The morning call., 1891-07-04
LOWER CALIFORNIA.
Is 1t Falling Into the Hands of English
Proprietors?

Is 1t Falling Into the Hands of English
PrOprietors?
In regard TO whether Lower California is
coming into English possession the Red
Bluff Sentinel says: This is an important
question and it remains for the coming
years to answer If. In 1915 James X Polk.
President of the United States, and James
Buchanan. Secretary of State, sent a secret
! letter to Mr.. Larkin, United States Consul,
living at that time a the Mission of Monte
rey. The purport of the letter which was
one OF secrecy, had as its principal item the
rumor that a large concession had been
grated 10 one Father Mcnamara, a Catholic
priest and this man was a British subject.
The concession was to contain Il, 500, 900
acres, and would have included the then
supposed best portion of Lower California.
including the maih rivers of this State, Mr..
Polk stated in his letter. which has been
published by Mrs. Jessie Fremont since the
death OF her husband, JOHN c. Fremont,
and ths letter was among the private papers
of the Pathfinder. This is an important
fact and should be taken into serious con-
temptation. for this very fact was the main
cause why Mr.. Polk instructed Mr. Larkin.
Consul, Mr.. Gillespie and John c. Fremont
to ascertain all The knowledge, secretly. per-
tanning To this enormous grant to the En-
gllsh or ENGLISH subjects.
We would ask why in 1915 MI Polk could
Ut ~ very IHAiuuS as 10 cause nlm 10 send
from the department away across an I'M
known country men TO thoroughly inyesti-
gate this matter clearly, and secretly raim-
Ing that the Monroe doctrine forbade any
English colony on the Pacific Coast, and
giving reasons that it was against this pc
culiar doctrine that such colonies should be
established?
But who is anxious in 1891? Is BENJAMIN
Harrison, Pres dent Of the United States,
disturbed in mind 10 any degree? or is
James u. Blaine, Secre' arv of State, worried
over the enormous concessions granted to an
English syndicate of 100000 of acres of
| lauds-lS 0a0 COG in Lower California, "a. 900
| on the Cedeas Islands, off the western coast
of the peninsula, and 55, l66, 900 in Mexico
proper?
Mexico owns The peninsula at the present
| time, but II looks as if in the future En-
| gland would get control of that rich country,
and also OF the northern portion of Mexico
! proper, If some one does not awaken
the people of Southern California to
| the possible ownership of that coming
| country, 1t IS very strange that the south
ern portion of California is not wide awake
TO it, best interests. If the United States
would enter into negotiations for the pur-
| chase OF Lower California, never in the
history OF Blooms" has there been such
| rush 10 the southern counties as there
would be if such thing should occur. The
Democratic party may make this silver"
| In their platform il Mr.. Cleveland comes to
| the front as a candidate for the Presidency
be would be snre OF full hand in the
Golden State If he would advocate the pur-
chase of the peninsula. We hope to hear
from the papers on this subject and GER
tainly from Los Angeles County, and more
particularly from san Diego, which is so
closely cemented with the interests of
| Lower California.