The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-05-24
SECRETARY BLAINE KNEW ALL ABOUT IT
He Scored a Beat on the EnterprIs-
Ing Newspaper Reporters.
troops and a lcruIser Looking For
Tnose California FlIlbusters.
Poiiticai Ambitions OF mon who
Want a New State.

New YORK, May 23.-.The Herald's WASH
ington special has this The report from
San Francisco and Los Angeles today about
filibusterlng expedition for the capture of
Lower California, attracted little attention.
because; first, II early became known that
the government had known Of the scheme
and provided against II with great prompti-
tude and vigor several days ago, and second,
because the high sounding titles which the
leaders were reported to have given them
selves made the scheme ridiculous. How the
government got wind of the pilot bofore the
press is not known. but last Saturday, at the
request Of Secretary Blaine, who seems to
have been remarkably we'll informed, the
Secretary Of War ordered the commander Of
the troops stationed at San Diego and In that
neighborho0d to SO dispose his command as
to intercept and capture all persons or or
ganizations attempting to violate neutrality
laws by demonstration against the Mexi-
can peninsula, and TO use MS utmost vigil
lance In the matter. At the same time the
new cruiser Charleston was ordered 10 20 to
sea and cruise along the coast OF the penin--
sula, TO prevent any filibustering operations
by sea.
The despatch from San Francisco said:
The United States steamer Charleston left
San Francisco today under sealed orders, her Os-
tensibe destination being Honolulu.
Her real orders are as stated above
The Attorney General has also given or
ders to his subOrdinates and agents In Cali
f0rnia to be on the watch and to bring TO
punishment all filibusters. 1t Is known here
that at Ensenada, in Lower California, a
Mexican troop Of about 200 soldiers is sta
TONED, under the command Of an energetic
colonel, and besides these there Is a consid-
erable squad Of mounted police. The Mexi-
can man-of-war, the Democratic, lies in the
harbor, and Governor Torres Is man Of en-
ergy who would act promptly against filibus-
teTS.
1t is well understood here by Callfornians
that these filibustering schemes against the
Mexican peninsula have their origin In the
political ambitions Of few men In the
southern part Of the State Of California, who
desire to divide that state and thus secure
for the southern half capital with all its
public buildings, two extra senators, an ex-
ira legislature, governor and state officers,
and large number Of new places In this
way for hungry politicians. and liberal ex-
penditures for public buildings.
These aspiring gentlemen find the senti
ment OF the state opposed to such division,
and they have conceived the idea that II they
could, by purchase or force. annex the lower
peninsula, that would make the state so long
and large that division would be facilitat-
ed. They forget that even II the Mexican
peninsula were annexed, 1t would, owing to
Its sparse population. be made a territory
and would not help their schemes. It Is not
believed here that the Mexican Colonization
Company has, as Is asserted In the Califor-
MIA dispatches, aided or eOuntenanced the
hlib9sters;, That company has several
million dollars invested In Lower California.
and 1t would forfeit all its concessions II the
Mexican government should find that 1t had
c0untenanced dlibustering schemes.