Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-19

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10. 1855.
Ensargtng our Boundaries.
The fresh impulse that has been given
to the consideration of State division has
re vived the discussion of collateral sub
iects more or less debated years ago.
One of these is the tacking of Arizona
upon the new State of South California; !;
the other to secure by treaty the cession
of Lower California and attach it to the
proposed new State. 1t is now some
thirty years since the last proposition
was first very ably and exhaustively dis
-cussed in the press of California by the
late VIM. Carey Jones, son-in.law
of Senator Thomas Hart Benton,
and man of original views and broad
intellectually. The question, however,
was then considered without respect to
the erection of new State, but merely
upon its geographical merits and the
commercial advantages that would &C.
crue to this coast by the annexation. of
the Peninsula politically to the country
to which it was attached naturally. The
result of the acquisition of Lower Cali
fornia would be to give symmetry to our
territorial possessions on the Coast, and
place within our boundaries the Sea of
Cortez or Gulf of California, into
which the waters of the Colorado
empty. 1t would give us several good
harbors on the gulf side, and Magdalena
Bay where fine harbor exists on the
Pacific side of the Peninsula. 1t will
be remembered that General Walkers
first flibustering expedition aimed at
the conquest of Lower California, and
that his idea was to set up the beginning
of Pacific Republic there. His ulti-
mate views, doubtless, extended to con-
quests beyond that, but his failure to
even hold Lower California put an end
to his projects in that direction. At
that time the Peninsula was not con-
eidered of any great value; but
within the past decade and a half
American prospectors and explorers have
shown that valuable mineral deposits
and extensive grazing and farming val
leys are embraced within it's boundaries.
But, after all is said, its greatest value to
the United States would be in the fact
that it would give US control of the Colo
RADIO outlet and natural boundary which
would include the commercial advant-
ages of possessing the western coast of
the Gulf of California. Yet it is idle to
discuss the acquisition of Lower Cali
fornia az part of the proposition of at
taching it to the proposed new State of
Southern California. When we shall
have acquired that Territory then it will
be time enough to discuss the propriety
of making it a portion of South California
But the same difficulties do not arise
with reference to the proposition of at
taching Arizona to the new State. We
have no doubt that the people of that
Territory would be very willing to join
US. Indeed, Arizona may be said to be
colony of Southern California, for she
was first settled by people mainly from
this section, and her commercial rela-
tions with US have always been very
close. Territorially, Arizona joined to
as would give US an immense State.
Her principal cities are as access
ible to us as is the northern portion
of California. 1t is about as far to Sacra-
mento from Los Angeles as it is to Tucson.
The railroads, following in the wake Of
the old wagon roads, have made the prin-
cipal settled points Of Arizona our COM
mercial tributaries. All these facts would
favor the idea of attaching that Territory
to the new State. 1t is also true that
there is an identity of interests in import
ant respects between Arizona and South
ern California. Our productions are the
same; our means of development by
irrigation are the same. A system of
irrigation laws that would work
satisfactorily and benefcially in South
eru California would work to the same
advantage in Arizona. The grayest OBJ.
lection that occurs to US now to the an
nexation of Arizona would be the fact
that when that portion of the new State
was strong enough and populous enough
it would want to go off on its own hook
sgain. The desert and the Colorado
rivers are natural lines Of separation that
will always exist. -~-
Yet we are not prepared to say that
the scheme OF coalition is not q good
one. It will bear discussion, and per-
haps we might find that annexation
would facilitate the grand object of State
division by overcoming one of the argu-
ments of its opponents, namely, that
separate State government would be too
costly for the present wealth and popu-
lation Of Southern California. The dis
cussion Of the question Of division with
view to annexing Arizona to the new
State has possible end practical basis
TO start out with; but to consider the
qestion of division with reference to
junction with Lower California is to
hamper it with imprscticalities that are
doubtless very far away, if not altogether
visionary. /