This being accomplished, it followed logically that the State troops must put down the insurrection; and if they failed, there was still the immense power of the republic to call upon. After all, when you look at it that way, this handful of disturbers amounted to very little. The first step was to win over the governor. Without him the next step could not be taken. Accordingly all the big guns of San Francisco took the _Senator_ for Sacramento. There they met Terry, Volney Howard, and others of the same ilk. No governor of Johnson's sort could long withstand such pressure. He promised to issue the proclamation of insurrection as soon as it was "legally proved" that the committee had acted outside the law. The mere fact that it had already hanged two men and deported a great number of others meant nothing. That, apparently, was not legal proof. In order that all things should be legal, then, Terry issued a writ of _habeas corpus_ for the body of one William Mulligan, and gave it into the hands of Deputy-sheriff Harrison for service on the committee. Nobody expected the latter to deliver over Mulligan. "But they'll deny the writ," said Terry, "and that will constitute a legal defiance of the State. The governor will then be legally justified in issuing his proclamation, and ordering out the State troops to enforce the writ." If the State troops proved inadequate, the plan was then to call on the United States--as locally represented by General Wool and Captain David Farragut--for assistance. With this armed backing three times the Vigilante force could be quickly subdued. As it was all legal, it could not fail. Harrison took the writ of _habeas corpus_ and proceeded to San Francisco. He presented himself at headquarters, produced his writ, and had himself announced to the Executive Committee then in session. "Tell him to go to hell!" growled someone. But a half-dozen members saw through the ruse, and interposed vigorous objections. "I move," said Dempster solemnly, "that our police be permitted to remove all prisoners for a few hours." This was carried, and put into immediate effect. Deputy Harrison was then politely received, his writ fully acknowledged, and he was allowed to search the premises. Of course he found nothing, and departed much crestfallen. The scheme had failed. The committee had in no way denied his authority or his writ. Harrison was no fool. He saw clearly what he had been expected to do. On his way back to Sacramento he did some thinking. To Terry he unblushingly returned the writ endorsed: "Prevented from service by armed men." For the sake of the cause Harrison had lied!