Baja Bernie
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Words of Pio Pico
Interesting words from another age..............
Pio Pico, last Mexican Governor of Alta California, “What are we to do then? Shall we remain supine, while these daring strangers are overrunning our
fertile plains, and gradually outnumbering and displacing us? Shall these incursions go on unchecked, until we shall become strangers in our own
land?"
His questions remained unanswered from Mexico City.....much as Washington DC today.
Life does go on and on and over again!
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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fdt
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| Quote: | Originally posted by grover
What we could really use is a leader to tone down the divisiveness permeating our society.
A uniter, one might say. Somebody willing to address the formidable problems |
Sorry, I have other projects going on right now 
A well informed Baja California traveler is a smart Baja California traveler!
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Baja Bernie
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Ah Shucks!
I was so hoping that someone would step up and touch the 'third rail.'
Well then! We will see what will happens.............Pio Pico moved to Tecate, Baja California and then when things calmed down he moved back to Los
Angles and lived the rest of his life as a much deminished man.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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David K
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In San Vicente...
This house was the headquarters of William Walker, who in 1853 proclaimed the creation of the Republic of Lower California with himself as president.
We were told this was also the home of Governor Pio Pico after he was driven out of Alta California by the Bear Flag Revolt and Mexico's loss of Alta
California.
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Baja Bernie
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Thanks David
Not really a Governor Palace.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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David K
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Not much of a 'White House' either!
Hey Bernie, congratulations on passing the 2,000 post mark!
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DianaT
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The Pio Pico Mansion in Whittier is an interesting place to visit. David, thank you for that picture. We have always wondered about where Walker's
headquarters was before he was run out of Baja. We knew it was near San Vicente. He was such an interesting filibuster.
We were in Trujillo, Honduras where Walker's grave is, but unfortunately we did not visit it. What a character Walker was. Hero to some, and rat to
others.
David, please tell us where to find that place.
Diane
[Edited on 4-18-2007 by jdtrotter]
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Baja Bernie
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David
Thanks, I guess...............but 2000 what?
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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David K
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William Walker
Here is the link (with illustrations): http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/walker.html
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William Walker
By Miss Fanny Juda
Member of the Class in California History
at the University of California
INTRODUCTION: ...How many Californians today realize that this state was the rendevous par excellence for daring bands of filibusters, who, whether in
pursuit of mere individual wealth and adventure or in furtherance of what seemed to them an ideal, risked their lives in bold invasions of Hispanic
lands? It is with this story that Miss Juda deals in the present article.... And since Miss Juda’s article was written there has come the not
unrelated factor of bills in Congress, proposed respectively by Senator Ashurst of Arizona and Representative Elston of California, for a negotiated
purchase of that Baja California which American filibusters have so often sought. This, then, is more than romance. It is the necessary background of
a living vital issue— Dr. C.E. Chapman, Assistant Professor of Hispanic American History, University of California.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William Walker, the greatest of American filibusters, was another visionary adventurer, imbued with the desire of founding a colony in Mexico, near
the American border. His aim, however, was to obtain the independence of Sonora and Baja California for the ultimate annexation to the United States,
and for the extension of slave territory so as to maintain the balance of power for the South. He, like Raousset, was an unlicensed, would-be
conqueror, burning with a desire for fame and carried away by a firm belief in his own destiny to rule. As a boy, Walker lived in Tennessee, where he
studied at the University of Nashville, and thus was naturally a strong Southern sympathizer. Having a desire to study medicine, he went aboard and
attended the universities of Edinburgh, Göttingen, Heidelberg, and Paris. He was present in Europe during the various revolutions of 1848, and there
is no doubt but that his filibustering schemes were influenced by the revolutionary doctrines of Massini, Garibaldi, Marx, Feuerbach, and Blanc, which
were being spread broadcast over the continent at that time. Upon his return to America, he practiced medicine in Philadelphia, but finding this
distasteful to him, he went to New Orleans to study law, and in 1850 came to San Francisco. After serving as a newspaper man for some time, he moved
to Marysville, where he practised law. He was always a firm slavery advocate, eager for its retention and its extension. This caused him to look with
some apprehension upon the efforts of the French filibusters, for the slavery party regarded the American conquest of Mexico as a matter of manifest
destiny, to which French interference would serve as a serious obstacle.
