The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 17, July 1913 - April, 1914 Page: 126
454 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
126 The Southwester nHistorica:l Quarterly
flict within the Democratic party in California between Senator
William M. Gwin and his followers on one hand and David C.
Broderick and his followers on the other. By some in the East this
struggle for leadership and the battle of diverse elements in a party
were interpreted as a conflict of slavery and anti-slavery influences.
Some, indeed, hoped this was the case, and that California might
be divided and slavery introduced into a portion of it. It was even
asserted that "southern California. is peculiarly propitious to negro
labor, and its inhabitants are very anxious that slaveholding should
be introduced among them."2 But this assertion was boldly denied
in California by a northern paper, and the record of the state on
the slavery question pointed out.' Surprise was expressed by the
Sacramento Union at the pertinacity with which the charge that
there was a party in the state advocating a division of the state
with the view of introducing slavery into southern California was
iterated and reiterated in the state and out of it.4 The editor of
the same paper declared that he had never "met a, half dozen men
known to be in favor of introducing slavery into any portion of the
state," and asserted that if the proposal were submitted to a direct
vote he was confident that three-fourths of the immigrants in Cali-
fornia from slave states would vote against it.5
The state division question came squarely before the legislature
of 1855. On February 27 Jefferson Iunt, of San Bernardino,
introduced in the Assembly a, bill for creating a new state out of
California.' This new state was to he called "Columbia," and
was to embrace the territory included in the counties of Santa
Cruz, Santa Clara, San Joaquin, Calaveras, Amador, Tuolumne,
Stanislaus, Mariposa, Tulare, Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Luis
Obispo, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego, together
with the islands on the coast adjoining the counties included.? The
committee to whom the bill was referred reported on April 4, intro-
ducing as a substitute for the original bill an act to create three
2Richmond Enquirer, quoted by Daily Statesman, November 23, 1854.
'Daily Statesman, November 23, 1854.
4Sacramento Union, November 24, 1854.
'Ibid., November 24, 1854.
6Journal of Assembly, 1855, 359.
'Guinn, How California Escaped Division, Historical Society of Southern
California, Annual Publications, 1905, 226.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 17, July 1913 - April, 1914, periodical, 1914; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101061/m1/130/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.