Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/413

 e in  the

Sacramento valley  are  claimed  by  two  persons,  who parcel it  out  to  gambling  speculators  for  the  purpose of obtaining  high  prices  from  actual  settlers,  and  this was but  a  sino^le  instance.

There were  not  wanting  men  to  espouse  the  cause of law  and  order,  in  its  relation  to  squatterism,  as elsewhere,  and  to  cry  loudly  against  the  violation  of the  sacred  principles  that  constitute  the  frame-work of society,  whenever  such  violation  stood  between them and  titles  to  lands  held  or  coveted. On the other hand,  if  law  and  order  stood  between  them  and their interests,  they  were  the  foremost  to  espouse squatterism and  brute-force  title. The Herald,  at first  the  great  champion  of  reform,  the  leader  of  the people, and  the  instigator  of  committees  of  vigilance, was denounced  by  its  contemporaries,  as  later  it  de- nounced the leaders  of  the  reform  of  1856,  "  Nothing more  plainly  proves  the  real  opinion  of  many  land- holders and  speculators  in  the  city,"  says  one,  writing in the  autumn  of  1850,  "regarding  the  validity  of their  titles,  than  the  reckless  and  desperate  course they  are  now  pursuing,  as  expressed  through  their hireling  newspaper  organs,  at  the  head  of  which stands  the  Herald.  If  the  present  judges  cannot, like  most  of  our  old  alcaldes,  be  bribed  to  uphold the  existing  system  of  land-ownership,  and  in  the face  of  all  law,  equity,  reason,  honesty,  and  common sense,  decide  that  the  beach  and  water  lots,  as  well as  the  greater  portion  of  the  rest  of  the  city,  are  in- disputable titles  in  the  names  of  those  holding  them under  such  a  system,  I  would  ask  the  Herald  and its  supporters  what  they  expect  to  gain  by  over- turning these  courts,  murdering  the  judges,  and  rais- ing a  civil  war  to  destroy  the  very  government  which, for  the  time  being,  alone  gives  any  support  and  coun- tenance to the  dishonest  and  fraudulent  land  robbery practised not  only  in  this  city  but  in  all  parts  of California."

Low   indeed    lie  the   social  sewers