It was party for this reason that Walker went to Guaymas in the summer of 1853, seeking a grant from Mexico, where he could establish a military
frontier colony, to serve as a bulwark against the Indians. The Mexican government, always suspicious of American enterprise, refused, and so Walker
returned to San Francisco, bound to carry out the scheme on his own account. Raousset’s plan for a second expedition spurred Walker on to immediate
action. He thereupon opened a recruiting office in San Francisco. Recruits flocked to join his band, many of whom were from Kentucky and Tennessee,
and were therefore adherents of slavery and the manifest destiny doctrine. Hundreds of people bought the scrip which he issued and which was to be
redeemable in lands in Sonora. With the funds thus raised, he helped to finance his expedition. Walker now cast aside all ideas of founding a buffer
colony and stated his intention of forming a republic in Sonora and Lower California, with the idea that it would eventually apply for admission into
the Union. He chartered the brig “Arrow” and prepared to set sail with his followers, when he was arrested by General Hitchc-ck, military commander of
the United States forces on the Pacific Coast. The Federal officials at San Francisco, sympathizing with Walker, caused the vessel to be released, and
General Wool was soon sent out by Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War, to replace Hitchc-ck in command. Headquarters were moved to Benicia, from which
place interference with the actions of the filibusters was almost impossible.
Walker, meantime, had succeeded in making his escape on another vessel, the “Caroline” and with forty-eight followers he left on October 16th for
Guaymas. Three weeks later he reached the Gulf of California, and landed at La Paz, which was less likely to offer resistance. Here he was reinforced
by two hundred men, and so he took possession of the country and proceeded to set up a government. Then he proclaimed the independence of the
“Republic of Lower California” from Mexico, and extended over it the laws of the state of Louisiana, thus permitting slavery, should anyone care to
bring slaves into the country. Some writers have taken the opportunity here to point out that Walker really was not a strong slavery advocate, and
that the slavery clause merely was part of the code of laws with which he was most familiar. But had Walker so desired, he could have omitted the
slavery clause, or could have extended the laws of Alta California, with which he must have been familiar in order to practice law in Marysville.
Realizing that his position here was not secure, and that he was exposed to easy attack on the part of the Mexicans, he retired up the peninsula
towards Ensenada, after a skirmish with the Mexicans at La Paz. He made Ensenada his headquarters, and from here he issued a new proclamation,
abolishing the Republic of Lower California and establishing the Republic of Sonora, which was to consist of the two states of Lower California and
Sonora. Walker, himself, was to be president, his partner, Watkins, vice-president, and Emory, secretary of state.
Meantime the news of Walker’s exploits reached San Francisco. The skirmish at La Paz was regarded as a great victory. The California newspapers and
periodicals greatly applauded him. Judge Lott, writing for the “Pioneer,” says: “The term filibuster no longer means a pirate ... It means the
compassing of the weak by the strong... The term filibuster is now identical with the pioneer of progress... If these regions ... do not soon become a
portion of the United States ... some other nation, stronger than Mexico, will grasp them.” Soule, in the “Annals of San Francisco,” says in
commenting on Walker, “America secures the spoils won to her hand, however dishonestly they may have come. That is only her destiny ... America must
round out her territory by the sea.”
The enterprise soared in popularity. Hundreds of men flocked from the mines to join the expedition. The flag of the Republic of Sonora was raised on
the corner of Kearny and Sacramento streets. Enlistment offices were opened and the bonds of the company were openly sold. Indeed, it was worth a
man’s popularity at the time to oppose filibusterism. Pedro C. Carrillo, one of the influential Democrats in the State Legislature, was in great
danger of losing his constituency by introducing a resolution in the Senate, condemning filibusterism.
