New-York tribune., 1886-05-30

XXI HISTORY OF CAtaroFEsnH; S Fr,ns;.,o: oo" A. l.
Bancroft & Co.
Tho history of California from 1910 1Slo com
,rses the transition period during which the o,u
rec;ma was wearing out, and the material lo' "''
new one was beng gathered together LII Is '"Po
sible TO real Mr.. Bsncroft's volumes witho"'
ceiy,ng that If ever there was case Oh a-..as
dast,,vr the absorption of California by the oh''o
States was such case Prior to 1910 tne wo'" -
thc historian was mainly connned "
annals of Spanish msrule ihe"ooio -
current of events is swifter and the ih'eios'
II On, bar,lv be said that there was any hi,ei'so"
effort made by Mexico or by the h''''' 49,. For
IN nrevent or even hinder foreign conqueS.'
-, ,va,,inrs were periodically sent TO MeNico
re.ardi,r foreign plots and the danger Oh .ie i'n-
;.,io, from Missouri nothing was ever done 10
cheet II but on the contrary the reception given "
Americans was so hospitablc that they hao no io'
son for complaint, and were so free lfoni al V''a
nes in taking mp land that 1t is not surprising "
find many of them speaking and acting AZ 'ho'
had merely passed from one part OF the Oni'' ="
another in crossing the Slerras.
The embarrassments and especially the weakness
y, rho departmental government no DOUBT nau
mrch 70 do with the liberal policy ma'n' i'Iou
toward immigrants. For many years the s"e'0''i
Co,.ornors had bean absorbed in enGcavorS to make
necessary services taxed all their resources ne
aoo,lor,1at;on Of the missions, while justhable IN
theory proved ruinous IN practice. Inc se'z"io Vi
tho p,ons Fnnd by the Central Government mas
s.a,sd the wreck. and though in 1910 the fuhd
,v,s ostenslbly restored and bishop was sent 10
CaIforu;a the snoiatlon of the missions had 'hep
nroceeded so far that their rehabilitation was ii
nracticabe Many had been 9iunderca riga "'''
left. both by the pa Tres and secular superb
o,,s and various executives had used the HOOKS
o,d bards and stores of grain and Eldes ana tai-
lov gathered at them under all manner OF s9ecio"'
,,,.tex,s Reouisitions of this kind passel under
the head OF loans. the rule however oei,s 'h''
,bov were never made good. So the Missions
arr;,diod and IN, Door neophytes the indians for
whose benefit they had been established
wo-e ALWAYS the last to be considered
Rv degrees they dropped OF. Many re-
lansed INTO barbarism wholly. Otners' W
whom no acre of land had been left even TOT pare
subsistence were scattered widely IN search Vi 'n'
means Of living In a few cases small nanns oo'-
tinued to cluster about the impoverished Mls'ohs'
working in the vineyards or tending the s'och
which remained. Everywhere they were 'rea'eu
with the contemptuous tolerance accoroeu al III
ferior race and nowhere was thcir rght 10 any
mart of the soil that had been wrested Ioin then
recognized >.
rt ho,.ever the Californians regarded the Indians
III.
as their INTERIORS the sturdy immigrants from MIS-
.ouri looked upon the CalfornIans in very muci
,,s same wov. Mr. Bancroft rcmrrks upon the
odtify OF the attitude OF the newcomers rroi
the first they took umbrage at the tenlerty Oh 'n'
Spanish population IN presumlng 10 govern 'hoi
own country The theory that The eaith IS th'
heritage Of the SAINTS, pointed and applied oy '''
conclusion " that are the SAINTS. seehS 10 nt
,nconscionsly inspired the pioneers of the Colder
.l aff
f,.od to recognize any right of ownership IN 'h'
,ben Iavful possessOrs OF the snI lacil'"'o'
H. s,hsooueut transfer of the territory
No+vifhstan6me this feeling of superiority now
over the two natIonatles got on together very wen
e., time It's true the immense distances whol
se,erated the earlier ranchos and fueDlaS WeI'
noverful auxiliarles of peacefui reIa'iohs' in
;r,,n cra,ts and the Dagoes" were seldom oro"@"
in contact and the genial policy OF the locdi gov
ernment tended 10 remove th" germs u on'
So ho4,veen them, The leading foreign residents
the merchants AID traders. as RUE preserve"
in5icious and proper neutrality, and even when a
:, the Niche toreno rsvoltS, some az them were N
dnced to take sides. they proved too wary to go T.
.y,re,,es and Gisentanaled themselves before an
ser;ons mischief rad been done. At la 'er perio'
lou tho nuru rical strength Of the American el'
ment had greatly increased. and the ius' OF col
ouest Lad developed into general dc'efhih" IL
that The Spanish rnlc shou' end, the treatment
The native Californians bv the race when cafe
itself superior was often shameful. anu such aS
discredit the coming clvii'zatloh-
The fourth volume of this history deals amor
otsor matters with the advent of Sutter, aud Il
establishment of New -felvetia, now Sacramento
4be capiiaL of the State Mr. Bancroft mas oee
co,oneled by his duty as an historian to preSc
Sut+er in new and unfavorable Light. lie Il
rassed for many years chiefly on the strength
hi. own statements az "A man of broad and genero
character, who lost the bulk Oh HIS proper
through the exercise Of too proiuse a hoSpiV"'i'
who had becn largely instrumental III prepdIl
the conquest of tho State. and who was the 'ic'i
alike of popular greed ana popuiai
Gratitude Under Mr. Bancrofts nnpa''l
hit ,horonyh inquisition very differe
pcrson appears The ana 1T must be SAID I
historical >uttcr. is an adventurer loohlng soicN
L. o,vn interest, A man of fow scrupes, mu
given 70 loose and large talk. a boaSter enron
contractor of all sorts of obligations concerning
settlement of which lie troubled himself less w
enough and whose main purpose seems 10 liz
been to acquire all the territory at'aihAoie'
with any view TO helping on anueAatloh' out soio
and simply for his aggrandSement. lie
ov,lentlv willing 10 assume all sorts of relations
all sorts of governments. lie was an A'nelic
with the Americans and Mexican with the Va
for,,lans His colduct IN contracting 10 supp'
Niebeitoreno in the atteIs attempt 10 mal"I'
his repudlated authority. shows tho mercohary 81
of his character conspcuously. The truth appc'
tc be that he was accustomed to charge the I'M
giants roundly for all the assistance ho luihls'
them. and that he found the traffic very proh'ao
He possessel an am punt of land which III nc
n,ndent hands must have yielded large fortu
Int he had 10 financial aptitude ana everythl
melted under his touch. so that he died poor desp
really magnificent opportunities.
The disturbances which occurred during the Sc
decade between the CalifOrnians resulting I'D
expulsion of Governor Micheltoreno and his baf"'
of cboias furnish interesting aud anus