Vigilance Committees of San Francisco [pp. 350-357]

350 WGiLANCE COMMITTEES OF SAN Fi?A NC!SCO. [APRIL,
In two hours the ship's deck was cov- for their commodities. The harbor of
ered with the refuse of bananas, oranges, Realejo is the mouth of a small stream,
pine-apples, mangoes, sepotas, and su- which, though called a river, has no
gar-cane, besides other little fancy fruits current except such as is caused by the
whose names I did not care to remem- tides. The banks are low and covered
ber. The same reckless disregard for with mangroves, but the scene appeared
the preservation of health was shown to us beautiful, and that place must be
that had marked the whole career of the barren indeed that does not glad den the
gold-hunters and sent so many of them eyes that have looked only upon the
to their graves. Many of the natives blue sea for many weary weeks. We
looked amiable, but convinced us that remained on deck until the sun had set,
they were apt scholars in the arts of the and the canoes had all left us to the reoutlawed North Americans that have action consequent upon a day of excitesettled among them. Though disposed ment, to hear only the harsh scream
to be very extortionate in their pflces, of parrots, the flapping of the solemn
they were so quite innocently, and were heron along the shore, and the dull movery well satisfied if they got anything notone of the distant sea.
VIGILANCE COMMITTEES OF SAN FRANCISCO.
ERY naturally, the publication of year 1849, when a body of desperadoes
General Sherman's letter to Judge known as "The Hounds" openly robField, in the OVERLAND MONTHLY of bed people in the public streets, tore
February, relative to the Vigilance Com- down the tents and shanties of unoffendmittee of i8~6, has caused much discus- ing Chilenos and others, and did not
sion as to the correctness of his state- hesitate to shoot all who resisted them.
ments of facts, and the soundness of the It was not until these outrages had bejudgment he passes on the results that come so common and notorious that it
flowed from the transactions of the Com- was evident no man's life or property
mittee. While none will deny that he was safe, either day or night, that the
believed in the entire truth of what citizens were aroused to the danger of
he wrote, a large part of the people of their condition. At length, satisfied
this city and State, who remember the that no other course could be taken with
events, can not accept his statements any prospect of safety, a call was issued
and conclusions as quite authentic or for a public meeting on the plaza, Monjust. No man who had not lived in day, July i6th, 1849. The meeting took
California for years previous, could Un- place, an organization was resolved on,
derstand the peculiar situation of affairs and immediately carried into effect. An
at the time of which ~e General wrote; armed body of the members was formed,
and it is not at all~strange he made mis- who proceeded forthwith to apprehend
takes in conclusions as well as in the the criminals. The accused were tried
facts he derived from persons opposed and convicted, by a court composed of
to the Committee. To properly under- some of the best citizens, and various
stand the condition of society, at the sentences were passed upon them; but
time of the last Vigilance Committee, it in no case was the life of anyone taken,
would be necessary to go back to the although it was evident some of the of