The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-08-17
HOW CALIFORNIA WAS PRESERVED
FOR THE UNION, =

Friday, July I, was the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the day on which
Commodore Sloat raised the Ameri-
can flag over Monterey, then the Cap
ital of California, under Mexican rule,
and proclaimed the province portion
of the United States. The San Fran
cisco Bulletin tells. the story thus: rF
" He arrived at Monterey from Ma
zatlan five days before with the fri
gate Savannah and five smaller YES
sells, under instructions from Secreta-
ry of Navy Bancroft (now Minister
to Berlin) TO watch the drift of events,
and in case of q breach of peace to
employ his fleet for hostile purposes.
The real object of Sloat's expedition
was to prevent California from falling
into the hands of the English in case
of war with Mexico. War actually
broke out in May, 1916, two months
before Sloat reached Monterey; but
while he suspected this he did not
know it, though he had probably
heard of Fremont's Bear-fiag insur-
rection at Sonoma. He was decided
in his course, however, by observing
that a British fleet of ten vessels on
this coast was watching American
movements and nursing some design
in opposition to them. When Sloat
left Mazatlan on the Savannah, the
British flagship the Collingwood,
carrying Rear Admiral Sir George
Seymour, left San Bias The Savan-
nah was the fastest sailer, and reach
ed that port first, when Sloat learned
that the English had nearly perfected
plot to put California under British
protection, as security or equivalent
for the Mexican debt to British SUBJ
jects, the transfer to be followed by
scheme of colonization in the San
Joaquin valley aud around the bays
of Monterey and San Francisco. 81
Sfoat did not know that instruc-
tions were then on the way to him,
directing him to seize and hold Mazat-
Ian, Monterey and San Francisco, and
take all measures in his power to Sc
cure the conquest of the country, but
he knew this was within the plans of
the Government and saw that unless
he acted ationce the British would SUI
persede him and California be lost to
the United States. So on the 7th of
July, 1916, he sent force of 250 men
ashore to hoist the Stars and Stripes
and make proclamation as above.-
The act was not only not opposed, but
was hailed with cheers by the people,
who were generally anxious to sepa-
rate from Mexico and had been plot
ting more than once to set up for
themselves. On the 8th of July, in
compliance with a message from
Sloat, Commander Montgomery, of
the United States sloop-of-war Ports
mouth, raised the American flag at
San francisco, ON the plaza which has
ever since borne the name of his ves-
sci, and took possession of the then
petty village OF Yerba Buena in the
name of his country. On the 10th of
July Montgomery sent the national
| flag to, ,Sonoma, where it was gladly
accepted by the Fremont revolution
| lists in, lieu of the rude Bear flag,
which may still be seen in the hall of
the pioneers of this city. These acts
followed by various land operations
at a later day, insured the acquisition
of California by the United. States,
which was complicated, by formal
treaty at the end of the war with
Mexico. a1iThe feelings of Admiral
Seymour when he ,tardily reached
| Monterey and saw the Yankee flag
| flying over the town, may be imag-
ined. 5It is pretty certain that if Sloat
haG not got ahead of him the British
flag would have been hoisted instead,
and California. might either not have
been an. American State to-day, or
else have become so only after a war
with Great Britain" falfa nc 5@1 cIe