Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-24
T,,. I.a,ap Pe.tIIeuee I'm Iss,


ton of mankind By the angels Of the Lord. and
by destroying sgels, but have never read or
heard OF such general distraction of q people
by any angel, good or bad, or BY plague, or
IestiieDce, a. that which swept the valley OF
The Sssrsm' nto and San joaquin in the SUNNI.
or Ks. In the autumn or 1SS2 a party, OF
which the writer WAS a member, trayelsd
frUm the mountain down along the banks
OF the San joaquin river and up those Ct
the Sa6ramento 10 some distance above the
col Il euce Of the latter with Feather river.
The lumber OF Indians living along and in the
vicinity OF the banks OF the rivers was - much
greater than i had ever seen living upon the
same same area OF cOgntry that it presented
constant source or surprise. The conclusion
Wa then reached BY me that there was no other
place on the Continent, north OF the trOpic, the
natural productions Of which could support so
large population az Was then living in the sec
ton OF the country 20 which I hare referred
In the latter part OF tue summer OF Is33 we en-
tered the northern extremity Of the scramsnto
valley from the Klamath lake aud Pitt river
COsnttieS- We fOa0d the northern part Of the
valley stT5wed NItI the skeletons and IT agmsnts
Of skeletons OF Intians, under the shading
trees, around springs and the convenient water
ing places, upon the banks OF the river, aud
over the plain. where wolves and cOyes
wattiiug from tree TO tree or over the
plain. their hiIes Gistsnded with unnat-
raj fAfneSs. had dragged sid Cenuded them
From the hesd of the valley to the American
river bat one living lnGi4n was seen, AMI he
Was the most perfect persCuiEcstfOn Of solitude
that was ever presented TO my vie~, his wasted
muscles, his eyes deeply SINK in their sockets,
as # there were no brdin within the Uranium,
emitted a dull, vacant gaze, az IL astOnishei to
behold living hum An being, when he believed
that al, 81 were dead, AMI he ATOMS lett, tell
ing most emphatically of his after loneliness OF
how he had seen the destroying angei engaged
In bis work OF death On every hand, and where
ever he eyes were turned, until he himself Eas
prOs,Tated, not killed, bat left 20 riss upon his
rect and wander abOIt among the bones and
fostering bodies OF his folk. The dwellings OF
the INDIANS in the mum -rcus villages located
upon and alcng the bank OF the Sacramento
river aud its tributaries were void, and no
foot tracks but those OF fowls and wild
= r. > in IA villa
as We Travelled sJutfsTIy the skeletons were
CT fTesieT appearance, AMI before reaching
tire or partially devOured bodies Of the Indians,
in al stages OF decay, were 50 invariably found
in and about ali the convenient and desirable
camping places that It became necessary, in
order 10 escaps the stencil Of decOmpOsiug hu-
manity, to see our nj ht's encampments upon
the open plain. After crossing Feather river
those villages along the Sacramento which in
the winter previous WeTs each inhabited by
hundreds CT Indians were desOlate and the
abOdes If ruin. The same appalling proofs of
this dire calamity we're constantly presented TO
u as we travelled mp the San joaquin. Neither
biblical or pTOfSne history has portrayed such
mOurniul Results OF the march OF adestrOying
angel. as were presented TO our senses as We re-
passed through. 8Ong by, and around those
silent and vacated villages which soma ten
months before had seen swarming
with Indian lie, aud resOundiDg with
voices from hundreds OF human throats.
Around the naked villages, graves and the
ashes VI funeral PYres. the skeletons and sEOl-
len bodies told a tale OF death such a. to US no
written record had ever revealed. From the
head Of the Sacramento valley until We reached
the mouth Of ktng's river, not exceeding five
live Indians were seen, aud here We found ca
camped 8 village OF Indians, among whom tue
destroying angel was sstng his greed OF human
victims by y chastity carnage. During the one
night more than a score OF victims were added
TO the hosts upon which he had been feeding.
The wsilng OF that stricken village during
that night was iuceSsEnt and most terrible.
