Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-06-10
CENTENNIAL PAPERS.
NO. II.

the jesuit fhtNefs, the attention OF lHe
Spanish Crown was directed to the ca
pacity, resources and value OF this por-
ton of its dominons, and the immigra-
tion of class of people who would wrest
it from the dominion of Nature was en-
couraged by all the means then common
among the crowned heads of Europe, who
without exception appeared to act as if the
New World had been discovered solely
that they might partition out its broad
acres among their favorites. To the cred
it of the French and Spanish be it said,
in all the settlements they made after the
first great fever of conquest was passed,
due care was taken to preserve to the
native inhabitants at least portion Of
the rights and privileges they had enjoy
ed prior TO the advent Of the white adven
turers upon :heir shores. The conduct Of
every nation is in marked contrast with
that OF our English forelathers, whose ar
rival everywhere, with the single excep.
tion Of Pennsylvania, was followed by a
series of desolatirg wars in which, after
dear bought victories the Indians were
finally driven from the coveted lands,
and sent to unite the shattered fragments
of once powerful tribes with those which
had not yet been brought into contact
with the destroying influences of civiliza-
tion. In the first settlements of Spanish
America, when bigotry OF religion ex-
isted under the sacred name of which the
lands and chattcls of idolatrous nations
were esteemed fit booty Tor their Christ
ian conquerors when the wealth OF
Mexico and Peru was so immense that
the sight of it could we'll tempt the Gu
pdity of their half barbarous conquerors,
the atrocities perpetrated by the Span
iards upon the simple minded natives
were excused by that laxity Of feeling
which held all of different faith as sub
ordinate to the believers in the true cross.
But by the time California became an OBJ
ject looked upon as worthy Ot reclama
ton and sovereignty, there had grown a
better feeling which influenced the con-
duct of the Adventures. Our State was
not settled, like Mexico and the Spanish
Main, By the citizens of old Spain. The
Spanish conquerors had readily assimilat-
ed with their subdued enemies, and lit
tie of the pure blood of CASTLE flowed
in the veins of the mixed race which form
ed the main body of those settling here
during the latter part Of the eighteeth
century. Perhaps it was that the char
acter Of the native Calfornians of the
valleys and sea-coast was not of that war
like nature which the settlers of the At
iatic Slope had to contend with, be it so
or not, the missions and settlements Of
California were pushed northward with
out that chapter Of barbarity, rapine and
butchery we are taught to regard as al
most inseparable from an Indian frontier.
The first real settlements in this State
were made at period when the war
closed was gathering in the East which
ended only in the Revolution and indie
pendence of the British colonies. The
seeds of Liberty, then planted in the
Western World, soon were carried over
the continent. The Spanish provinces
saw the growth and prosperity of the
young Republic, and desired to emulate
her in the race for nationality. The colo
nies Of Spain had long submitted in pa
tience to the eXactions Of the mother coun-
try but rs they saw the successful issue Of
the American struggle, and the onward
mach OF the new nation when released
from the dominion of the mother country,
they in turn threw off the bonds ofallegi-
ance, ard before the first half century Of
American independence was completed,
we could reach forth our hands in greet
ing to the sister republics of the South.
California which had been attached to
the government of Mexico under the
Spanish regime, became, in turn, q state
of the Mexican Republic when the indie
pendence of Mexico was achieved. Her
population did not permit her 20 rise to
that dignity at frst, and indeed, it was
not for many years after that the white
inhabitants of the country numbered, all
told, five thousand. With the accession
of Mexican, in exchange for Spanish SOW
ereignty, began the downfall of Jesuit
ascendency. Tho new government cur
tailed the fathers of many of the preroga-
tives they had enjoyed from the crown of
Spain, and before the country passed un-
der American rule the missions establish
ed towards the close Of the last and begin
ing Of the present century, were mostly
abandoned, their hocks and herds run
ming wild over the valleys and the once
fertile lands fast-relapsing into state Of
nature.
1t is not however, to be inferred, that
with the decline of the Jesuit ascendency
there was a decline in the growth and de-
velopment of the country. An new ele-
ment was pouring in over the mountains
and by the seas, and the downfall of
Mexican domination was only question
oftime. Singly, and in little companies the
country was receiving yearly accessions of
Americans to its population, while the
commerce and general business was rap
idly passing into the hands of English,
French and foreign merchants. The
country was ripe for change of govern
mcnt for years before the fortunes of war
transferred it to the protection of the
American flag. Unlike the effete people
whom they displaced, the new comers
launched out into the country, penetrat-
ing to the heads of those valleys which
the native inhabitants knew only by
name, and preparing the land, as it were
tor the food of immigration which was to