The herald., 1893-09-17

name. His age is 95 years and he is a
type oil Californiane in the pastoral age,
now forever gone; and no is otherwise
interesting as carrying in his own per-
con the history OF the last 20 years OF
Mexican sway in California. His an
cestors came from Spain. and he traces
them for many generations; and he be-
lieves that he has Aztec blood in his
veins. His father wac jose Maria Pico,
who, as early as the year 1882. was a
eefvant of the Presidial company at San
Diego, and afterwards was stationed at
San Gabriel mission where Pic Pico
was born. and lived till he was 10 years
OF age. Here, as an acolyte, he
assisted the priests in religious
services. But the most OF his early life
was spent in the open sunshine on
horseback. To this circumstance be
attributes his sound constitution and
his prolonged life. When he arrived ct
manhood be was not above keeping a
saloon, and himself dishing out drinks /;
and so, OF course, he got into politics.
He was several times vocal for the Los
Angeles district. The office was repre-
sentative. the holder of it being entitled
to seat in the deputacion. His in
tiuence increased. and he was elected
senior vocal and was entitled to be the
| governor ad interim. At the time there
was no governor, but one was soon ap-
! pointed who was hostile to Pico, and in
consequence he retired. 1t was the
| year 1884 that he was contractor to
supply and kill 5000 cattle for the San
Gabriel mission. That same year he
was elected again to the deputacion
Jose Figueroa wes then governor, and
as he was Southern California man
Pico. prospered in politics. But too
much power was centered in that Sec
ton to please the people of the north,
and a new governor was sent up from
Mexico. There was a succession of
governors, and nearly all of them
favored the northern town, Monterey,
as the capital. Pico was true to Los
Angeles and succeeded ultimately in
locating the capital there.
In 1876 the legislative assembly was
held at Santa Barbara. One of the ex-
citing topics discussed was the destiny
of California, in view of the thrush OF
yankees" and the plottings of English
emissaries to secure control of the coun-
try. Pico was present and made a
speech, taking the English side. He
said:
''If this country is compelled to
change sovereigns prefer the crown of
England to the republic of the United
States. We find ourselves threatened by
hordes of Yankee immigrants, who
have already begun to flock into our
country, and whose progress we are un-
able.to arrest. Already have the wagons
of these perfdious people scaled the al
most inaccessible SUBMITS of the Sierra
Nevada, crossed the entire continent
and penetrated the fruitful valley of the
Sacramento. What that astonishing
people will next undertake I cannot
say; but in whatever enterprise they
embark they will be sure to be success
ful. Already these adventurous voy-
ayers, spreading themselves far and
wide over country which seems to suit
their tastes, are cultivating farms, es-
tablishing vineyards, erecting sawmills,
and doing a thousand other things
which seem natural to them. l look
upon their increase with distruet and
hatred"
HOW HE WAS ANSWERED.
Old General Vallejo was in the assem-
bly, and when Pico had finished he
sprung to his feet and delivered an ad-
dress, of which the following 10 an extract /.
"We are republicans. Badly gov
erned and badly situated as we are,
still we are all, in sentiment, republi-
cane. So far as we are governed at all
we at least profess to be self-governed.
Who, then, that processes true patriot
ism will consent to subject himself and
children to the caprices of a foreign
king and his minions? My opinion is,
1 will mention it plainly and distinctly,
annexation to the United States is our
only security. Why should we shrink
from incorporating ourselves with the
happiest and freest nation in the world,
destined soon to be the most wealthy
and powerful? When we join our for
tunes with hers, we shall not become
subjects, but fellow citizens, possessing
all the rights of the people of the United
States. Look not, therefore, with jeal-
ousy upon the hardy pioneers who scale
our mountains and cultivate our plains,
but rather welcome them as brothers,
who come to share with us common
destiny"
These utterances, it is remembered,
were made in the year that the United
States went to war with Mexico. The
secluded people of California were great
ly agitated by war rumors. England
had representatives at different points
on the coast. They were shrewdly &C.
tive; and but for the presence in the
Sacramento valley OF Lieut.. John O..
Fremont, the calamity of losing Califor-
MIA to England might have been real
ized. His acts were illegal, and he got
himself into difficulties; but he saved
his country deal of trouble.
NOW COMES THE END.
Upon the adjournment of the Santa
Barbara conference, Governor Pico re-
turned to Los Angeles and organized an
army, with Castro at its head. He had
no more than done 30 when Fremont
was reported to be marching up from
San Diego. On August 10. 1916, he an
nounced that as between ignominy and
emigration he would choose the latter
and that night he went out to Yuba
ranch, lodging Fremont's battalion on
the way. He then made his way to the
santas sMargarita ranch, and to the house
of his brother-in-law, Don Juan Forster,
in the Temecula canon. (Don Forster
is now in Chicago on a visit, and stop
ping at the Palmer houss.) Here he
was in hiding for a month, watching an
opportunity to escape into. Lower Cali
fornia. On October 22nd he fed, and
was soon under sail on the gulf of Cali
fornia. He made no permanent home
in Mexican territory, but when the war
ended he returned (184S) to San
Diego, and went to San Fernando, where
was the home of his brother, Gen. An
| dres Pico AfterWsrd he sattied on his