memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第30章

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or；　adding　that　I　did　not　believe　we　should　ever　need　the　arms；　but　only　the　promise　of　them；　for　〃the　committee　was　letting　down；　and　would　soon　disperse　and　submit　to　the　law；〃　etc。　　I　further　asked　him　to　answer　me　categorically　that　very　night；　by　the　Stockton　boat；　which　would　pass　Benicia　on　its　way　down　about　midnight；　and　I　would　sit　up　and　wait　for　his　answer。　　I　did　wait　for　his　letter；　but　it　did　not　come；　and　the　next　day　I　got　a　telegraphic　dispatch　from　Governor　Johnson；　who；　at　Sacramento；　had　also　heard　of　General　Wool's　〃back…down；〃　asking　me　to　meet　him　again　at　Benicia　that　night。

I　went　up　in　the　evening　boat；　and　found　General　Wool's　aide…de…　camp；　Captain　Arnold；　of　the　army；　on　the　wharf；　with　a　letter　in　his　hand；　which　he　said　was　for　me。　　I　asked　for　it；　but　he　said　he　knew　its　importance；　and　preferred　we　should　go　to　General　Wool's　room　together；　and　the　general　could　hand　it　to　me　in　person。　　We　did　go　right　up　to　General　Wool's；　who　took　the　sealed　parcel　and　laid　it　aside；　saying　that　it　was　literally　a　copy　of　one　he　had　sent　to　Governor　Johnson；　who　would　doubtless　give　me　a　copy；　but　I　insisted　that　I　had　made　a　written　communication；　and　was　entitled　to　a　written　answer。

