocean.
Whenever the foreigners in California make the
movement Of separation, it must succeed. The
department Of Sonora, not half the distance from
Mexico, has been in a state of revolt for the last
four years, and the government has been unable to
suppress It, The civil war there has been marked
by acts of horrible atrocity, which are almost with
out precedent in any country. 1t is true that
they do not eat the flesh of their enemies, but they
leave them banging on the trees to feast the birds
of prey. There is scarcely road in the whole
department where such specacles are not daily
exhibited.