TRAVELS IN THE CALIFORNIA S. 289 
pendence of Mexico; and the one in the South under Don 
Carlos Antonio Carrillo, seeking to unite the country again to 
the parent State. And a blight of idiocy must have fallen on 
that mind which cannot perceive in the events that ensued, 
the terrific tread of oppressed human nature, when, clad in 
the armor of its own avenging power, it goes forth to the 
conquest of its rights. The Ides of March ! How ominous ! 
Caesar quailed in March! And how much more ought ail 
the enemies of the great Alvarado’s supremacy to have shaken 
from heel to crown, when, on the fifth of that dreadful month 
of March, he announced to his troops that Don Pedro, the 
Russian Governor at Bodega, had received letters from St. 
Petersburg, containing news that France and England had 
resolved to place Iturbide II., son of the Emperor Iturbide I., 
upon the throne of Mexico !! The reader may almost see 
His Excellency’s wrath kindling at this proposed encroach¬ 
ment on the liberties of nations. “ What, France and Eng¬ 
land pretend to foist a monarch upon the people of Mexico, 
and even upon His Excellency of California !”—and that too 
while he was Governor ? Such impudence, if it were not 
“ ridiculously impotent as against Mexico, would be found so 
in regard to California !!” And to this effort at patriotism 
and self-complacency, see his heroic Californians emitting 
some fumes of bravery, accompanied with a series of consola¬ 
tory threats, stamping their feet on the Lord’s footstool, and 
strongly grasping their swords, looking things unutterable 
enough to put a notable end to the hopes of Iturbide II. 
During this daring demonstration for freedom, Alvarado is 
universally believed to have stood firmly at his post, and un¬ 
shrinkingly done his duty. The Don in the South also is 
reported not to have lost a meal of beans on account of this 
startling intelligence. Courage in California, as elsewhere, 
is a fine tonic for weak nerves. The event too which sue 
ceeded this in the history of the Californias found both these 
worthies in the field of glory. So that if some ignorant reader 
should presume to say, at this point of our narration, that th» 
