American,
English and Russian trading ships continued to make their appearance in
Monterey, to these were added French ships. Several mercantile
establishments existed, carried on chiefly by Spaniards and Englishmen,
and gay little social gatherings and dances still went on.
In 1823 Mexico overthrew her empire and established a republic. But
throughout this period, disturbances and guerrillas scarcely ever
ceased, while the gradual but sure devastation of the missions and the
behavior of the authorities towards the beloved padres heightened the
indignation of all noble-minded citizens and increased the unpopularity
of the governors and authorities, most of whom were so very different to
the Spanish governors, who at all times declared themselves "loyal sons
of mother Church" and of whom no record of the practice of the contrary
exists save a very few minor differences in defining the extent of
military and ecclesiastical power. Good Bishop Garcia Diego, Bishop of
California and worthy Prince of the Church was also a sufferer on
several occasions from the disrespect of the civil authorities of
Mexico, who even tried to prevent his landing in Monterey, the seat of
the diocese then.
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