Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/467

Rh Neither his character, acts, nor policy had much influence in exciting the opposition that resulted in his overthrow. Pretence for a quarrel with him was sought by certain persons, was of course not difficult to find, and would have been found had the difficulty been much greater.

For some twenty-five years, since the memoria ships ceased to come, there had been a feeling that California was neglected and wronged by the home government. The Mexican republic after the success of the revolution did nothing to remove that feeling. The people, though enthusiastic republicans in theory, waited in vain for the benefits to be gained from republicanism. The influence of the missionaries, men of education and devoted to Spain, tended strongly to foster the sentiment of aversion to all that was Mexican — an influence that increased rather than diminished as the padres lost their temporal prestige and became prone to refer bitterly if somewhat secretly to the olden times. The sending of convicts and cholo soldiers from Mexico went far to intensify provincial prejudice. The Californians came to regard themselves proudly as superior in blood and morals to those de la otra banda. Mexicans of little experience or ability were given commissions in the presidial companies and sent to command veterans who had grown gray in the service and believed themselves entitled to promotion. When commerce brought a degree of prosperity, it was in spite of Mexican revenue laws, and Mexican officers were sent to manage the revenues. Complications growing out of the colony scheme had an effect to widen the breach. Foreigners, with interested motives but sound arguments, labored to prove that California had received nothing but neglect and ill treatment from Mexico. Last but not least, there were various personal interests and ambitions thrown as weights on the same side of the scale.

The result was in 1836 a strong popular feeling amounting almost to hatred against the Mexicans "of