[p. 46] Chapter IV.Friom Monarchy to Republicanism.
Pablo Vicente de Sola was governor of California when Mexico attained independence from Spain. He was of Spanish birth and was bitterly opposed to the Revolution, even going so far as to threaten death to any one who should speak in favor of it. Although the rule of Spain in Mexico was overthrown in September, 1821, it was not until March, 1822, that official dispatches reached Sola informing him of the change. The "plan of Iguala" under which Iturbide finally overthrew the Spanish power contemplated the placing of Fernando VII on the throne of the Mexican Empire, or if he would not accept then some scion of the royal family of Spain. Such a termination tothe revolution did not affect Sola's loyalist sympathies. He called a junta to meet at Monterey and on the 11th of April the oath was taken to the new government.
But Sola's royalist sympathies received a rude shock a few months later when news reached California that Iturbide had seized the government for himself and been proclaimed Emperor with the imposing title of "Augustin I, by Divine Providence and by the Congress of the Nation, first Constitutional Emperor of Mexico." In September, 1822, the flag of Spain that for half a century had waved over the palacio of the governor at Monterey, was lowered and the imperial banner of Mexico took its place. California, from the dependency of a kingdom, had become a province of an empire. Scarce half a year after the flag of the empire floated on the breeze had passed when the emperor was dethroned and forced into exile. The downfall of the empire was followed by the establishment of a republic fashioned after that of the United States. The country over which the viceroys of Spain had ruled for three hundred years was divided into nineteen states and four territories. Only the states were allowed representatives in the senate; the territories, of which Alta California was one, were to be governed by a governor appointed by the president and a diputacion, or territorial assembly, elected by the people. Each territory was entitled to send a diputado, or delegate, to the Mexican congress.
Luis Antonio Argüello succeeded Sola as governor, or gefe politico (political chief), as the officer was later styled under the republic. He was elected, November 9, 1822, president of the provisional diputacion and by virtue of his office became temporary governor instead of Sola, who had been elected delegate to the imperial congress. Argüello was a native Californian, having been born at the presidio of San Francisco in 1784. He was a man of limited education, but made good use of what he had. Like Sola he had been a pronounced royalist during the revolution, but with the downfall of Spanish domination he had submitted gracefully to the inevitable.
[p. 47] The success of the revolution was most bitterly disappointing to the mission padres. Through the long years of strife between Mexico and the mother country they had hoped and prayed for the triumph of Spain. In the downfall of Spanish domination and the rise of Republicanism, they read the doom of their feudal institution, the mission. On the promoulgation of the Federal Constitution of October, 1824, in California, Father Vicente de Serria, the president of the missions-a Spaniard and a royalist-not only refused to take the oath of allegiance to it, but also declined to perform religious services to it. An order was issued by the Supreme Government for his arrest; but before it reached California he had been superseded in the presidency by Father Narciso Duran of San José. A number of the paderes wer hostile to the Reppublic and evaded taking the oath of allegiance on the ground of obedience to the orders of their Superior. Their unfriendly attitude to the Republic was one of the causes that led to the secularization of the missions a few years later.
The Mexican government, shortly after its inauguration, removed most of the restrictions imposed by Spain against foreigners settling in California and the colonization law of 1824 was liberal. The state religion was the Roman Catholic and all foreigners who settled in the country were required to embrace it. During Spanish domination not more than half a dozen foreigners had been allowed to become permanent residents. The earliest English settler was John Gilroy, who was left by his vessel at Monterey in 1814. He married a daughter of Ignacio Ortega and at one time owned a large body of land, but died poor. Joseph Chapman, the first American settler, was one of Bouchard's men, captured at Monterey in 1818.
