JOHN C. FREMONT. 193 



anfurled to the breeze. Commodore Stockton took 

 possession of the whole country as a province and 

 conquest of the United States; and he appointed 

 Colonel Fremont the governor of the territory, to 

 assume the functions of his office as soon as he him- 

 self should return to his squadron. Thus, during 

 the short period of sixty days from the commence- 

 ment to the conclusion of hostilities, that rich and 

 golden gem was secured and firmly fixed in the 

 diadem which now graces the brow of the Genius 

 of American liberty. 



Commodore Stockton, in conferring such high 

 powers upon Colonel Fremont, entailed upon the 

 latter the most serious and disagreeable conse- 

 quences, which ultimately resulted in a court-mar- 

 tial, in an unjust conviction, and in the abandon- 

 ment of the army by Fremont as a profession. 

 There was a conflict of jurisdiction as well as a 

 bitter personal rivalry between Commodore Stock- 

 ton and General Kearney, as to the question of the 

 supreme authority in California. Each branch of 

 the service claimed the supremacy in the person 

 of its respective chief. Fremont, in the exercise 

 of his functions as Governor of California, was com- 

 pelled to select the one or the other of the rival 

 commanders as his superior. After carefully exa- 

 mining what seemed to be the best evidence and 

 N 17 



