CALIFORNIA. 173 



their king and country. When the revolution broke out, they 

 declined taking the oath to the new government : many, in conse- 

 quence, left their missions and retired from the country, and some of 

 the others have since died. 



Thus, at the same time with a change of rulers, the country was 

 deprived of the religious establishments upon which its society and 

 good order were founded. Anarchy and confusion began to reign, 

 and the want of authority was every where felt. Some of the mis- 

 sions were deserted ; the property which had been amassed in them 

 was dissipated, and the Indians turned off to seek their native wilds. 



At the time of the separation from Spain, a Californian, by name 

 Arguello, was governor. On his being appointed to that office, one 

 Noniga, a Spanish officer, disliking to be commanded by a Califor- 

 nian, attempted to oppose him. In order to silence this opposition, 

 Noniga was put in command of the presidio of Santa Barbara, where, 

 owing to his misconduct, he was soon dismissed, upon which he 

 again sought to excite the Mexicans against the Californians, and to 

 impress them with the same deadly hatred which he himself felt. 

 "With this intent, he omitted no opportunity to represent the actions 

 and conduct of the Californian authorities in the most odious light. 



The government of Mexico saw the evils that they had occa- 

 sioned, when it was too late, and set about remedying them, as well 

 as to fill the vacancies that had occurred. For this purpose, they 

 were disposed to consult the old padres, and offered those who 

 remained, the choice of the northern or southern section, that they 

 might be united in a body. The old Spanish priests chose the 

 southern missions ; and the few establishments which lie to the north 

 of San Miguel, were assigned to those from the college of Xacatecas, 

 in Mexico. 



By this time the supreme government became convinced that 

 although they had apparently adopted the best mode of palliating the 

 injury the missions had received, yet it had served rather to increase 

 the difficulty. The new Mexican priests were in every way inferior 

 to the old Spaniards, neither possessing their intelligence, their skill 

 in governing, their correct principles, nor their dignity of deport- 

 ment ; in short, they were totally unfit for their situation. 



In 1825, the supreme government appointed Don Jose Echandia, 

 a Mexican, to succeed Arguello as governor ; and he gave universal 

 satisfaction, till 1829, when a revolt took place among the Californians 

 and Indians in the garrison of Monterey, in consequence of their not 



vol. v. 44 



