United States, without any known authority from his own Government abandons the object of his mission, and returns from Oregon into California, for the express purpose of organizing a rebellion and wresting from Mexico with whom we were at peace, an "extensive department." It is certainly a remarkable coincidence, that while we had a squadron off the ports of California with orders to seize them at a moment's warning, Captain Fremont was opportunely exciting rebellion and a civil war in the interior. The Secretary himself foolishly puts the stamp of iniquity upon this adventure by declaring, "it was on the 6th of June, and before the commencement of the war between the United States and Mexico could have been known, that this resolution was taken, and by the 5th July it was carried into effect by a series of rapid attacks by a small body of adventurous men under the conduct of an intrepid leader." We are told that on the 11th June, a convoy of two hundred horses for Castro's camp with an officer and fourteen men, were surprised and captured by twelve of Fremont's party. On the 15th, the military post of Sanoma was also surprised and taken, with nine brass cannon, two hundred and fifty stand of muskets, and several officers and some men, with munitions of war. "Leaving a small garrison in Sanoma, Colonel Fremont went to the Sacramento to rouse the American settlers; but, scarcely had he arrived when an express reached him that Castro's whole force was crossing the bay to attack that place. On the morning of the 25th, he arrived with ninety riflemen from the American settlers in that valley. The enemy had not yet appeared--scouts were sent out to reconnoitre, and a party of twenty fell in with a squadron of seventy dragoons, attacked and defeated it. The country north of the Bay of San Francisco being cleared of the enemy,

Colonel Fremont returned to Sanoma on the evening of the 4th July, and on the morning of the 5th called the people together, explained to them the condition of things in the province, and recommended an immediate declaration of independence. The declaration was made, and he was selected to take the chief direction of affairs.' The new-born Republic of California existed but for the brief period of four days, being then strangled by its parent, on receiving, as the Secretary tells us, "the gratifying intelligence" of the war with Mexico. Fremont and his followers, together with the American settlers, immediately co-operated with the naval forces, and, cn the departure of Commodore Stockton, the captain of the scientific exploring party beyond the Rocky Mountains, became Governor of the AMERICAN TERRITORY OF CALI

FORNIA.

Such is the account the American Government thought proper to give of the Californian rebellion, throwing the whole responsibility of this atrocious affair on Fremont. Fortunately for the character of that officer, transactions which the Secretary did not deem it expedient to report have since come to light. On his return to the United States, Colonel Fremont presented certain pecuniary claims growing out of the conquest of California. The subject was investigated by a committee of the Senate, and their report dissipates much of the mystery which had hitherto rested on Fremont's extraordinary conduct.*

It seems that, on the 3rd Nov., 1845, after Taylor had been ordered to the Rio Grande, and while he was waiting with the army at Corpus Christi, five States having been required to furnish him with whatever troops he might need, a messenger was despatched by the Cabinet to Fremont. This messenger was Lieutenant Gillespie of

* See Report, Senate Doc, No. 75. 30th Cong., 1st Sess.

the navy. He was sent to Vera Cruz, and thence travelled through Mexico to Mazatlan, in California, in the disguise of a merchant. After an interview with Commodore Sloat at Mazatlan, he proceeded to Monterey, having been intrusted at Washington with a letter of instructions to the American Consul. The contents of this letter have been withheld from the public, and no doubt for sufficient cause, since we find from Gillespie's own confession that, before landing in Mexico, he destroyed the letter, having first committed it to memory. This letter to the Consul

he was instructed to communicate to Fremont also. Hence we find that Gillespie was charged with instructions of such a character, that he deemed it imprudent to carry the paper about his person, and that these instructions, although addressed to the Consul in Monterey, were equally intended for Fremont. After reciting to the Consul the commands from Washington, the agent penetrated into Oregon in pursuit of Fremont, and found him a little beyond the California frontier. He delivered to him a note from the Secretary of State, composed in perfect keeping with the fictitious character assumed by the bearer. It consisted of a few lines, addressed to J. C. Fremont, Esquire, and telling him that Mr. Archibald H. Gillespie, about visiting the North-west coast of America on business, had requested a letter of introduction to him; a request with which the Secretary complies, because the bearer was a gentleman of worth and respectability, and worthy of Mr. Fremont's regard. This, it must be confessed, was a novel mode of introducing an officer of the navy to another of the army. But as one party was for the time being a travelling merchant, and the other a man of science, it was proper the introduction should be adapted to the parts they were playing. Of course, the note was to accredit Gillespie as a confidential agent of

the Government, and to intimate to Fremont that he was to obey the instructions orally communicated to him. Gillespie, in his examination before the Committee, remarked, "I was directed by Mr. Buchanan to confer with Colonel Fremont, and make known my instructions, which, as I have previously stated, were to watch over the interests of the United States, and counteract the influence of any foreign agents who might be in the coun try with objects prejudicial to the United States. also directed to show Colonel Fremont the duplicate of the despatch to Mr. Larkin, Consul at Monterey, and telling him it was the wish of the Government to conciliate the feelings of the people of California, and encourage a friendship towards the United States."

I was

The Government, of course, knew as well as Mr. Thompson that the Californian settlers were anxious to re-enact the Texan game. It is not to be supposed that so much secrecy and pains were taken to have agents on the spot to watch over our interests, and encourage friendship towards us, without intimating the means to be used in effecting their object. An independent republic in California, composed of American citizens, would, should peace continue with Mexico, inevitably result in annexation should war ensue, it would greatly facilitate the conquest of the territory.

The messenger from Washington reached Fremont on the 9th May. Immediately all his scientific pursuits were abandoned, and he and his party, together with Gillespie, hastened to the American settlements in California. These were reached on the Sacramento River in thirteen days. And now opened another scene in the plot. The gentleman "about visiting the North-west coast of America on business" proceeded down the river to Saint Francisco, off which port a United States' ship-of-war

was lying, ready to seize upon the place at a moment's warning. The American commander, Gillespie tells us, "with great kindness, promptness, and energy, furnished me with all the supplies he could spare from his vessel, as also having supplied Captain Fremont with a small sum of money." What these supplies were we are not told, but may readily imagine, especially as they were sent in the ship's barge, under the command of a lieutenant. Gillespie accompanied the supplies up the river, and on the 13th rejoined Fremont. He found that the insurrection had already commenced, the settlers rising, as he says, "to save themselves and their crops from destruction."

On the 16th, Captain Merritt, one of the settlers, arrived with a small escort, bringing with him General Vallejo, Colonel Salvador Vallejo, and Colonel Prudon, prisoners; a party of forty of the settlers having surprised and taken Sonoma, the first military garrison in that part of the country." Thus we see a war against the Californians was commenced after the arrrival of Fremont, and without one single act of hostility having been committed against them. Of course, we have assertions in abundance of the intentions of General Castro, the commanding officer, while the result proved his utter inability even to defend himself. Fremont and his party zealously coöperated in the war, and were presently masters of that part of the country. The force at his disposal was a battalion of 224 men, and on the 5th July he raised the standard of the REPUBLIC OF CALIFORNIA.

On a calm review of the facts before us, it is impossible to resist the conviction, that Fremont was given to understand, but in a way not to compromit the Government, that the abandonment of his exploration in Oregon for the purpose of exciting and aiding an insurrection in California,