of the bishop instead of the Mission president as hitherto.  This decree, for some reason, was not officially published or known in California for seven or eight years; but when, on January 20, 1821, Viceroy Venadito did publish the royal confirmation of the decree, the guardian of the college in Mexico ordered the president of the California Missions to comply at once with its requirements.  He was to surrender all property, but to exact a full inventoried receipt, and he was to notify the bishop that the missionaries were ready to surrender their charges to their successors.  In accordance with this order, President Payeras notified Governor Sola of his readiness to give up the Missions, and rejoiced in the opportunity it afforded his co-workers to engage in new spiritual conquests among the heathen.  But this was a false alarm.  The bishop responded that the decree had not been enforced elsewhere, and as for him the California padres might remain at their posts.  Governor Sola said he had received no official news of so important a change, but that when he did he “would act with the circumspection and prudence which so delicate a subject demands.”

With Iturbide’s imperial regency came a new trouble to California, largely provoked by thoughts of the great wealth of the Missions.  The imperial decree creating the regency was not announced until the end of 1821, and practically all California acquiesced in it.  But in the meantime Agustin Fernandez de San Vicente had been sent as a special commissioner to “learn the feelings of the Californians, to foment a spirit of independence, to obtain an oath of allegiance, to raise the new national flag,” and in general to superintend the change of government.  He arrived in Monterey September 26, but found nothing to alarm him, as nobody seemed to care much which way things went.  Then followed the “election” of a new governor, and the wire-pullers announced that Luis Argueello was the “choice of the convention.”

In 1825 the Mexican republic may be said to have become fairly well established.  Iturbide was out of the way, and the politicians were beginning to rule.  A new “political chief” was now sent to California in the person of Jose Maria Echeandia, who arrived in San Diego late in October, 1825.  While he and his superiors in Mexico were desirous of bringing about secularization, the difficulties in the way seemed insurmountable.  The Missions were practically the backbone of the country; without them all would crumble to pieces, and the most fanatical opponent of the system could not fail to see that without the padres it would immediately fall.  As Clinch well puts it:  “The converts raised seven eighths of the farm produce;—­the Missions had gathered two hundred thousand bushels in a single harvest.  All manufacturing in the province—­weaving, tanning, leather-work, flour-mills, soap-making—­was carried on exclusively by the pupils of the Franciscans.  It was more than doubtful whether they could be got to work under any other management, and a sudden cessation of labor might ruin the whole territory.”