The National tribune., 1896-06-04
SHERMAN'S MEMOIRS.
Continued from first pagc.)

there, and L. Butler King, OF Georgia,
had come out from the East, scheming
for office. He staid with us at Sonoma,
and was generally regarded as the Gov
ernment candidate for United States
Senator. Gen. Riley, as Governor, and
Capt. Halleck, as Secretary of State, had
issued proclamation for the election of
a Convention to frame a State Constitu-
ton. In due time the elections were
held, and the Convention was assembled
at Monterey. DIR. Semple was elected
President; and Gwin, Sutter, Halleck,
Butler, King, Sherwood, Gilbert, Shan
non, and others were members. Gen.
Smith took no part in this Convention,
but sent me down to watch the proceed
ings and report to him. The only sub
Ject of interest was
THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
There were no slaves then in Cali
fornia, save a few who had come out
as servants; but the Southern people
at that time claimed their share of
territory out of that acquired by
the common labors of all sections of the
Union in the war with Mexico. Still,
in California there was little feeling on
the subject. | never heard Gen. Smith,
who was a Louisianian, express any
opinion about it. Nor did Butler King,
Of Georgia, ever manifest any particular
interest in the matter. A committee
was named to draft Constitution, which
in due time was reported, with the usual
clause, then known as the WilmOt Pro-
viso, excluding slavery; and during the
debate which ensued very little opposi-
ton was made to this clause, which was
finally adopted by large majority, al
though the Convention was made up in
large part of men from our Southern
States. This matter of California being
free State, afterward, in the National
Congress, gave rise to angry debates,
which at one time threatened civil war.
The result of the Convention was the
election of State officers and of the
Legislature which sat in San Jose in
October and November, 1919, and
which elected Fremont and Gwin a5 the
first United States Senators in Congress
from the Pacific Coast.
THE FIRST IDEA OF PACIFIC RAIL
ROAD.
Shortly after returning from Monterey,
/ was sent by Gen. Smith UP to Sacra-
mento City to instruct Lieuts. Warner
and Williamson, of the Engineers, to
push their surveys of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains, for the purpose of ascertain
ing the possibility of passing that range
by a railroad, a subject that then elected
universal interest. 1t was generally as
sumed that such road could not be
made along any of the immigrant roads
then in use, and Warmers orders were to
look farther north up the Feather River,
or some one of its tributaries. Warner
was engaged in this survey during the
Summer and Fall of 1849, and had ex-
plored, to the very end of Goose Lake,
the source of Feather River. Then,
leaving Williamson with the baggage
and part of the men, he took about 10
men and a tirst-rate guide, crossed the
summit to the east, and had turned south,
having the range of mountains on his
right hand, with the intention of regaining
his camp by another pass in the mountain.
The party was strung out, single file, with
wide spaces between, Warner ahead.
He had just crossed small valley and
assembled one of the spurs covered with
sage-brush and rocks, when a band of