Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-04-18

the American people in discharging the
great & important duties of seli-government.
As already stated, | arrived at San Fran
cisco on the morning of the fourth of June
The steamer in which was passenger
did not stop at Monterey therefore did
not see General Riley, nor had any COM
rnunication 18th him until about the middle
of the month, when he came to San Fran
cisco. A few days after my arrival, his
State Constitution, dated the Sd of June,
was received
The people acted in accordance with
what they believed to be the views of Con-
gress, and conforma5ly to the recommends
tions of the proclamation and proceeded,
on the day appointed, to elect members to
a convention for the purpose of forming a
constitution, to be regularly submitted to
the people, for their ratification or relec-
ton, and, if approved, to be presented to
Congress, with prayer for the admission
of California, as State, into the Union.
| desire here to make brief and en-
phatic reply to the various unjust and most
extraordinary accusations and insinuations
which have been made respecting the
movements of the people of California in
forming their State government.
l had no secret Instructions, verbal or
written, from the President, or any one else,
what to say to the people Of California, on
the subject of Slavery nor was it ever hint
ed or intlmated TO me that was expected
to attempt to influence their action in the
slightest degree on that subject. That
never did, the people of California will bear
me witness. In that territory there was
none of the machinery of party or of the
press, and it is even more absurd to suppose
that any secret influences, for or against
slavery, could have been used there, than it
would be to believe that they could be sue
cessfully employed in Maryland or Georgia.
] therefore declare all assertions and in
situations, that was secretly instructed to,
or that did In any way, attempt TO inilu
ence the people of California to exclude
slavery from their Territory, to be without
foundation.
The election of delegates to the conven-
ton proceeded regularly inpursuance ofthe
proposed mode of holding it, and as far as
| am informed, no questions were asked
whether a candidate was a Wing, or Demo-
cfat. or whether he was from the North or
South. The only object seemed 10 be, to
find competent men who were willing to
make the sacrifice of time which proper
discharge of their duties would require
As soon alter my arrival at San Francis
CO as the arrangements Of General Smith
would permit, l proceeded with him to the
Of ba la of
examining the gold region. and other inter-
esting and important portions of ii. did
not return until the 10th of August The
elections had taken place when was in the
mountains. | was taken i'll on the Doth
of that month, and was confined to my bed
and my room more than two months.
Tie convention met on the LIST of Sep
TENDER. So it will be seen that | was not
present when any election was held, nor had
| any thing to do with selecting or bringing
out candidates aud my illness is sufficient
proof that | did not, aud could not, had |
been disposed, exercise any influence in the
convention, which was sitting one hun
bred and thirty miles from where | was
Some limitations or assertions, as | am
uniformed, have been thrown out that the
South was not fairly represented in the con-
yention. am told by two of the members
Of Congress elect from California, who
were members Of the Convention, that of
the thirty seven delegates designated in
General Riley's proclamation, sixteen we're
from slavehoding, ten from non-slavehold-
ing States, and eleven who were citizens Of
California under the Mexican government,
and that ten OF those eleven came from dis
iric:s below 30 BON. So that there were
in the Convention twcnty-six Of the thirty
seven members from the slaveho!ding States,
and from places south of the Missouri COM
promise line.
1t appears on the journal of the conven-
ton, that the clause III the constitution ex-
Guiding slavery passed unanimously.
| now proceed TO give you the result of
my inquiries, observations and reflections,
respecting the population, climate, soil and
productlons-the general character Of grants
Of land from Mexico-the extent and con-
dilon Of the public domain-the CONNER
cial resources and prospects-the mineral
and metallic wealth of California.
POPULATION.
HUMBOLDT, in his Essay on New Spain,
states the population of Upper California,
in 1892, to have consisted Of
Converted Indians, 1862
Other classes, 1890
SI6,S62
Alexander Forbes, in his history of Up
per and Lower California, published In
London, in 1889, states the number Of con-
verted Indians in the former to have been,
In 1881, 1858
OF all other classes, at 1912
23,O25
He expresses the opinion that this num-
Der had not varied much up to 1885, and
the probability is, there was very little in-
crease in the white population until the
enigrants from the United States began to
enter the country in 1888.
They increased from year to year, so that
in 1916, Colonel Fremont had little difficult
ty in calling to his standard some five hun
dred fighting men.
At the close of the war with Mexico, it
was supposed that there were, including
discharged volunteers, from ten to fifteen
II