PREFACE. The EDITOR has long entertained the belief, that a volume of biographical sketches of men who have attained. an honorable prominence in the young commonwealths of the Pacific would be received with favor by the reading public, as containing not only notices of leading characters, but also a condensed history of the remarkable times in which the infancy of those States was cast. Such a volume he now lays before the people. He has improved upon his original design, by incorporating into the work a large number of Speeches, Orations, Poems, etc., delivered at various times and places throughout the Pacific States; which, in his judgment, render the work highly attractive, interesting and valuable. The volume will be found to contain twenty-four Speeches, Orations and Addresses; six Poems, and fiftynine Biographical Sketches. Of the latter a few are not original, and it is necessary to say a word concerning them. That of GEN. E. D. BAKER, by Hon. Edward Stanly, was not written by that gentleman for this work, but is taken from his Eulogy, delivered in San Francisco, in 1861. This chaste production reappears here, with some changes which the EDITOR deemed important, and which the Author will no doubt excuse. From Gen. Cullum's "Army Register" were procured the necessary data for the sketch of GEN. STEVENS. 59333 The notice of JAMES KING OF WILLIAM is taken almost entirely from a brief biography of him, issued in pamphlet shortly after his death. The original sketch has received many important corrections from the pen of a gentleman of San Francisco, who was intimate with Mr. King, but who thinks it unnecessary that his name should appear. The notice of COL. A. M. Pico is inserted, with a few slight alterations, as it first appeared in the San Francisco "News Letter" of 1869. The article on DELAZON SMITH is taken from the New York" Democratic Review" of 1860. The interesting narrative of GEN. SUTTER'S early movements in California was first embodied in a petition submitted to Congress on behalf of the old veteran several years ago, praying the nation to repair his heavy losses. suffered at the hands of the "settlers" of 1849. The name of the writer of each of the other sketches will be found at the head of the proper notice, except in a few instances, in which, by the author's particular request, his name is not given. Although the EDITOR claims no credit for the manner in which he has performed his task, yet he is proudly conscious of the fact that he is giving to the world a work of beauty and merit; for (and who will gainsay it?) no volume enriched with selections from the masterpieces of BAKER, MCDOUGALL, RANDOLPH and T. STARR KING, can be other than useful and meritorious. SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., February, 1870. O. T. S. .165 Message to the Common Council of San Francisco (1853) C. K. Garrison.. Telegram to the People of California on the Death of |