New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-14

rba period of California history treated by Mt
.no,croft in this volume of his great series is full
of interest to the American reader. The DOCK as
the author saws, contains History OF the Con-
quest But it Is perhaps only in secondary degree
that the narrative weighs, for the main value OF
the work must alwsys consist in the great task OF
historical rectifcation which it embodies There
Is nowhere more striking example of the dlsi-
lnsionizing force of truth when applied to legend
arv bassed and perverted representations OF facts
Nowhere in the progress of his labors has the I'M
portance of MI Baucrofts elaborate and compre-
hensiye preparations been clearly demonstrated
as iu this volume. either. 1t would not have heeh
possible for any writer less thoroughly equ'ppeu
with original documents relating 70 every ae'an
of California history to unravel as he mas done
here the complicated and now well-establsheu
fctions which have passed as authoritative win
all but ono or two recent historians. such rs joan
s. Hittell and Professor Royce. The dlihcniues
encountered were formidable and some OF thoH
were OF an unusual kind. All manner OF preluuiccS
and private interests and political Inventions n'u
to be blended. damaged and exposed before thc
truth coud be set forth plainly. Living men Vi
nrominence had to be attacked, indirectly, oil
course with unpleasant implications prooaoie OF
possible A mass of newspaper stories narratives
of loose-tongued old pioneers and Other sources OF
historical romance had to be turned over, sfted
and for the most part rejected OF branded as worse
than worthless At the same time the actual facts
had TO be gathered often from slender written or
printed records made at time when at least two
parties were strongly interested in misrepresentmg
one another and when very few Of the actors IN
the scene took the trouble to make notes OF what
happened.
The conquest of California as commonly known
to the American people heretofore. was romantic
end exciting event. marked by many noble, gallant
ond her disrl aVi a
tiles Of the typical American. and to be regarded
. with patriotic pride and satisfaction. The Bear
Flag revolt, commonly described, was an out
break of bravo American patriots upon treach-
erous and bloodthirsty Mexican foe Commodore
Sloat, in Selling Monterey, has always been por
trayed as an aStute and daring seaman, who il
accomplishing that act Outwitted England as
represented by Admiral Seymour and assured the
conquest of the Golden State. As to Fremont his
name has passed into history surrounded by sort
of aureole, while Stockton and Kearney have ap-
peared only less splendid and brilliant as his CO.
adjutOrs. All this structure OF pleasing and graf
ifyng fiction is demolished terly by Mr. Bancroft.
The history of the quest of California as related
by him. and for tie first time founded upon doc
umentary evidence, is far less creditable to the
chief actors and far less hatterng to American
self-appreciation than the pre-existing legends.
All that can be said. indeed in behalf of nara
IAOSot'He p
to such as wish to think well of their country is
that 1t is undoub oily true. 1t may also be some
consolation to reflect that there is probably no
period in the history OF any country which if sub
lecte1 To examination 80 microscopic and eX-
haustive as this of Mr. Bancroft would not yield
results equally tending to di,encbantment
he operations of Fremont are followed in this
volume with the effect of showing that he Indirect
ly and covert.y encouraged the Bear + az revolt
and that lac began by insulting the Mexican local
authorities IN the most unwarrantable aud indie
fensible manner, only desisting from what looked
Ike an intention to make private war upon the
then pOssessOrs of the country when he realized
that his own destruction would inevitably follow
such experiment. Compelled to abandon his
traculent attitude he seems to have allowed bis
name TO be freely used for the furtherance OF the
Bear Flag outbreak This movement, Nh. Bancroft
shows. was simply and purely fbustcring
scheme The causes alleged wholly false and
fictitious. 1t was declared subsequently that a
Mexican proclamation had been issued By Castro 10
the effect that he about to destroy all the for
eigners. There was no truth in the statement
Castro issued no proclamation Castro at the time
was fully occupied in preparing for aggressive
movements against pico. the north and south in
California being then at Odds. The seizure of
Sonoma by the Bear Flag party was an outrage.
without a shadow Of excuse. The party were in
truth no better than banditti. Foreigners admit
ted with generous hospitality t. a strange country,
these immigrants undertook TO overthrow the laws
and government, in the expectation apparently
that when the new State was admitted to the
Union they would profit bv their lawiess action.
As to Ide who always claimed to have been the
leader and protector of the Bear Flag movement, it
is plain that lie a very ignorant conceitcd and
supplemented old man. exceedingly fond of hear
Jag himself talk innocent of any decp-laid plans,
nd probably leSSm m q his as
socrates. Fremont held n cpriOusly cautious atti-
tude toward the hhbusters when they first moved.
though he did not hesitate aterward to assume the
supposed credit OF all they had done. That neither
they be really contributed much to the con
quest of California Mr.. Bancroft demonstrates.
The plain truth is that the term conquest" in
that connection Is misleading and inappropriate.
The people of California at the time had no idea of
lghting for their independence AS a rule they
content to live under the Stars and Stripes.
Less than live hundred men probably were engaged,
on the Mexican side in all the contests Mich &C.
CURED. There no war There were only a
few small skiImishes. The sO-caed battle of San
Pascual the most serious engagement, and on
that occasion about twenty men put hOrs da
combat. When the American dag formally
hoistcd the majority of the population acquiesced
quietly in the change, and Mr.. Bancroft is probably
correct in the belief that but for the acts of Ere
mont the Bear Flag hlibusters, and Commodore
Stockton. the annexation of California could have
been effected without any collision whatever.
The historian does not acqcIt Fremont of per-
soual aims or of subordnatug the general in
,eIests to them. and the evidence is very strong in
support of this view. The = Pathfinder" certainly
acted throughout in anything but a straightfor-
ward way, and the differences between the Ian
guage of his reports to the Government and the
facts with which he was supposed to be deal
;u,, ilaI,1a Thara fa,~ f,ri..
pleasing in their way that of Commodore Sioars
race with the English Admiral from NJ ,zatan to
Monterey, and his triumphant arrival in advance
Of his competitor. This agreeable legend however,