This version, while not altogether inaccurate, makes the revolt the result of a quarrel between the governor and a revenue officer, ignoring entirely the political aspects of the matter and the agency of the diputacion. Alvarado, on the other hand, ignores the revenue quarrel, and exaggerates perhaps the political element, choosing naturally to look upon himself as president of the diputacion rather than as an officer of the custom-house. There can be no doubt that the diputacion was concerned in the movement, or that Alvarado, the leading spirit, acted in its name, the quarrel about revenues being but a minor element in a complicated whole. It is therefore proper to present the version given by Alvarado himself and supported by other Californians, though in the absence of contemporary documents I cannot vouch for its entire accuracy.
From one of his stormy interviews with Gutierrez, Alvarado returned to the hall to find it empty, the diputacion having adjourned in its fright to meet at San Juan, whither the president hastened to join his fellow-vocales.[1] A meeting was held at once, at which Estévan Munrás and other prominent citizens took part. Vocal Antonio Buelna made a radical
- ↑ There is a little mystery about this diputacion. A new election was to have been held on Nov. 6th, but now the body must have been constituted as in the sessions following the May election, recorded in the last chapter – that is, 1. Castro, 2. Alvarado, 3. Guerra, 4. R. Gomez, 5. Spence, 6. Crespo, 7. J. Gomez. Alvarado represents Crespo as having been a spy of the gov., excluded when a secret session was held; and Spence is said to have met with the body, though not a member; while nothing is said of the two Gomez. Buelna, who took a prominent part, may have been a suplente called upon to act in the absence of one of these. There is no record whatever of the October sessions. Estévan de la Torre, Reminis., MS., 62-4, says that one day Gutierrez entered the hall of the dip. when drunk, and had hot words with Alvarado, whom he ordered under arrest after suspending the session. J. M. de la Torre, narrator's father, furnished horses and accompanied Alvarado to S. Juan that night. J. J. Vallejo, Remin., MS., 122-3, has yet another version. He says that Gutierrez sent out spies to mingle with the people and learn who were prominent in fomenting discontent. Learning that Alvarado and Castro were the leaders, he ordered the arrest and exile of the former, who, being warned, was aided by Tia Boronda and Isaac Graham to escape.
MS., 8-9, and Gomez, Lo que Sabe, MS., 44-5, state that A. was believed by G. to have been the writer of a pasquinade against him posted at a street-corner. Janssens, Vida, MS., 71-2, says that meetings had been held beforehand, at which a pretext for the quarrel had been devised.
