HISTORY OF PASADENA. 



of that month the British Admiral, Geo. F. Seymour sailed into Monterey 

 Bay for the purpose of hoisting the British flag and proclaiming a British 

 protectorate.* But the Americans had got ahead of him and had hoisted 

 their flag and taken possession on the 7th of the month. (For official docu- 

 ments, debates in congress, etc., on this matter, see Fremont's Memoirs, 

 Vol. I, pages 547 to 549, and on to 559). The initial and preparatory steps 

 which resulted in the country being thus taken before the British got hold 

 of it were distinctly those of Fremont. And here from Pasadena com- 

 menced the negotiations with him which secured to the Spaniards an honor- 

 orable treaty of peace instead of a galling submission to mere brute force, 

 when he thus wisely pacified the country by the terms given in the only 

 formal surrender of California that was ever made by any California officials 

 to any United States officer. It was the white hand of Destiny enforcing 

 the law of poetic justice, by awarding to Fremont this indefeasible seal to 



■ Lund of Sunshine" Photo, Islir, 

 HOUSE TAKEN BY COMMODORE STOCKTON FOR HIS HEADQUARTERS, JAN. 10, 1847. 



himself as the one central figure of the California conquest, but which in 

 later years narrow-minded, envious men most persistently sought to pluck 

 from his plume of honors all heroically and worthily won.f When other 

 men stood halting and haggling about precedents, he made a precedent by 

 going ahead and doing the thing which needed to be done, right now. Fre- 

 mont recognized that these Spanish soldiers had fought bravely, with patri- 

 otic devotion to their own flag, and should not be treated as outlaw mis- 



*Rodmati Price, afterward governor of New Jersey, was purser of Commodore Sloat's squadron at 

 this time, and he wrote: "The l<',uglish admiral arrived a few days afterward, and the first thing he 

 said on meeting the commodore was, ' Sloat,if your ilag was not flying on shore, I should have hoisted 

 mine there.' " 



tUeut. Walpole of the Knglish flag ship CoUingwood, who saw Fremont's troops at Monterey, 

 wrote about them, and among other things said : " They are allowed no liquor; tea and sugar only. 

 This uo doubt has much to do with their good conduct."— See "Early Days and Men of Cali/otnia," />. 