At　that　moment　several　gentlemen　of　the　〃Conciliation　party；〃　who　had　come　up　in　the　same　steamer　with　me；　asked　for　admission　and　came　in。　　I　recall　the　names　of　Crockett；　Foote；　Bailey　Peyton；　Judge　Thornton；　Donohue；　etc。；　and　the　conversation　became　general；　Wool　trying　to　explain　away　the　effect　of　our　misunderstanding；　taking　good　pains　not　to　deny　his　promise　made　to　me　personally　on　the　wharf。　　I　renewed　my　application　for　the　letter　addressed　to　me；　then　lying　on　his　table。　　On　my　statement　of　the　case；　Bailey　Peyton　said；　〃General　Wool；　I　think　General　Sherman　has　a　right　to　a　written　answer　from　you；　for　he　is　surely　compromised。〃　　Upon　this　Wool　handed　me　the　letter。　　I　opened　and　read　it；　and　it　denied　any　promise　of　arms；　but　otherwise　was　extremely　evasive　and　non…committal。　　I　had　heard　of　the　arrival　at　the　wharf　of　the　Governor　and　party；　and　was　expecting　them　at　Wool's　room；　but；　instead　of　stopping　at　the　hotel　where　we　were；　they　passed　to　another　hotel　on　the　block　above。　　I　went　up　and　found　there；　in　a　room　on　the　second　floor　over　the　bar…room；　Governor　Johnson；　Chief…Justice　Terry；　Jones；　of　Palmer；　Cooke　&　Co。；　E。　D。　Baker；　Volney　E。　Howard；　and　one　or　two　others。　　All　were　talking　furiously　against　Wool；　denouncing　him　as　a　d…d　liar；　and　not　sparing　the　severest　terms。　　I　showed　the　Governor　General　Wool's　letter　to　me；　which　he　said　was　in　effect　the　same　as　the　one　addressed　to　and　received　by　him　at　Sacramento。　　He　was　so　offended　that　he　would　not　even　call　on　General　Wool；　and　said　he　would　never　again　recognize　him　as　an　officer　or　gentleman。　　We　discussed　matters　generally；　and　Judge　Terry　said　that　the　Vigilance　Committee　were　a　set　of　d…d　pork…merchants；　that　they　were　getting　scared；　and　that　General　Wool　was　in　collusion　with　them　to　bring　the　State　into　contempt；　etc。　　I　explained　that　there　were　no　arms　in　the　State　except　what　General　Pool　had；　or　what　were　in　the　hands　of　the　Vigilance　Committee　of　San　Francisco；　and　that　the　part　of　wisdom　for　us　was　to　be　patient　and　cautious。　　About　that　time　Crockett　and　his　associates　sent　up　their　cards；　but　Terry　and　the　more　violent　of　the　Governor's　followers　denounced　them　as　no　better　than　〃Vigilantes；〃　and　wanted　the　Governor　to　refuse　even　to　receive　them。　　I　explained　that　they　were　not　〃Vigilantes；〃　that　Judge　Thornton　was　a　〃Law…and…Order〃　man；　was　one　of　the　first　to　respond　to　the　call　of　the　sheriff；　and　that　he　went　actually　to　the　jail　with　his　one　arm　the　night　we　expected　the　first　attempt　at　rescue；　etc。　　Johnson　then　sent　word　for　them　to　reduce　their　business　to　writing。　　They　simply　sent　in　a　written　request　for　an　audience；　and　they　were　then　promptly　admitted。　　After　some　general　conversation；　the　Governor　said　he　was　prepared　to　hear　them；　when　Mr。　Crockett　rose　and　made　a　prepared　speech　embracing　a　clear　and　fair　statement　of　the　condition　of　things　in　San　Francisco；　concluding　with　the　assertion　of　the　willingness　of　the　committee　to　disband　and　submit　to　trial　after　a　certain　date　not　very　remote。　　All　the　time　Crockett　was　speaking；　Terry　sat　with　his　hat　on；　drawn　over　his　eyes；　and　with　his　feet　on　a　table。　　As　soon　as　Crockett　was　through；　they　were　dismissed；　and　Johnson　began　to　prepare　a　written　answer。　　This　was　scratched；　altered；　and　amended；　to　suit　the　notions　of　his　counselors；　and　at　last　was　copied　and　sent。　　This　answer　amounted　to　little　or　nothing。　Seeing　that　we　were　powerless　for　good；　and　that　violent　counsels　would　prevail　under　the　influence　of　Terry　and　others；　I　sat　down　at　the　table；　and　wrote　my　resignation；　which　Johnson　accepted　in　a　complimentary　note　on　the　spot；　and　at　the　same　time　he　appointed　to　my　place　General　Volney　E。　Howard；　then　present；　a　lawyer　who　had　once　been　a　member　of　Congress　from　Texas；　and　who　was　expected　to　drive　the　d…d　pork…merchants　into　the　bay　at　short　notice。　　I　went　soon　after　to　General　Wool's　room；　where　I　found　　Crockett　and　the　rest　of　his　party；　told　them　that　I　was　out　of　the　fight；　having　resigned　my　commission；　that　I　had　neglected　business　that　had　been　intrusted　to　me　by　my　St。　Louis　partners；　and　that　I　would　thenceforward　mind　my　own　business；　and　leave　public　affairs　severely　alone。　　We　all　returned　to　San　Francisco　that　night　by　the　Stockton　boat；　and　I　never　after…ward　had　any　thing　to　do　with　politics　in　California；　perfectly　satisfied　with　that　short　experience。　　Johnson　and　Wool　fought　　out　their　quarrel　of　veracity　in　the　newspapers　and　on　paper。　　But；　in　my　opinion；　there　is　not　a　shadow　of　doubt　that　General　Wool　did　deliberately　deceive　us；　that　he　had　authority　to　issue　arms；　and　that；　had　he　adhered　to　his　promise；　we　could　have　checked　the　committee　before　it　became　a　fixed　institution；　and　a　part　of　the　common　law　of　California。　Major…General　Volney　　E。　Howard　came　to　San　Francisco　soon　after；　continued　the　organization　of　militia　which　I　had　begun；　succeeded　in　getting　a　few　arms　from　the　country；　but　one　day　the　Vigilance　Committee　sallied　from　their　armories；　captured　the　arms　of　the　〃Law…and…Order　party；〃　put　some　of　their　men　into　prison；　　while　General　Howard；　with　others；　escaped　to　the　country；　after　which　the　Vigilance　Committee　had　it　all　their　own　way。　　Subsequently；　in　July；　1856；　they　arrested　Chief…Justice　Terry；　and　tried　him　for　stabbing　one　of　their　constables；　but　he　managed　to　escape　at　night；　and　took　refuge　on　the　John　Adams。　　In　August；　they　hanged　Hetherington　and　Brace　in　broad　daylight；　without　any　jury…trial；　and；　soon　after；　they　quietly　disbanded。　　As　they　controlled　the　press；　they　wrote　their　own　history；　and　the　world　generally　gives　them　the　credit　of　having　purged　San　Francisco　of　rowdies　and　roughs；　but　their　success　　has　given　great　stimulus　to　a　dangerous　principle；　that　would　at　any　time　justify　the　mob　in　seizing　all　the　power　of　government；　　and　who　is　to　say　that　the　Vigilance　Committee　may　not　be　composed　of　the　worst；　instead　of　the　best；　elements　of　a　community？　Indeed；　in　San　Francisco；　as　soon　as　it　was　demonstrated　that　the　real　power　had　passed　from　the　City　Hall　to　the　committee　　room；　the　same　set　of　bailiffs；　constables；　and　rowdies　that　had　infested　the　City　Hall　were　found　in　the　employment　of　the　　〃Vigilantes；〃　and；　after　three　months　experience；　the　better　class　of　people　became　tired　of　the　midnight　sessions　and　left　the　business　and　power　of　the　committee　in　the　hands　of　a　court；　of　which　a　Sydney　man　was　reported　to　be　the　head　or　chief…justice。

