Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/412

 as such,

with the  change  of  sovereignty,  became  the  public property of  the  United  States. Under that  behef they came  with  their  famiUes,  household  goods  and cattle, feeling  certain  that  an  abundance  of  valuable agricultural land  was  to  be  had  for  the  taking. Therefore, w^hen  on  arrival  they  found  all  the  best arable lands  covered  by  enormous  grants  to  the  Mexi- cans and others ;  that  their  government  had  neglected to carry  out  treaty  stipulations  to  determine  the  valid- ity of those  claims ;  that  the  lands  of  native  Cali- fornians even  were  daily  wrested  from  them  by  com- binations of squatters  and  thievish  lawyers,  they  were greatly disappointed  and  naturally  indignant. Then it was  that  breaking  down  all  hedge-rows  of  law  and logic, they  struck  the  bold  decision  that  these  preten- tious ten-league land-holders  were  usurping  monopo- lists, who, like  savages,  unjustly  held  from  advancing civilization broad  areas  of  God's  earth  for  which  they had paid  nothing,  had  no  use,  and  to  which  they  had no right. Nor were  there  lacking  lawyers  and  politi- cal demagogues ever  ready  at  hand  to  feed  the fire of  their  unjust  anger  and  prey  upon  their  pre- judices.

The immigrants  complained  in  a  memorial  to  con- gress, forwarded in  December  1849,  when  social  quiet was most  disturbed  by  the  squatter  excitement,  that they had  come  hither  in  the  belief  that  their  govern- ment had purchased  this  territory  from  Mexico,  and that they  had  the  right  to  preempt  and  settle  upon lands here  as  in  any  other  part  of  the  public  domain. But, instead  of  possessing  that  right  they  had  found themselves to  be  trespassers,  subject  to  the  extortion- ate demands of  pretended  owners. Denied them  was the privilege  to  pitch  a  tent,  to  plant,  to  build,  to occupy. There is  scarcely  a  spot  fit  for  a  settlement, town-site, or  farm,  said  they,  that  is  not  crossed  with Mexican titles  or  Spanish  grants,  and  held  by  the possessors for  speculative  purposes,  greatly  to  the  in- jury of bona  fide  settlers. Thirty miles  squar