Beginning with Baron Rezanoff's visit to San Francisco, in 1806, for the purpose of buying grain for the starving Russian colony at Sitka, the Russians made frequent visits to the coast, partly to obtain supplies, but more for the purpose of hunting seal and sea otter. Their Aleut fur hunters in their bidarkas, or skin canoes, killed otter in San Francisco bay and the Spaniards, destitute of boats or ships, were powerless to prevent them. In 1812 they built a village and fort about 18 miles north of Bodega bay, which they named Ross, and which mounted ten cannon. They also maintained a port on Bodega bay, and a small station on Russian river. The Spanish protested against this invasion of territory and threatened to drive out the Russians, but nothing came of either of their protests or threats. The Russian ships came for supplies and were welcomed by the people and the padres, if not by the government officials. The Russian colony was not a success, and after the decline of fur hunting the settlement became unprofitable, and in 1841, the building and stock were sold by the Russian government to Captain John A. Sutter for $30,000. The settlement was abandoned and the fort and town have long since fallen into ruins.
Among the foreigners who came to California soon after the establishment of Mexican independence and became prominent in affairs may be named, W.E.P. Hartnell, Captain John R. Cooper, William A. Richardson, Daniel A. Hill, [p. 48] and William A. Gale. William Edward Petty Hartnell came from Lima as a member of the firm of McCullock, Harnell & Co., engaged in the hide and tallow trade. Hartnell was an Englishman by birth, well educated and highly respected. He married Maria Teresa de la Guerra and twenty-five children were born to them. He died in Monterey in 1859. William A. Gale came in 1810 as a Boston fur trader. He returned to the territory in 1822 on the ship Sachem, the pioneer Boston hide drogher. It brought to the coast a number of Americans who became permanent residents of the country. California on account of its long distance from the centers of trade had bt few product for exchange that would bear the cost of transportation. Its chief commodities for barter, during the Mexican era , were hides and tallow. The vast range of country adapted to cattle raising made that its most profitable industry. After the removal of the restrictions on commerce with foreigners b the Mexican government, a profitable trade grew up between New England ship owners and the California ranchers. Vessels were fitted out in Boston with a cargo of assorted goods suitable for the trade. Voyaging around Cape Horn and stopping at the various points along the coast they exchanged their stock of goods and Yankee "notions" for hides and tallow. It took from two to three years to make the voyage out from Foston and return, but the profits on the goods sold and on the hides received in exchange were so large that these ventures paid handsomely. Cattle raising, up to the time of the discovery of gold in 1848, continued to be the principle industry of the country.
During the first decade of republican rule, there was but little change in political conditions or in the views of the people concerning the government. Mission rule was still dominent and the people were subservient to the government appointed over them. But with the increase of foreigners and the advent of ex-revolutionists from Mexico, the old-time native Caifornia Loyalists gradually became imbued with a kind of republicanism that transformed them into malcontents, whose protests against the sins of governmental officials took the form of pronounciatmentos and revolutions
The first of the numerous revolts against the rule of the governors, appointed by the Mexican government occurred in November, 1829. The soldiers at the presidio for years had received but a small part of their pay and were but poorly clothed and provisioned. The garrison at Monterey rebelled and seized and imprisoned their officers. That at San Francisco followed their example. Under the leadership of Joaquin Solis, an ex-revolutionist of Mexico who had been banished from that country, they marched southward to meet Governor Echandia, who was moving northward with a force of about 100 men from San Diego, where he had established his capital. The two forces met at Dos Pueblos, near Santa Barbara, and a bloodless battle ensued. The rebellious "escoltas" (militia) were pardoned and returned to duty. Herrarra, the deposed commissary-general ; Solis, and several other leaders were arrested and sent to Mexico to be [p. 49] tried for high crimes and misdemeanor. On their arrival in that land of revolutions, they were turned loose and eventually returned to Californa.
The principal cause of the California disturbances was the jealousy and dislike of the "hijos del pais" (native sons) to the Mexican-born officers who were appointed by the superior government to fill the offices. Many of these were adventurers who came to the country to improve their fortunes and were not scrupulous as to methods or means, so that the end was accomplished.