New-York daily tribune., 1856-09-26
ppExONr IN CAIJFORNlA.
,-usouAL RECoLLECTTONs OF ONE OF
HIS MEN.


"a MEXICO brought no improvement, in the condition
- C.nfornias civil affair under her military Governor
That Government, which should have ended with The
GA, or in the failure OF Congress to enact Territorial
Nv. 70 seplace protected the citizens Of the country
"A their righteous endeavors form temporary FIo-
vne;al organization foT the security Of BIZ and prop
.v absolutely used its power to proong the miserable
abuses which the pc )ple had suffered under "t'"'
Ar and put down every orderly attempt We made 10
abolish them.
n, Msson's n,ilitary successor was an oblcT WI"
n INST now occupying very important post before ,"o
souutrv. There was a It'll higher authority I" WIZ"
NJ, ipustce Of our helpless situation vas reieeu ~
hhs p.t ple Of California, and who Is now oecul!i"e
rosi,i,n sti more important before the Ameflc""
pIe than the officer aforesad. The one - ","'
sifer =. Smith, in command OF the uooP7 III ""''"''
TIE other il JANE BUcHAsAN. A.
There was period in California history ""'a VIZ
p<ce,.ites Of the people for law-ia" III aip0'' "'
srude imperfect shapc, only reco5n%ou % ''
vyeater than they have ever been since, "'"h '"o"
AZ, ins of terror and disorder tO the present um'
1nis was the era of the opening OF the mhes. OVei
tb;. n.rod il - the bad fortune OF Cen Smth 10 ek
I'D hi. military iurisdction. Into this chaos It wa
Secretary Buchanans wrctched fate TO direct tn" hight
Of his ,fficsl instruction and advice.
Pending the long journey OF the news OF goa ana t'
.,n6rmstion % the people on the Eastern SIDE of the
continent, the reports had drawn into California rom
Sonora New Mexico, and other neighborng provinces
hordes Of Adventures Of broken fortunes and deeper
ate characters. Against these people the American
szens Of California desired 10 protect themslve', aud
N the utter obsence Of all legislation or judicial author
ity oil territorial or municipal law. even Of the sui-
cient protection of United States troops they peace
fully assembled in the several districts oi the I"Tto
~. and proceeded TO inaugrote provincial assemblies.
Win be believed that this right was denied them by
Gen Smith Let the following facts testify:
"Our town has been convulsed within the last week,
ssys The Aha California of uch %, 1919,
I" with the Intelligence that the Military hadaTayed
hself against the People, and that the commanding
"efficer Of the Pacific Division has in effect pro-
"nounced the acts of the Legislative Assembly ths
I" District null and void.
"It does not transp,re exactly on what grounds
"Gen. Smith has seen proper to base his course Of
action as he does not give the reasons ioI hls opi-
" lions; but il is presumed to have some connection,
~ remote or near with the Presidents Message and
I" the letter Of Secretary Buchanan.
Al the date of this extract San Francisco contained
q population of five six thousand inhabitants and,
sing uar to say the only faction opposed 10 the acts OF
che people and whose influence aud wishes Gen.
Smith seemed disposed to regard was portion of the
sane miserable clique who had opposed The revolu-
Zion which gave California TO the United States abused
Fremont fawned upon Stockton, and afterward hav-
ing the power removed all the guards and restrictions
% the ownership Of town property under the Mexican
laws and having seized the lands, even 60 the public
squares of the puebla sIove to strengthen and per-
petuate the jurisdiction of rascaly acadc II was
against this moneyed raorclque that the people in
4 4
It was for the preservation of this state of things
der the plea Of - former usages, that Gen Smith
opposed the people. But he had ultcrior objects, as
we .hall see aud he had authority, and here it il. At
least here is portion of all that permitted 10 op
pear in print:
IEa,r.ct from Letter dated Department % State Washington
City Oct T. 1873 sddrcs.cd to ": V. Voorhees,, the
new1y.sppOinied Postmaster of San francisco.
"The condition of the people OF Califor-
mia is anomalous and will require on their part the
exercise of gleat prudence and discretion
2ke termination OF the ,cdr iJt an eCtSttHg G0rerH.
srent a Gorernmept de tocto, an tDU opero''0R and
tkts srtU continue, Udh the presumed consent 0t NE
people, until Congress shall pr0r,de FOR hcm a Ter
sIforoi GOrernmem. Tie ere0t iaw oI necessity Jus
t,fcs his conclusion. TIE consent 0t Ue people is
srresisti6ly Inferred from tie tact nat ne c9r;"d
nity could possibly dcSiTe TO d6r0goc an crtt-
sag Government, WheR tic dHcradtre Prc"n'ed T9r0
Ae 10 pl0ce themselves IN state Of dndrchy 6ey0hd ne
protection Of all L0cs and Tcducc them 10 tie R"hHppy
necessity Of sV6mHiag TO ne domtH'oR o. The
strongest"
This letter is signed JAMES BUCH,S.S. 1t was m
swered by the people Of California through their organ
90 follows:
"Tbese statesmen president Polk and Secretary
BuchanaDl, as well as Gen. Smith, well know that the
exstence Uf a military government in timc of peace
within the limits of the United States has no sanction
in law or Justice. On what ground, then, do
they demand support and confidence tor such
xoyerpment On the ground that il is de jLcto gov
srnmen; that it by the suffer anco OF the people
and that no people be prcsuned TO voluntarily turn
AWAY from organized government and become all
srchists. Now we contend that this lie fdc'o govern
ment If il ever existed existed only by the suerance
of this people, that the President o the United States
has no authority 10 continue such government
single hour after the conclusion of the war that called
Il into being ? The Ge f0c20 government having
only existed by sunersnce, 1t follows that whenever
che people establish any other form government the
de tact0 org ganizauon is dead dc Jacto.'
This and much more in answer 10 Secretary Br-
SHAsAS and Gen. S,ITH. The provincial organiza-
tion was not confined To the District Of San Francisco
San jose and Sonoma each had elected to form a Leg
islative Assembly. The excitement among the people
was very great. Had ths lie iacto Government"
said they, "bcen in fact government, the people
would have endured and supported it until Congress
"had acted IN the premises. But it was not 50. IL
" gave us no protection and no laws, and, whenever
- it became necessary to punish offender the pco
"ple were obliged TO assemble in species of mass
meeting and iyaeh hin. And yet they say this is
" dc facto government, and they advise to ckrist
str
viii leave it to the supporters of Mr.. Buchanan to
reconcile his advice 10 the law-abdng people Of Cali
sornia with his present position on the Popular Sovcr
eighty platform of the Democratic panty, or justify
what wac de tdcto then with what is bogus now. OF
khe power behind the platform greater than the plat
form itself shall speak by and by. There was Gu.
rous conjunction at this time of third and no less inn
portsn character in the history Of country with the