Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/600

582 petty sovereign. Colonel Alvarado and Lieutenant-colonel Castro, on the contrary, had never been soldiers at all. They knew little of military discipline, and had not cared to enforce the little they knew. To their officers they were 'Juanito' and 'José,' and the men were correspondingly familiar and careless. Captain Vallejo proposed to change all that, and Alvarado had no objections to the experiment, though doubting the practicability of enforcing strict discipline in an army not regularly paid. The new régime was introduced at once. In a few days the guard-house was crowded with offending soldiers, while pretty much every officer in the place was under arrest. The Carlist prisoners, as we have seen, were promptly sent on shipboard, and no attention was paid to the importunities of weeping sisters, cousins, and aunts. A lieutenant and a citizen in conversation ventured to criticise the comandante's acts. The officer was reprimanded, legal proceedings were begun against the citizen for disrespect, and Castro was placed under arrest for not having arrested the others. Castillero was snubbed. Padre Duran, coming to plead for some prisoners, was forced by a sentinel to await his turn for an audience with the general, and on announcing his errand, was informed that he might retire unless he had something to say about church matters. Captain Guerra y Noriega was ordered to take the command of Santa Bárbara, and declining on the ground of ill health, was ordered under arrest at his own house, and informed that it was his duty simply to obey orders, though his petitions presented later in proper form would receive due attention. Some were amused and others offended at these new methods. Don Guadalupe soon found himself involved in such a tempest of protest and entreaty that he was forced to yield. At a grand party at the house of Guerra y Noriega, all shook hands, made peace, and received the surrender of the general, who was forced to admit