The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-04-20
Lower California.
A NEW EMPIRE,

In a recent number, q brief
sketch was given Of the geo.
graphical position and varied re-
sources of that vast Peninsula on
our Western coast, known as
Lower California, and which, jud-
ging as it docs, down the Pacific
for full SIX hundred miles, forms a
natural barrier to those fertile
provinces Of Northern Mexico,
which are destined, ere long, to
become, like lower California it.
self, integral parts Of the United
States.
This Peninsula may now be
said to be in it's transition state.
For ages it has lain comparatively
idle in the sea but by degrees the
heave of modern progress has
turned it over almost into the Gen.
tre of the populated globe, and it
must soon play fully as important
a part as Upper California, which
lies above it, and more so than
the luxurious provinces Of the de-
caying empire, to which it never
more than nominally belonged
In fact, Lower California has
merely pretended to belong to
Mexico, in order to protect itself
from seizure by some more vigo-
rous power while Mexico, on the
other hand, has gladly contentcd
herself with i mere nominal allc-
glance (without subsidy or tri-
bute), in order that Sonora, Sina-
loa and her other ocean provinces
might not be domineercd by this
formidable Peninsula in like man.
ner. The present State and its
dependent province have, there
fore, got along very well together
down to the present time, and as
only an illusory authority is ex-
acted by Mexico, and no taxes arc
levied from Lower California, the
natives of the Peninsula have al
ways had very happy vnd inde-
pendent time.
These days Of simplicity, how.
ever, could not be expected to last
forever. Heaven is not for man
on earth. Nay, in the case of this
earthly elysium, teomiug as it is
with gold and silver. and bordercd
by its gulf peals, the westward
tread Of: man forbade it, Seven
hundred millions, out Of the thou.
sand. millions Of the population of
the whole earth, belong to empires
which push their coasts to the
shores of the Pacific coasts which
have been comparatively silent
until tho last twenty years, but
which, now that they have been
astoundcd by tho railway, and
inhamed by the magnetic wire,
begin to stir and wake to the des-
tiny that lies before them.
On the whole wide circle of
that mighty sea, which is destined
to be the future residence of hu-
man power, there is no piece of
coast Of such geographical impor-
tancc to the United States, as
Lower California. It is worth the
British possessionsin in the North
west Coast and Alaska, ten times
told, for it gives US certain pos
session of every line Of trade, |
that either comes by the Isthmus
to the Indies, or passes downward |
from our western railway routes,
TO the coasts of South America or |
Australia.
The acute statesmen Of Mexico |
perceived this problem more clear
y than perhaps even the Minis
ters of the United States, and
foreseeing, too, that they could
not expect to hold such a fortress |
rs Lower California constitutes
for the command Of the Pacific,
they wisely prepared to pass it in
to the more powerful and conset-
vative hands of the United States,
in q manner which would not be |