The Forty-Niners | Page 5

his riflemen were at once made use of by
one of the revolutionary parties as a reinforcement to their military
power!
By 1840 the foreign population had by these rather desultory methods
been increased to a few over four hundred souls. The majority could
not be described as welcome guests. They had rarely come into the
country with the deliberate intention of settling but rather as a traveler's
chance. In November, 1841, however, two parties of quite a different
character arrived. They were the first true immigrants into California,
and their advent is significant as marking the beginning of the end of
the old order. One of these parties entered by the Salt Lake Trail, and
was the forerunner of the many pioneers over that great central route.
The other came by Santa Fé, over the trail that had by now become so
well marked that they hardly suffered even inconvenience on their
journey. The first party arrived at Monte Diablo in the north, the other
at San Gabriel Mission in the south. Many brought their families with
them, and they came with the evident intention of settling in California.

The arrival of these two parties presented to the Mexican Government a
problem that required immediate solution. Already in anticipation of
such an event it had been provided that nobody who had not obtained a
legal passport should be permitted to remain in the country; and that
even old settlers, unless naturalized, should be required to depart unless
they procured official permission to remain. Naturally none of the new
arrivals had received notice of this law, and they were in consequence
unprovided with the proper passports. Legally they should have been
forced at once to turn about and return by the way they came. Actually
it would have been inhuman, if not impossible, to have forced them at
that season of the year to attempt the mountains. General Vallejo,
always broad-minded in his policies, used discretion in the matter and
provided those in his district with temporary permits to remain. He
required only a bond signed by other Americans who had been longer
in the country.
Alvarado and Vallejo at once notified the Mexican Government of the
arrival of these strangers, and both expressed fear that other and larger
parties would follow. These fears were very soon realized. Succeeding
expeditions settled in the State with the evident intention of remaining.
No serious effort was made by the California authorities to keep them
out. From time to time, to be sure, formal objection was raised and
regulations were passed. However, as a matter of plain practicability, it
was manifestly impossible to prevent parties from starting across the
plains, or to inform the people living in the Eastern States of the
regulations adopted by California. It must be remembered that
communication at that time was extraordinarily slow and broken. It
would have been cruel and unwarranted to drive away those who had
already arrived. And even were such a course to be contemplated, a
garrison would have been necessary at every mountain pass on the East
and North, and at every crossing of the Colorado River, as well as at
every port along the coast. The government in California had not men
sufficient to handle its own few antique guns in its few coastwise forts,
let alone a surplus for the purpose just described. And to cap all,
provided the garrisons had been available and could have been placed,
it would have been physically impossible to have supplied them with
provisions for even a single month.

Truth to tell, the newcomers of this last class were not personally
objectionable to the Californians. The Spanish considered them no
different from those of their own blood. Had it not been for an
uneasiness lest the enterprise of the American settlers should in time
overcome Californian interests, had it not been for repeated orders from
Mexico itself, and had it not been for reports that ten thousand
Mormons had recently left Illinois for California, it is doubtful if much
attention would have been paid to the first immigrants.
Westward migration at this time was given an added impetus by the
Oregon question. The status of Oregon had long been in doubt. Both
England and the United States were inclined to claim priority of
occupation. The boundary between Canada and the United States had
not yet been decided upon between the two countries. Though they had
agreed upon the compromise of joint occupation of the disputed land,
this arrangement did not meet with public approval. The land-hungry
took a particular interest in the question and joined their voices with
those of men actuated by more patriotic motives. In public meetings
which were held throughout the country this joint occupation
convention was explained and discussed, and its abrogation was