The Portland daily press., 1880-03-25
IN. Y. Herald,l

N. I. Heralu.i
The famous episode in the early history of
California which excited the attention of the
civilized world in 1856, has become dimmed in
recollection by stupendous intervening events,
although perfectly remembered in California
itself The only precise knowledge of it pos
sessed by the new generation is derived from
Gen. Sherman, who, in his Memoirs" gives
a 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 APP
pointed major general of the State militia But
had not accepted and qualified. On the out
break of the disturbances he was persuaded by
the Governor to take the Office, and he entered
with characteristic dash and zeal upon the task
of suppressing the "vigilantes''. AS the move
ment was outside the law, it was the duty of
the State government to suppress it, and it was
for Gen. Sherman, as commander of the mill
tia, to devise the plans. But he had no success
and threw up his commission in disgust. He
applied to Commodore Farragut, then sta
toned at San Francisco, for ship, but was
refused. He applied to Gen. Wool, then COM
handing the United States troops in Califor-
mia, for arms. He asserts in his 'Memoirs''
that they were promised, and then Gen. Wool
afterward denied his promise, and he is pretty
severely handled in the Memoirs in conse-
quence. When that alleged promise was vio-
lated Sherman found that he was powerless,
since all the arms on the coast were in possess
sion either Of the vigilantes or Gen. Wool.
an cd ,,,s,
and went back to his bank. An application
was afterwards made by the Governor to Pres
1dent Pierce for Federal assistance, (which was
refused. The best public opinion was SO strong
~ on the side of the vigilantes that it was
deemed unwise to interfere.
The state of affairs was much worse then
than it is now. Casey, the Kearney of that
period, had been exposed in the Bulletin as
graduate of Sing Sing prison. On the same
day he shot King, the editor, in the street be-
fore the latter could draw his 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, a member of the ballot-stufing gang,
who was friend. The next day after Kings
funeral the vigilantes went to the prison,
seized Casey, tried him by their secret tribunal
convicted and sentenced him, and on the fol-
lowing day hanged him and another murderer,
Cora, in front of the vigilance headquarters
These swift measures struck terror into the
corrupt ring, and the vlgllanteS kept control
for the ensuing three months, until they had
accomplished their work, in the course of
which they hanged four miscreants and ban
ishad about 20. 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 constable had
died of his wound. The friends of Terry, the
Chief Justice, applied to the United States
Judge for habeas corpus, which he found a
pretext for refusing. They afterwards pro-
cured habeas from State Judge, which put
the vigilantes 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 the officer to salts
fy himself that they were OBTAINING nobody in
their custody. When they had done their
work they resigned amid festive celebration
Although they were technical murderers, no
attempt was made to punish them, for no jury
could have been found to bring in verdict Of
guilty. For the ensuing 20 years San Francis
co was one of the best governed cities in the
United States.