Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-09-03
EVENING STAR.
The San Francisco Vigilance Committee.
correspondence Of N. Y. journal Of Commerce

The San Francisco Vigilance Committee.
correspondence Of N Y. Journal Of Commerce
| SAN Francisco, Aug 5, 1856.
Once more, after an absence of two months
rom your valued columns, do appear again
Detore your readers. I trust there are some
| 10 welcome me to the Journal 1t be-
neVe. the nrst respite in six years. Previou-
20 this interval, had not missed writing YOU
1or single steamer in all that period.
ihis much for an introduction. But what
| changes have taken place here in San Fran
cisco since the 18th of April last. Your col
ums have briefly told the tales Of woe. Bv
the hand Of an assassin, the honest and fear
iess hing was shot down and since then DR.
randall has Jared a similar fate. Their mur-
oerers, with others, have been publicly exc
cuteo In our streets by the hands of the COM
miuee OF vigilance Casey and Cora, Heth.
| erington and Brace, have all four been hung
oy the peOple-not by mob, as some SO called
!, Law and order" men would love to call
1oem, out by our very best citizens Pious
| Iaymen, clergymen, lawyers, doctors, merch.
ants, bankers, mechanics, and artizans, in fact
| anu In truth nineteen twentieths of our hest
anu most honored citizens, compose the army
VINO shoulder the musket and rifle, and draw
| the sword to avenge the wrong deeds of blood
and violence that have so long ran ramnant
| Ia our streets. Perhaps twenty persons, ballot
| pox stuners, shoulder strikers, &c have been
| panished from the State by the COMMITTEES
ana others are yet to follow by the steamers
Ieavlng TO day. Yankee Sullivan, one of the
| most noted scoundrels that long infested our
| city, committed suicide in his cell, as your
| readers have long since been advised These
comprise the loading acts of the committee.
| with single exception, that OF the honorable
| David 5: Terry, Judge of the Supreme Court
OF Calitornla, who has been in close confine
ment In the cells of Fort Vigilance for the mast
nearly two months. His trial was long and
Tedious affair, and is not yet closed, or, rather
| the case is not yet settled About i40 wit
! nesses were examined. You are probably
aware that the committee of vigilance is =
| secret body-every member sworn to keen
eii proceedings which may be proposed or
adopted by the body, and to give ali needfuI
assistance, even life itselfif necessary, to carry
out It's aim and object. Yet, nevertheless.
mueh does leak out, and L will try to concen.
trate all into as small space as possible for
your columns. The executive committee is
composed of about forty members, beside two
secretaries The president of this body is un-
derstood to be William T. Coleman, ESQ. a
merchant Of high and honorable standing
hero and elsewhere The others are taken
from all classes and conditions of men-mer.
chants, doctors, lawyers, shipcarpenters, ma
sons, blacksmiths, carpenters, ironmongers
&c,-perhaps two thirds of the whole are
|
our city. There are two or three French and
uermans IN the executive body.
lhe deneral Committee Is composed of about
o,UOO members, whose names, residences and
places Of business, are duly enrolled, and
signed to the Constitution. The Committee is
divided into about 80 divisions or companies
three OF cavalry, two of artillery, and the re-
msinder of infantry. These are commanded
by proper officers, and are weekly drilled, and
each company take their turns for guard OF
garrison duty. The whole is divided into
battalions, and duly commanded by a Grand
Marshal, his aids, &c. In fact, it is one grand
army, composed Of our best and most highly
esteemed citizens.
There are about 100 men constantly on duty.
day and night, in and about the garrison,
without pay, fee or reward all voluntary
four hours off and on during tho "a hours
one company on during the day, another at
night.
The Police is governed by a Captain and
his aids, all under pay. Rations are furnish
ed to all on duty in the garrison.
The Executive Committee is sub-divided in.
to Committees, who have their Secretaries.
The latter only are paid.
There is also tho Commissary Depart
ment," Quartermaster' Office, &c.
The Armory and Magazines are all in per-
feet order, and everything is ready for action.
The moment the alarm BELL is sounded-two
dpc VI tuc DSll WOulQ, IN OU Uln-
utes, call out ten thousand men, night or day,
half of the number armed and equipped, as
the law Directs
should have stated previously that the
various Sub Committees are designated as
follows Evidence Committee, Qualification
Committee, Investigating Committee, Military
Committee, Prison Committee, Finance Com
mittee
The expenses Of the General Committee are
all Maid nv vOlupfaru ptrih hv
citizens. The total and entire expenses up to
this time, probably exceed $40 600.
The present expenses of rent, clerk hire
&C., probably at this moment do not exceed
five hundred dollars per day, though they
have run up to 500 Everything is done on
the cash system. Bills are paid off daily from
III to IL clerk hire, once a week (evcry Sat-
urday The Garrison Is, in all respects, in
good military order. Barracks for $50 men
(relief guard) with blankets and mattresses,
suttlers' quarters, &c.
The establishment is even provided with
horses, every thing ready and on the premises
| for a campaign. To show the true feeling of
| the people, 1 have seen frequently men on
| duty, with their white locks, over 80, and
| others 65 and 81 years Of age. Probably a
score Of these old gentlemen do guard duty
| night and day; watch at their posts, in or out
| OF doors, or wherever duty calls; and these
| too are men occupying the high and honor
able calling of merchants, mechanics, DC.
These men shoulder the musket, and drill as
good as soldiers, attend the reviews, &c. 1
have said previously that there were clergy
men in the Committee, probably twenty in
| number, mostly Methodists, but a few of other
| denominations. In nearly all our churches
(ProtestantO pastors have spoken and preach
! ed apprOyingly Of the Committee and of their
| acts. may enumerate the Right Rev. Bish-
op Kip of the Episcopal Church, Rev. Messrs.
Briggs and Thomas of the Methodist Churches,
| Rev Mr. Cutler, of the Unitarian, Rev. Mr.
Willy of the New School Presbyterian, Rev.
Mr. Lacy of the Congregational, and Rev. Dr..
| Anderson of the Presbyterian Old School, and
many others whose names do not now recol-
only clergyman who has refrained from allu-