The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-07-17
THE UNION.

quaues as port OF refuge on inns i-peeh COAST Is
the outlet OF immense, fair, and fertile region
But the beauties OF nature useless when they iall
into the hands of ders and fools Everything in those
line countries TO be boastng and beggary Every
Thing has been long sinking into ruin through ndo
lence The Calfonians manufactured the eeces OF
their sheep into cloth They now too lazy to weave
spn--too lazy even to clip and wash the raw mate
rial and now the sheep have been literally destroyed to
make more room for the horned cattle
They made the dairy object of attention now,
neither butter cheese to be found IN the province
They once produced in the missions eighty thousand
bushels OF wheat and maize; they were lately buying
flour at Monterey, at the rate OF sd sack. Beef was
once plentiful; they now buying sailed salmon for
the for pary vessel which constituted the
entire line of-battle Of the Californian navy.
The author Justly observes that this wicked abuse OF
he soil and consequent poverty of the people, results
wholly from he objects OF the colonization" Thus
the emigrants from England to the northern colonies
looked to subsistence from the fruits OF laborpoughed,
narrowed, and grew rich and civilized. On the other
hand, the coloniss Of "New France"---a name which
compehended the valleys of the ST. Lawrence and Mis-
golden dreams OF the free trade carried them away from
stationary pursuits and partly because the government
considered them rather soldiers than settlers In like
manner Spanish America with its Seyrds OF silver, hold
out to every advenure the hope OF earning his bread
without the sweat of his brow became the paradise OF
oilers.
In California the herds Of cattle and the sale of their
hides and taow, offer easy subsistence that the pop
ulahon think OF no Others and IN consequence are poor
degenerate and dwndling. Their whole education con-
ss!s in bullock hunting In this view, unjust and vo-
lent as may be the aggressions OF the American arms, it
difficult to regret the transfer of the territory into any
hands which will bring these fine countries into the gen
eral use OF mankind, root out incapable OF I'M
provement and fill the hills and valleys of this mighty
province with corn and man.
At present. the produce of bullock in hide, allow, and
horns, is about five dollars, Uhe beef goes for nohng
OF which the farmers averaged at dollar and
half This often makes up large income. General
Vaegowho had about eight thousand head of cattle
must receive from this about ten thousand dollars
year The former missions, or monkish revenues,
must have been very large that of San Jose possessing
hoa,I nF, h,1ff
number, and San Gabriel more than both together.
| 1t must be acknowledged that the monks had made
handsome affair Of holiness in the good old times Pre-
viously TO the Mexican revolution, their Emissions"
amounted, IN the upper province alone, to wentyone
every one, OF course, with its endowment snowy
scale Every monk had an annual stipend of four hun
dred dollars But this pocket-money; they
had donations and bequests" from the living and from
the deaa most capacous source OF opulence and OF
termed the pous fund of California Besides all these
things they had the cheap labor OF eighteen thousand
converts But the drones were to be suddenly smoked
out OF their hives. Mexico declared itself republic !;
and, the first act of republic in every part OF the
world is to plunder everybody the property Of the monks
went in the natural way. The lands and beeyes the
donations and bequests made nath4nal proper
ty' in 1929 Still. some show of moderation exhib
tied, and the and of the Offices of the mis-
sons were preserved But, in 1895, the Califomlans
took the whole affair into their hands, threw off the
central government, and were "ree independent" and
beggared. The missions then secularized" at their
ease The Mexican government was furious for while,
and threatened the Cafonans with all the thnders Of
ITS rage bat the vengeance ended in the simple condition.
that California should still acknowledge the Mexican
supremacy taking her own way in all that had been
done was doing, and was to be done,
The travellers had now an opportunity OF seeing the
interior of Californian mansion, the house OF the chei
proprietor in this quarter, General vallego..
The subject of description is Monterey, which has
lately assumed peculiar interest as one OF the objects
segment of circle, with a chord of about eighteen
miles. Monterey had always been the seat of govern
ment, though it consisted OF but few buildings But
since the revolution of 1885, it has expanded nio pop
ulaton Of about seven hundred souls The town occu-
pies plain, sounded by lofty ridge. The dwellings
are the of pompouc, being all built of mud bricks
glass being inordinaey DEAR parchment almost
atlainable and the artists in window-making changing
But, TO the Cafornians perhaps this privaton of light
is not evil. while it makes the rooms cooler il
cannot, by any possibility, Interfere with the occupations
of those who do nothing The bed affords curious
contrast 10 the rest of the furniture. While the apart
ments exhibit dealtable badly made chairs probably
Dutch clock, and an old looking glass, the bed cha
lenges admiration by snowywhe sheets fringed with
lace pile of soft pillows covered with the finest liner
or the richest satin, and well arranged drapery of cost
sepulchre,'' with wool mattress-"thc mpenetrab,
stronghold OF millions OF -" We leave the rest to tn,
imagination
But, before take leave of California, we must do
the justice speak of Santa Barbara which, as the autho
rather emphsiically expresses it, is to Monterey ''wha
The bay is uniavorable one, being exposed TO tn,
"worst winds of the worst season" But the town hav
ing been selected as the avore retreat of the
spectacle funconareS OF the province, Santa Barbara
hlbs the charms of aristocratc The houses
externally, superior to any others the coast, and
internally, exhibit taste in their furniture and
me ladies' excite the authors pen into absolute rapture
Their sparkling eyes and glossy hair are themselves
sullclent to negative the idea OF tameness nspidy
while their syph like figures exhibit fresh graces at every
STEP This Is supported by the more important qualities
OF "beng by far the more industrious half of the com
munity and performing their household duties with cheer
fulness and pride"
The men handsome race and the greatest dandie
imaginable, completely modelled on the AndausaI
dered pantaloons, and the most gtering jackets in tn,
western world Of course, cannot be expected of any
Spanlards that they should do much and beaux fine
cannot be expected to do anything Accordingly his day
is spent IN riding from house to house, horse fine
as himself, living machine of appngs, and the nights
IN dancing, blliard-paying, and flirting.
In all countries where things habitually
| turned into trihes tries become serious things. "Tht
balls IN fact, more like matter of business thar
anything else that is done in California For whole days
beforehand sweetmeats laboriousy prepared in the
greatest variety and, from beginning end of the festv
ties, which have been known to last several
nights so as to make the performers, after wearing out
their pumps, trip it in sea- boots both and
displaying much gravity if attending the funeral Of
their friends"
still more humanzng portion of their tastes is their
passion for music The guitar is heard in every house
| Father, mother and child all playing and singing
and TO the praise of their taste be it spoken, playing
thing but the fandangoes, seguidas, and ballads OF
Spaln-he trues purest and most touching of all music
well worth all the hammered harmones Of the German
school, and all the long -winded and laborous bravuas
OF the Italian. The Spanish music is the most refined