Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-03-04
rns niiE ,a sho A,N.na cecoanus

mean ana on tne uiEu seas. luat
was before extravagant amounts
had been spent on our navy. Since
the disbursement of fully two hum
dred and twenty-five millions of
dollars under the supervision of
Sseor Robson upon American
ships and sailors our navy has been
Of little account. AT the time OF
the Virginius outrage we could
scarcely get together few rotten
old hulks Ia the Cuban waters. The
vessels we have are so desperately |
out of repair that few of them can
be started out upon o cruise with
any wsll.founded hope that they |
will ever reach the port for which
they are destined. With all our
tremendous outlays Of the national
treasure we have now, on the whole
stretch Of the Pacific Coast, only
three vessels of war. AT the time
when the people Of Sitka made an
imploring appeal to the British
authorities to send 10 their relief
the British gunboat Osprey the
nearest American man of war was
supposed to be cruising somewhere
in the neighborhood of Panama.
For any help that our government
could render. the people Of Alaska
could all have been killed and eaten
by this time.
1t has probably puzzled nine
: tenths of our people to discover
why Alaska was ever purchased at
all. Under the sway of the Repub-
lican party we have so completely
lost our old instinct cf territorial
aggrandlzement that why the gov
ernment should have purchased O
frozen bit OF land and then stopped
Its acquisitions is a conundrum too
profound for any one to whom the
waters OF Revelations are not plain
sailing. But we haye acquired
this precious piece of territory, and
it is only simple justice that We
should see that it is properly gov
ernsd. The cause of the withdrawal
OF the United States troops aud
vessels OF war from Alaska are 90
clearly stated in the New York
Sun of February 2lst that we make
no apology for reproducing it:
For nearly two years the white
settlers ia Alaska have been desti-
tute of any protection by our own
government. Since the withdrawal
Of the troops from Sitka, the whites
have been at the mercy OF the saw.
ages who surround that little
settlement. The latest ac-
counts from Sitka represent
the situation as dangerous in the
extreme. Not long ago two In.
dlans murdered James Brown, u
white settler, while he lay IN his
cabin asleep. They hacked his body
to pieces with an axe and threw
the remains into the ocean, plunder
being the only motive OF the crime.
The murderers were captured, con.
fessed their guilt, and were sent to
San Francisco on tho steamer Cal
ifornia, to be turned over to the
United States District ATTORNEY.
This exssperated The great body of
indiana, who now threaten to au-
nihilate the whites. The latter
live behind barred doors, armed to
the teeth, expecting momentaIily
an attack by Indians outnum ber-
ing them one hundred to one, yet
datsrnined to sell as dearly as pos
sible their own lives and the lives
OF their wives and children. For
all that is known at Washington or
San francisco, the massacre may
already have occurred.
The troops formerly stationed at
Sitka were withdrawn from that
post, whore they were sadly need
ed, and transferred to an island in
San Francisco bay at the instance
Of the Alaska Commercial Com
pany, and through the influence of
John Sherman.
1t IL tho constant policy of the fur
monepolists to drive out of the Ter
ritory of Alaska all white men who
are not their own agents or tools.
The government inspectors sta.
toned at the seal islands to pre-
vent an Illegal slaughter of seals
are mado to be dependent upon the
company for their subsistence.
There were formerly two govern
ment agents on each island, but the
rings influence at Washington
long ago secured the removal of
one from each island. By the
friendly aid of John Sherman the
company has managed to control
the Custom House at Sitka. One
by one the checks agaist extensive
and profitable frauds on the part of
the company have been swept
away. The last check was the pres
ence at Sitka Of honorable and in-
telIigent army officers, whose OBJ
servations and disinterested re-
ports gave the people informa-
ton on the condition of affairs
In the Territory, independent
of the company's statements.
Then John Sherman had the troops
withdrawn, and now we hear that
the lives of the Americans at Sitka
depend upon the timely arrival of
British gunboat!
Since the exclusive right of TAX
ing 100. 600 seals annually was given
by Congress TO this company, at
the earnest solicitation of John
Sherman and other influential
friends of the Ring, the Govern
ment's income from the seal fisher
les has averaged S27c, 900 q year.
During the same time the profits of |
the company have amounted, OH
an average, to S7e6,556 yearly. The
Government invested 81, 600, 900 in |
Alaska. The company's paid up
capital is S373.046.
The seal, which is a warm-blood- |
ed animal, has largely contributed |
to the mysterious wealth Of John |