164 
CALIFORNIA. 
him and the supreme judge of the district, upon the question as to 
which of them the chief authority belonged. Parties became very 
violent, and Chico determined to put down all opposition by military 
force. This course gave great dissatisfaction, and coupled with his 
arbitrary conduct towards the inhabitants and the missions, created a 
determination to resist him if he did not resign. A letter was written 
to him to that effect, upon which he felt himself compelled to deliver 
over the reins of government into the hands of a successor, to avoid 
the difficulties and dangers to which he would otherwise have been 
liable. 
The next in command was Don Nicolas Gutierez, a lieutenant- 
colonel : under this officer tranquillity was apparently restored for a 
time. 
During the preceding years, many foreigners had settled in Cali¬ 
fornia, wffio had taken a part in its affairs. These included natives of 
all countries; and among them were to be found Americans, who had 
led the lives of hunters and trappers, some of whom had been living in 
the Rocky Mountains, and on the Columbia river, whilst others had 
come from Mexico. These persons were naturally of a restless dispo¬ 
sition, and disposed to engage in any thing that would produce excite¬ 
ment; bold and reckless in their disposition, they could not remain 
quiet under the turn things were taking in California, and they now 
joined and instigated the party opposed to the governor. They argued 
that California ought to form itself into a free state, by declaring its 
independence of Mexico, which had not the power to govern it. At 
that time any plausible arguments had weight with so ignorant a people 
as the Californians, and this idea was rendered acceptable by the ill- 
will they bore the Mexicans, and the obvious want of legitimate power. 
The project of overturning the government was also entertained by 
those who had previously held office, and particularly by the adminis- 
trador of the customs, Ramierez, and Cosme Penne, a drunken lawyer, 
who was the assessor. They were both Mexicans by birth, and be¬ 
longed to the ultra liberals. With them was joined the inspector, 
Alvarado, who was extremely popular with the foreigners. The two 
former, knowing the ignorance that prevailed among the Californians, 
constituted themselves leaders, and expected, in the event of any 
change, to be benefited by it; but at the same time they looked with 
some degree of mistrust and jealousy upon the foreigners resident there. 
Under such circumstances, the least difficulty was sufficient to bring 
about a revolution, and it was not long before one occurred that caused 
an outbreak, and ended in the overthrow of the authorities. About the 
beginning of November 1836, a dispute arose between the governor 