While Walker was waiting in Baja California for recruits, for some unknown reason his vessel, the “Caroline,” sailed away with the greater part of his
supplies. Matters became worse, when two hundred recruits arrived from San Francisco, and since his supplies were already so greatly depleted, he was
forced to send a band of men on towards Todos Santos Bay, on a foraging expedition. At Guilla, near Santo Tomas, a battle was fought, for the natives
did not care to give up their cattle and provisions in return for scrip in Walker’s company. Walker now began to drill his band in preparation for a
march on Sonora. But discontent had broken out in his party. The new-comers were disappointed that there was no plunder to be had. Food was
insufficient and coarse. Men began to desert. Four of those deserters he arrested, shot two of them, and had the other two publicly flogged. This act
by no means made the expedition more popular, and some weeks later it was with a force of only one hundred men that Walker started for Sonora, and by
the time they reached the Colorado River only thirty-five men remained in the party. It would take more than this mere handful to hold the country,
and so Walker decided to abandon the project. On May 8, 1854, the party crossed the frontier near Tia Juana, and surrendered themselves to the United
States officers stationed there. They were granted their parole, and were permitted to depart for San Francisco. Had Walker’s party reached Sonora,
and gotten any kind of a foothold there, so many volunteers would probably have joined them that there would have been a repetition of the Sam Houston
affair, and Sonora and Lower California would have become territories of the United States.
Walker himself said that it was almost impossible to succeed in the venture because of the enormous difficulties encountered, such as lack of
resources, ignorance concerning the country, the desert which had to be traversed, etc. Of course, there was no defense for his action. There is no
reason why he should be lionized, as he has been, for his exploits in Baja California. In fact, he is to be condemned, for it was for no altruistic
reason that he went there. Even though he himself declared that he was going to Sonora to protect the people from the Apaches, the people of Sonora,
were they given a choice in the matter, would have taken the Apaches in preference to the American filibusters, whom they so despised and feared.
When Walker arrived in San Francisco he was tried in the Federal courts for the violation of United States neutrality laws. He was acquitted, however,
and went back to his law practise until he was once more tempted to venture forth, this time to Central America. It is due to his exploits here rather
than to the fiasco in Baja California that he became so famous. Walker’s reputation as a leader had gone as far as Nicaragua, where a revolution was
in progress. Here the Granada and the Leonese factions were at war with each other, both wishing to obtain the upper hand in that country. The Granada
faction was, for the time being, victorious, and so the defeated Leonese, bound to gain supremacy, sought the aid of Walker. Seizing this chance to
bring himself once more into the limelight, he enlisted some sixty men, who were eager to follow him to Nicaragua, and with them he set sail, May 3,
1855. Although the United States Marshal had tried to prevent his departure, still the sympathies of the Federal officials were with him. Before
sailing, Walker had met General Wool, military commander on the Pacific Coast, who had special powers from the President to suppress all filibustering
expeditions. Walker told him about his plans, whereupon the general not only declared that he would not interfere, but also wished him success.
Some weeks later, Walker landed at San Juan del Sur, and almost immediately began to assert his authority. With the aid of sixty recruits, who had
arrived from California under Parker H. French, and the Leonese troops, he soon succeeded in routing the opposite faction at the battle of Rivas. For
his victories here, he was given the title of generalissimo, and soon after he declared himself president of Nicaragua. News of his success reached
the United States, and the slavery advocates began a recruiting propaganda. Public meetings were held in some of the large Southern cities, money was
raised, and even Tammany Hall voiced its approval of the enterprise. With the power now centered in his hands, Walker began to manage things to suit
himself. He revoked the franchise by which the Vanderbilt Steamship Company sent passengers across Nicaragua, on their from the Atlantic to the
Pacific Coasts, or visa versa, and gave the right of transit, with a twenty-five years’ permit, to Edmond Randolf. He then issued a proclamation
reversing the anti-slavery laws which had existed in Nicaragua for the last thirty-two years. Because of this act, and others of a similar nature,
revolts began to break out, fostered by Commodore Vanderbilt, who owned the steamship company. Costa Rica declared war against him. Finally, in May,
1857, he was forced to surrender and to leave Nicaragua, where he had remained two years.