The sword OF the destroyer was q remittent
fever with which the victims were first stricken
down. ID hE a hath oil al
by plunge into a cold water one. 1t was evil
dent To u from the signs which We saw, that.at
INST the Indians buried their dead, but when
the dead became 30 numerous that the living
could not bury them, resort was had to the
burning Of the dead bodies, and when the Hy-
ing from. diminished numbers we're unable TO DO
this, they abandoned their villages, the sick
and the dying, and fed IN dismay, only to die
by the SIDE Of the springs and pools OF water,
ard beneath the shade of protecting trees.-L
J. Warner, an los angeles Star.
A Senatorial Defeat I'm Massachusetts.
A noted instance OF disappointment in not
obtaining SenatOrshlp occurred in this state
in ls55, n the case or JOhu Quincy Adams.
Nathaniel Slsbee, an old time merchant OF
pTIECsly wealth, who had been in Senate for
nine years, and having had enough OF public
hOEOTs declined q reelection. II was we'll
understood throughout the state that Mr..
Adams desired the place, and no possible doubt
could be expressed as 20 his eminent fitness for
ii. He was sI1ty-eiSht years OF age and his
daily life from early youth, without a few brief
Interruptions had been passed IA the public
diplomacy alone has never been exceeded, or a.
all approached in the number OF courts at
which he represented his country, or the variety
and importance OF the services he rendered.
In addition TO all this be was q native Of the
state ard connected With one Of the NEST Illus
tIiOus families know in American history.
Mir. Webster did not want Mr.. Adams FOR his
colleague and was not backward in making his
opposition Known At this period the influence
OF Nr. Webster in Massachusetts politics was
very nearly absolute. he had but TO make
kIcWn bis wishes aud they were compiled with.
be had been reelected TO the United States
senate bot TWO years before, almost unani-
mOusly, receiving every vote in the state senate
and AZ out OF Isl votes in the hOuse-that BODY
being much more Numerous then than ii Is at
the present time. The lAurels gained by him
In bis celebrated contest with Robert y. Hayne,
(JanuaTy 80, $780, were as fresh as when first
come Just AZ the right time in that line of Judi
cial opinions, which WAS iutsrspersed by the
wonderful decisions OF Chief Justice Marsh ALI
on questions or constitutional law. There were
very many people who with a sort OF religious
CONVICTION lOOsed upon the advent OF NJ Web
steI At this juncture in the light OF 8 special
gift TO the nation. Those who saw him forty
years ago Will never forget his personal appear
ence. So magnificent a development Of the
I9ysiSa and mental mortal eye L seldom per
United TO rest upon. 1t was AZ this period that
Ills POLITICAL adversaries bestowed upon him the
sppellztiOn Of the .'GOd-like."
At the election for Senator, Febr uary l. =, 1863,
each house voting separately, in the lower
branch, Governor Davis received 3O2 votes Dir.
Adams III, and there were 90 scattering. Mr..
tie 10Th, when the Senate was to act upOn the
question, an extraordinary interest was m 4ni-
Tested IN the result. Strong hopes were enter
tanned by the friends or Mr.. Adams, that he
would obtain majority in the Senate, thereby
producing disagreement between the two
houses. The Senate Chamber was deuseiy
crowded with spectators, anxious to witness the
balotng. Thirty nine Senators, all but one,
we're PRESENT. Mr.. Adams received three votes
on The trst ballot. AMI aOt dftsY1Cdrds. Three
more ballots were taken, and on the third John
Davis was elected by one majority. No Sena-
tOTlal defeat was ever more complete. Mr..
Adams Fever forgave Mr. Webster for what ne
termed an act OF personal hostility, and on
several public occasions, well remembered by
intelligent readers, he took especial pains To
manifest IN pointed terms uuabated spirit of
revenge. Both were in public life many wears
after this date and when they happened to
meet, II was with slight recognition, and the
exhibition OF courtesy deeply tinKed with lev
cOldness. Dir. Adams has been dead nearly
twenty seven years, February 3, IsisD and
AT. Webster followed him in less than five
years AiteTH ards, October -, 1852 > and 80 far
a. human observation is allowed to penetrate
II may De assumed that their e5entuients hare