Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-04-01


sand rshen TO be brought to California under the direction
OF Mcnamara All this intrigue of British agents was broker
by the timely and prompt operations OF the settlers under
the direction Of Capt. Fremont"
BY Lieut. Minors testimony which will be found at page;
43 and a. appears that the convention or nna held
and that majority in favor of claiming the protection
of England-a decision naturally to have been expected,
when considered In what manner II was convoked. The
exracs1 about read contain also interesting facts
connected with the movements Of the British Admiral
The Undersigned, lieutenant in the navy Of the United
Sate has the honor to make the following answers to the
terrogatores put to him by your honorable committee
"Ihe undersigned being in command OF the southern dis
rict OF California during the latter part OF 1896 in
formed by Pedro e.. Cara land he believes The information
thus obtained is founded iacs that he the said Garlic
member Of Junta that assembled at Santa Barbara in
june 1896 for the purpose declaring the independence
California and of asking the protection OF the United States
Great Britain that the represented by all of the
inhabited portions Of CALIFORNIA; that majority Of the
for claiming the protection OF England that their
solves would probably have been executed had been for
the and their fears of armed oce then the north
Fremont. The undersigned has understood from other
entitled TO confidence, that majority OF the people
of California desired the protection Of England The opinion
he thus formed strengthened by the fact that English
igate he juno had about the time the unta met landed
English subject named Macnamara Barbara of
whom said he had obtained grant from the Next
Government Of large and fertile portion OF California
embracing the whole valley of the San Joaquin from its
its noutla valley, the undersigned believes,
comprising onehrd OF the richest portion OF California The
undersigned believes that the British squadron in the Pacific
commanded by Rear Admiral Sir Geo. L. Seymour,
ocean, employed in closely watching the Of
the American commodore. Being Of this fact, Com
modore Sloa when he heard Of the first battle the Rio
Gnde got under the rgate Savannah then anchored
off Mazatn for the ostensbe purpose OF proceeding to Ca
litornia An English vessel of weighed alter the
Savannah direction OF San Bias it
known the admiral was After cruising Gulf days
the commodore returned to his anchorage off Mazatan when
another English ship under and stood the direction
Of San Bias The undersigned believes that this maneuvre
of Commodore Soat intended for the deception OF the
English admiral On the sth of june 1896 the Savannah
again made SAIL and after passage of twen-tee days,
during hch press of carried she arrived at
the port of Monterey in Upper California The Colng-
wood Of eighty guns the flagship Of Admiral SEYMOUR en-
tered the haror the 18th of july and the undersigned be-
eves that the admiral disappointed when he the
American Tag flying on shore"
The testimony of Capt Henley, from which will give
brief extract, and which will be found at page 49, fully
tains the statement OF Lieut.. Minor: ..
al am resident California, where have resided since
the of siS. In the menth Of May 1876 went to
San Francisco where with General Vallejo of the
prominent and influential in Upper California.
understood from him that he had recently attended conyen-
tion composed of General Castro himself and five others,
delegates from the different districts in California at which
the proposition had been made and debated to separate from
Mexico and establish government in California, under the
protection Of some foreign Power believed by us to be Eng
land but the General positively stated the majority
favor of placing the country under the protection OF the
United States though he himself General Vallejo
OF guarded in conversng dangerous subject
this was at that time but the above is the substance
Marks understood by myself and others who heard them
The grant Mcnamara is connected with the move
of the public vessels and public agents of Great Britain
strong presumption that be secretly countenanc
ed by the British Government Dr. john Baldwin, whose tes
mony will be found pages 49, ct seq states that Macna
lived in the house of the British consul charge DAFT
flares in Mexico, and that he understood in that city Sep
TENDER and October ls47 plan had been projected, under
the auspices of the British legation coone California with
emgrants from Ireland These facts will be more fully shown
BY his affidavit at pages 46 and AZ Of the document, from
which will read single paragraph:
resided in the republic of Mexico from the year 1929
aplpI NJ
the acquaintance OF many Of the leading OF the country
a again entered Mexico (cty) the 18th of September,
1917 and remained there until the LIST of Noyember during
that time made the acquaintance OF the priest MacnamSra,
and from entitled credit was informed that he had
under the auspices of the British legation projected plan to
coonZe California with emigrants from Ireland His project
had the appreciation OF the Mexican Government and he
California perfect his plans In the mean time,
asceraned that the Interior views OF Mcnamara
promote the OF the British Government and the
Mexican Government fierce opposition contemplated
by the republican members of Congress when should
with his matured plans from California this resistance
consequence OF the conques' OF Csor
nv the Of the United States Mcnamara lived in
the family OF either the British consul or charge daares IN
Mexico"
have referred 10 the connexon OF Macnamaras movements
with the public vessels Of Great Britain pesumpve evidence
of the connexon ofthe British Government with them. do
inquire whether Admiral Seymour had special instructions
or not From the declaration Admiral Purvis in the inter-
vention Of La Plata, is highly probable that British naval
officers cruising distant have general instructions to
protect British interests all hazards leaving unlimited
ulScetion 10 the OnceT
vantage of being able TO approve dsavow his conduct IN
special cases. according TO its interest From all the cir
connected with the transactions in California we
are constrained to believe that the British naval commander
was fully apprized Of Macnamaas objects, well the de-
sign place that country under the protection of Great B
an and that he was there cooperating in the one and ready
to operate the other Indeed by referring to the tes
rnony Of Mr. Loker page 49, will be that his arrival
there had been talked about and expected with view to
take possession Of California"
have gyen Mr. President, outline of the transac
tons Of British subjects and British agents in California The
leading facts are verified by the adavs Of Colonel Fremont
Capt Gillespie, of the marine corps, Lieut. Minor and Mid
shpman Wilson, Of the navy, Col RUSSELL Capt Kinsey,
Doctor Baldwin, and many gentlemen connected with the
civil and military transactions OF the CALIFORNIA; after the
rupture between the United States and Mexico and Of
the most important circumstances authenticated by the
public records Of California which fell our possession
impossible that the Of these movements should
not have brought us into direct collision with Great Britain
We could not have failed regard them, considered in
nexon with her proceedings Oregon and recently IN
Central America as part OF deliberate design environ
with her colonies and especially to shut out from the Pa
cfc and its extending From all the facts
hardly doubt either that she would have taken possession Of the
country her name or, what perhaps probable
that she would in the first instance have taken il under her
protection In this the drama Of the Mosquito coast the
performers only being changed would have been acted
again. Californian governor somewhat above the grade
Of the king OF the Mosquitoes in responsibility but the same
level with him in subscrvence to the protecting power would
have been put in the foreground, while British subjects
would have occupied the country and gradually reduced INTO
her possession Thus shut out from the Pacific,
pie would have been the Sierra Madre, perhaps still