The last two expeditions of Walker were not connected with California, except that many of his old followers of the previous enterprises joined him on
his second Nicaragua campaign, and on his fatal trip to Honduras. His third undertaking, known as the second Nicaragua expedition, was organized at
Mobile, Alabama. Going to Nicaragua, he landed at Punta Arenas in November, 1857. Upon his arrival he declared himself commander of the Nicaraguan
army and began the war. But he was not allowed to proceed far, for Commodore Pauling of the United States squadron in the Caribbean, hearing of the
expedition, landed in Nicaragua, forced him to surrender, and brought him back to the United States. President Buchanan even went so far, in his
presidential message, as to condemn Walker as a filibuster. Walker was tried for violation of neutrality, but as usual the case was dismissed. Not
satisfied to retire to private life, he organized another expedition in New Orleans and set sail for Central America. He landed near Truxillo, in
Honduras, hoping to make his way eventually to Nicaragua. His men began to desert him, and being in a precarious position, he surrendered himself to
the captain of a British naval vessel off the coast. The captain, instead of protecting Walker, as he had promised, handed him over to the authorities
of Honduras. He was tried by court-martial, and shot September 12, 1860.
Although Walker was very much in earnest, and thrust himself heart and soul into these projects, he was bound to fail. He lacked too many of the
essential qualities of leadership to be successful in his undertakings. He did not understand human nature, and above all he was neither a statesman
nor a diplomat. Despite his firm believe that his destiny sent him out to conquer, still he failed because he could not measure up to the task. The
one lasting result of his exploits was to bring upon the people of the United States a distrust and suspicion which Central America possesses to the
present day [1919]. With his death, the glory of filibustering passed away, and from 1860 on, filibusterism was more or less sporadic, and entirely
devoid of the romance of the previous decade. It failed on the whole to attract attention, and when the press did comment upon it, it was only to
condemn it as un-American and unworthy of the ideals of Americans.
=============================================================
The Walker White House in San Vicente is west of the town plaza. Take the street going down the north side from Hwy. 1. The house is near the edge of
the river valley.
The flag of the Republic of Lower California (later renamed Republic of Sonora) had 2 stars and 2 stripes for the two states (Lower California and
Sonora)
[Edited on 4-18-2007 by David K]
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DENNIS
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Bernie ..... Is it your birthday?
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja Bernie
Thanks, I guess...............but 2000 what? |
2,000 posts on Nomad... That makes you a super-normal Nomad or an ultra-normal Nomad... I am not sure which???
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Baja Bernie
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Okay....Thanks
I will settle for what I have always wanted..............just a Normal Nomad!............Thanks Doug!
Neal, You just better back off! Heck! All you can sell is wife-hood.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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David K
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Nice touch Grover... It is also easy to read at the site I gave the link to, plus there are illustrations there... I pasted the text because I know
some folks just won't click on links to read things, so if they see there is something interesting they might???
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Baja Bernie
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And he was a little chit who died before he could do very much damage.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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David K
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Who is that Bernie?
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Packoderm
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Have you noticed that it looks like two eyes and a mouth? And I've never seen six sided stars like that that don't look like Jewish Star of Davids.
.
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David K
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Six sided stars were used often on flags of years past from what I have seen in flag books... There ar a couple other versions of Walker's flag, but
this one matches and old illustration showing the flag on a pole, somewhere in the Republic of Lower California!
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Baja Bernie
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David K
I was referring to Walker! What an ego.
I guess I should have said, he didn't 'hang' around to long.
[Edited on 4-18-2007 by Baja Bernie]
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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David K
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"And he was a little sh-t who died before he could do very much damage. "
Oh, right... He was executed in Central America after trying to take over, down there!
[Edited on 4-18-2007 by David K]
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Sharksbaja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja Bernie
Pio Pico, last Mexican Governor of Alta California, “What are we to do then? Shall we remain supine, while these daring strangers are overrunning our
fertile plains, and gradually outnumbering and displacing us? Shall these incursions go on unchecked, until we shall become strangers in our own
land?"
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These quotes sound like something a modern day militiaman might say.
It's more like "Trading places" or "Trading faces". Of course, minus the guns.
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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