The Mississippi Creole

California.

At last the official Journal of this Government furnishes us with some scanty details of news from California, and all will read them with pleasure, inasmuch as they do not throw discredit upon American arms. We copy from the Union of the 2d inst.

We have received information, on which we place implicit reliance, that Commodore Sloat took possession of Monterey on the 6th July last. On the 9th July, Commander John D. Montgomery, of the Portsmouth, summoned the commandant of Yerba Buena to surrender. What the result of this summons was, we are not informed.

A few days previously to the 6th of July a detachment from Col. Fremont's force took possession of a frontier post called Sonoma, to north of San Francisco. Gen. Castro attempted to dislodge them; but after a slight skirmish and the arrival of Col. Fremont in person, Castro retreated.

There appears to have been as much dissension among the Californians before the arrival of Commodore Sloat as existed in other parts of Mexico. On the 15th June, a junta met at Santa Barbara, headed by Gov. Pico, to declare California independent: which movement was met by a proclamation from the Commandant General Castro, declaring martial law, throughout the country.

The reader must not confound this news with that which has been attributed to the British sloop of war, Daring. The Daring was in Havana on the 6th of July, when Monterey was seized, and her officers had previously announced the annexation of California to the United States. The Daring sailed from Havana about the 6th of July for Kingston, Ja., and there reported the same news, which was brought thither and republished. The Daring's news related doubtless to the internal dissensions in California anterior to the action of any American squadron in the Pacific.

The Washington correspondent of the Philadelphia Ledger has had access to the same sources of information as the Union and furnishes details more copious. As all feel a deep interest on the subject, we copy from the Ledger a portion of its letter:

"Commodore Sloat entered the harbor of Monterey, and on the 6th of July issued his proclamation to the inhabitants of California, calling on them to remain peaceful, assuring them that he did not come as the enemy of California, but as their friend—that they are destined to form part and parcel of the great Federal Union of the United States enjoying the same rights and privileges as the citizens of these States. They should select their own officers and magistrates, and enjoy all other privileges of freemen of which they are now in part or wholly deprived. The same revenue laws should be in force in California as in the United States. They should select their own civil officers and magistrates, and enjoy all other privileges of freemen, of which they are now in part or wholly deprived. The same revenue laws should be in force in California as in the United States, by which means they would, as Californians and members of the American Union, obtain provisions and manufactures of the United States duty free, while all other imports would pay a duty at least twenty-five per cent. less than is now levied on the same articles by the laws of Mexico: those who will not become citizens of an American confederacy, to depart in peace with all their property, provided they lay down their arms and remain in other respects neutral. He enjoins them to retain their alcaldes and other magistrates till they shall have better digested the particular form of Government they wish to adopt, and have had time to elect other officers in their places. All property of private citizens, and particularly that of the churches, should be respected, all supplies and provisions paid for, on reasonable terms, and no private property used for public purposes without proper compensation.

The proclamation is dated Savannah, harbor of Monterey, and signed John D. Sloat commander-in-chief of the U. S. forces in the Pacific.—Pic."