During　the　winter　of　1855…'56；　and　indeed　throughout　the　year　1856；　all　kinds　of　business　became　unsettled　in　California。　　The　mines　continued　to　yield　about　fifty　millions　of　gold　a　year；　but　little　attention　was　paid　to　agriculture　or　to　any　business　other　than　that　of　〃mining；〃　and；　as　the　placer…gold　was　becoming　worked　out；　the　miners　were　restless　and　uneasy；　and　were　shifting　about　from　place　to　place；　impelled　by　rumors　put　afloat　for　speculative　purposes。　　A　great　many　extensive　enterprises　by　joint…stock　companies　had　been　begun；　in　the　way　of　water…ditches；　to　bring　water　from　the　head　of　the　mountain…streams　down　to　the　richer　alluvial　deposits；　and　nearly　all　of　these　companies　became　embarrassed　or　bankrupt。　　Foreign　capital；　also；　which　had　been　attracted　to　California　by　reason　of　the　high　rates　of　interest；　was　being　withdrawn；　or　was　tied　up　in　property　which　could　not　be　sold；　and；　although　our　bank's　having　withstood　the　panic　gave　us　great　credit；　still　the　community　itself　was　shaken；　and　loans　of　money　were　risky　in　the　extreme。　　A　great　many　merchants；　of　the　highest　name；　availed　themselves　of　the　extremely　liberal　bankrupt　law　to　get　discharged　of　their　old　debts；　without　sacrificing　much；　if　any；　of　their　stocks　of　goods　on　hand；　except　a　lawyer's　fee；　thus　realizing　Martin　Burke's　saying　that　〃many　a　clever　fellow　had　been　ruined　by　paying　his　debts。〃　　The　merchants　and　business…men　of　San　Francisco　did　not　intend　to　be　ruined　by　such　a　course。　　I　raised　the　rate　of　exchange　from　three　to　three　and　a　half；　while　others　kept　on　at　the　old　rate；　and　I　labored　hard　to　collect　old　debts；　and　strove；　in　making　new　loans；　to　be　on　the　safe　side。　The　State　and　city　both　denied　much　of　their　public　debt；　in　fact；　repudiated　it；　and　real　estate；　which　the　year　before　had　been　first…class　security；　became　utterly　unsalable。

The　office　labor　and　confinement；　and　the　anxiety　attending　the　business；　aggravated　my　asthma　to　such　an　extent　that　at　times　it　deprived　me　of　sleep；　and　threatened　to　become　chronic　and　serious；　and　I　was　also　conscious　that　the　first　and　original　cause　which　had　induced　Mr。　Lucas　to　establish　the　bank　in　California　had　ceased。　　I　so　reported　to　him；　and　that　I　really　believed　that　he　could　use　his　money　more　safely　and　to　better　advantage　in　St。　Louis。　　This　met　his　prompt　approval；　and　he　instructed　me　gradually　to　draw　out；　preparatory　to　a　removal　to　New　York　City。　Accordingly；　early　in　April；　1857；　I　published　an　advertisement　in　the　San　Francisco　papers；　notifying　our　customers　that；　on　the　1st　day　of　May；　we　would　discontinue　business　and　remove　East；　requiring　all　to　withdraw　their　accounts；　and　declaring　that；　if　any　remained　on　the　that　day　of　May；　their　balances　would　be　transferred　to　the　banking…house　of　Parrott　&　Co。　Punctually　to　the　day；　this　was　done；　and　the　business　of　Lucas；　Turner　&　Co。；　of　San　Francisco；　was　discontinued；　except　the　more　difficult　and　disagreeable　part　of　collecting　their　own　moneys　and　selling　the　real　estate；　to　which　the　firm　had　succeeded　by　purchase　or　foreclosure。　　One　of　the　partners；　B。　R。　Nisbet；　assisted　by　our　attorney；　S。　M。　Bowman；　Esq。；　remained　behind　to　close　up　the　business　of　the　bank。




CHAPTER　VI。

CALIFORNIA；　NEW　YORK；　AND　KANSAS。

1857…1859。

Having　closed　the　bank　at　San　Francisco　on　the　1st　day　of　May；　1857；　accompanied　by　my　family　I　embarked　in　the　steamer　Sonora　for　Panama；　crossed　the　isthmus；　and　sailed　to　New　York；　whence　we　proceeded　to　Lancaster；　Ohio；　where　Mrs。　Sherman　and　the　family　stopped；　and　I　went　on　to　St。　Lou