Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-06-20
The VigiIantS of 1856.

The famous episode in the early his
tory of California, which excited the at
tention of the civilized world in 1856,
has become dimmed in general recolec-
ton by stupendous intervening events,
although perfectly-wen remembered In
California itself. The only precise
knowledge of it possessed by the new
generation Is derived from Gen. Sher-
man, who, in his memoirs, !" gives 2
lively, but One-sided and hostile. sketch
of its history.
Gen. Sherman was, at the time,
banker IN San Francisco. Some time
before the creation of the Vigilance
Committee he had been appointed Ma
jor General Of the State militia, but had
not accepted and qualified On the out
break of the disturbances he was per-
suaded by the Governor to take the Of
flee, and he entered with characteristic
dash and Taal upon the task of suppress
ing the d" Eigilants." AS the movement
was outside the law, it was the duty Of
the State Government to suppress 1t, and
twas tor Gen. Sherman, as commander
Of the militia, to devise the plans. But
be had no success, and threw up his
commission in disgust. He applied to
Commodore FalTagut, then stationed at
San Francisco, for ship, but was re-
fused. He applied to Gen. Wool, then
commanding the United States troops III
California. for arms. He asserts In the
Memoirs" that they were promised,
and that Gen. Wool afterward denied
his promise, and he IS pretty severely
handled In the Memoirs" In cOnse-
quence. When that alleged promise
was violated, Sherman found that he
was powerless, since all the arms on the
coast were in possession either OF the
Vigilants or Gen. Wool. Thereupon
Sherman resigned his commission and
went back to his bank. An application
was afterward made by the Governor to
President Pierce for Federal assistance,
which was refused. The best public
opinion was so strongly on the side of
the Vigilants that it was deemed unwise
to interfere.
The state of affairs was much worse
then than it is now. One Casey had
been exposed in the Bulletin as a gradu-
ate of Sing Sing prison. On the same
day he shot King, the editor, in the
pistol This was the elimination Of an
excitement which had been growing for
weeks. Casey, after the shooting, went
and surrendered himself to the Sheriff,
member Of the ballot stuffns gang, who
was his friend. The next day after
Kings funeral, the Vigilants went to the
prison, seized Casey, tried him by their
secret tribunal, convicted and sentenced
him, and, On the following day, hanged
him and another murderer, Cora, in
front of the Vigilants' headquarters.
These swift measures struck terror into
the corrupt ring, and the Vigilants kept
control for the ensuing three months,
until they had accomplished their work,
in the course of which they hanged four
miscreants and banished about twenty.
The most remarkable instance Of their
defiant and relentless energy was their
arrest of the Chief Justice of the State,
for stabbing one Of their constables, and
they would have hanged him if the con-
stable had died Of his wound The
friends Of Terry, the Chief Justice, APP
piled to the United States Judge for
habeas corpus, which he found pretext
for refusing. They afterward procured
a habeas from q State Judge, which PIT
the Vigilants in dilemma. But their
wits were equal to the occasion. Before
the officer could approach to serve the
writ, they had spirited away the Chief
Justice, and then opened their doors and
told tile officer to satisfy himself that
they were OBTAINING nobody in custody.
When they had done their work, they
resigned, amid festive celebration. Al
though they were technical murderers,
no attempt was made to punish them,
for no jury could have been found to
bring in q verdict of guilty. For the
ensuing twenty years San Francisco was
one Of the best-governed cities In the
United States.