The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-07-30

as much OF the same lands as they Az
tempted to acquire by force and violence
1.-THE title, in the meantime, having been
firmly and finally settled in favor of Sut-
ter,l they found themselves the helpless
rictims of their ~unscrupulous leaders.
Hundreds there are at this moment, who
having spent the flower of their life (sev-
en- years. and their last dollar in this
fruitless contest, arc now without even
hopes. They are really objects of COM
miseration with all familiar with the
circumstances under which they were
~entrapped into the Ito them fatall di-
lemma by Robinson and his co-opera-
tors, whose sole purpose was to realize
mqney by the excitement, In which he,
especially was successful having long
since left the country and his dupes,
carrying with him his ill-gotten gains.
A sight of the wreck he has made of
his victims there would be. sufficient to
induce almost any other man to aban-
don his present somewhat similar wild
career, in which lie is inducing thou
sands to leave their homes and mhark
in a new and distant country, on a Wild
goose chase of pretended opposition to
slavery, to whom Disappointment, NOR
tification, and suffering will be their in
evitable reward. But to return to Rob-
inson in California. He counselled re-
s~istance to the law and the seizure of
the lands Of others on account of alleg-
ed invalidity of title. His advice was
followed, and the business of the city
was almost ruined by those lawless pro-
ceedings. Many of the intruders were
removed from the lots by the ordinary
legal proceedings. and while that was
being done, Robinson and his party ap-
peared in the streets, armed with rifles,
headed by a mounted leader, avowing
their deter mination to restore the lands
by force to the parties elected by order
of the courts. 1t YVES apparent to the
law-abiding portion of the community
that if they should be permitted to ac-
complisb their purpose, there must be
an end to law, and property-holders
must abandon all hope of legal protec-
ton, and surrender their property to a
ba=d of men aVowing themselves to be
above and beyond the reach Of all law.
This armed force, led on by unscru-
pulous leaders paraded- the streets def
ant of the civil authorities. They were
followed by thousands whom curiosity
or interest prompted to witness so extra
ordinary a proceeding. Tear and hope
alternated in the minds of the spectators
as to the result. The suspense did not
last long. In turning a corner, the crowd
pressing too closely on the armed mob,
firing commenced, and a. serious fight
was the result, in which the mayor and
sheriff, and several prominent citizens
of Sacramento, lost their lives; several
of Robiuson's party were also killed,
and lie was conveyed to the prison brig
dangerously wounded. Shortly after
wards an election of members to the Leg
i%slature took place, and owing to popu-
lar sympathy for him, arising out of his
confinement, he was returned as a MEM
Der pledged to oppose all grants like
that to Suffer and their holders or as
signoes. The cry of the party electing
him was-doWn with all such grants and
their proprietorsi which cry he had
taught them.
Col j. C. Fremont, the most obnox-
ious man in the State to Robinson's par
ty, because the holder of the most impor-
tant similar grant, was the candidate
for the Senate of the United States of
the party obeying the laws and sustain
ing the authority of the courts. Prob
ably not a single man of all those voting
for Robinson himself, would have voted
for Fremont; party feeling upon the
~squatter question running so high at that
time. To their utter astonishment he
voted for Fremont for the y. S. Senate.
Though the Legislature sat until the
3Ist of May, his name last appeared on
the journals on the 27th of February.
The steamer left San francisco on the
LIST of March, and leaving San Jose on
the morning of the 2Sth February, he
| reached the steamer, sixty miles distant,
by a forced ride, in time to step aboard
just as she was starting out to sea-
Thus he abandoned his post and his con-
stituents, having treacherously betrayed
every interest he was elected to repre-
sent.
The indignation against him in Sacra.
meuto was so great on account of his
| course in the Senatorial election, and for
his fragrant violation of every principle
on which he was elected, upon the San
Francisco water lots bills, and the ques-
ton of the change of the seat of govern
ment, that his life would not have been
safe from the Vengeance of those who had
| voted for him, had he ventured to face
them again; as he dared not do.
About the time of his surreptitious
departure, resolutions providing for an
investigation into charges affecting his
character incidentally, were introduced,
and it was supposed in Sacramento that
he took that occasion to absquatulato.
He next turned up in Kansas.