St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-08-21
A. b. F. HILDRETH & D. D. W. CARVER, EDITORS.
st. Charles, Iowa, August 81, 1856.
California.

California.
The state of affairs in California is
truly alarming. The Government is
paralyzed, and the lives and property
of the people are at the mercy of an
irresponsible mob, called the vigilance
committee, whose deliberations are
secret, whose names even are not
known, and whose crimes already
committed leave them no hope but in
continuing the dreadful system of pros
ecution and terrorism which they have
inaugurated. They have even gone
so far as to project separation from
the United States, and the organization
of an independent state.
Over three hundred Frenchmen, well
drilled and good soldiers, have taken
service in support of the committee (;
and, indeed, we are advised, have the
CONTROL of it with the countcnance of
Consul Dillon, whose avowed object is
the organization of California into an
independent power. Nothing in the
history of the French revolution is
more revolving than the system of Sc
cret and bloody prosecutions which
they have adopted and unless the
national government interferes soon,
California will inevitably be deluged
in blood. The press is no longer free,
and dares only utter praises of the
committee (; and the citizens, who de-
plore the acts they cannot prevent,
dare not communicate with the eastern
journals, from fear Of being traced
and charged with some imaginary
crime, and consigned to a dungeon OF
the gallows, by a packed or intimida.
ted jury.
No one dares to utter a single word
against the proceedings of the vigi,
lance committee, if he does he is spot.
ted. A circle is drawn around him
from which he cannot escape he is
watched, night and day, and all who
countenance him, Or give him bust
ness; and if the offence is repeated
the offender is ruined.
In this deplorable state of affairs the
state government is perfectly power
less, and the general government APP
pears quite too indifferent AS yet
no efficient effort has been made at
Washington to restore the supremacy
of the law, and the time is rapidly APP
preaching to all appearance, when
California will have to be re-conguer-
ed, or one star will have to be erased
from our national banner.
The case has already acquired it's
political aspects, and various consid-
erations, besides those which ought to
determine the action of the Executive,
have already been addressed to him.
Senator Gwinn is understood to have
identified his political fortunes with
the vigilance committee. Senator
Weller is neutral. Both the Califor-
MIA members of the lower house have
been prescribed by the committee, and
are, therefore, if for no other reason,
presumed to be inimical to it. They
may, however, cast the vote Of their
state for the next President, in case of
a failure to elect by the people, and
must therefore be propitiated.
Then the effect of the present state
of things upon the coming election has
to be calculated, and the data for such
a calculation are very imperfect.
Again, letters have been received
from influential quarters assuring the
authorities at Washington that any
with the vigilance COM
mittee will lead inevitably to the Sc
cession of California from the Union,
a result which many in California are
DESTROYS Of precipitating.
Such are some of the considerations
which have distracted the Presidents
mind of late in relation to this ques-
ton. More than month ago an APP
plication was received by him from
Gov. johnson for arms and military
aid in suppressing the rebellion. This
was denied, partly on &C
count of some informalities in the form
of the application, and partly because
of certain constitutional and legal oh
jections to it. m
One Of the most extraordinary facts
revealed by Gov. Johnson's applica-
ton is that, of the whole store of
arms furnished by the United States
to California-more than it's full quo
ia, and more than sufficient for the
present exigencies of the government
but 1873 muskets remain in the State
Arsenal. Now, the question natural