The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-22
is HENLEY ELIGIBLE ?

I his first speech in the campaign Mr.. Henley took
occasion to make personal attack on his oppo-
nent Judge Murphy. The man who begins per-
sonal attack cannot complain if the same weapons
are turned against him. The Call has printed the doc
un1entary evidence that Henley turned his back on
his own country Frustrated himself before an I'M
periaI usurper in Mexico called him Sire" and
begged to be made one OF his Subjects, as his I'M
peria Majesty had degned to do in the case OF other
foreigners" His Imperial Sire "deigned' and
made him subject" Henley, Hoosier-born, and
reared in California free citizen OF this republic de-
clared in his humble petition his Imperial Sire"
that Mexico under the new government" an EN-
pire was the best country in America
The liberty wrested from Spain by revolution had
been stricken down by the Austrian Prince backed by
the armies OF France. The republic, which had been
evolved out OF the courage OF generations OF patriots,
had been buried, and empire, gewgawed and gar
nished tawdried and trcked out in all the nsel and
forms OF the most exclusive royal court in Europe,
had been founded on its grave.
Juarez the patriot Aztec. was a naked fugitive,
hiding in the caves and chaparral Of the mountains
Human freedom and the rights Of man had been BAN
ished and foreign army rode the land with a hard
hooi when Barclay Henley, free born, OF full and
having an estate Of movable and mmovable property
in this republic declared that Mexico was his prefer
off his birthright as the citizen OF republic, pros
rated himself the OF a usurping Emperor, and
begged his Imperial Sire to make him Subject
At this distance OF time it looks like scene in
opera boufe. Armed with the naturalization papers
which his Imperial Sire" had "deigned' to bestow
upon him. he set sail for San Francisco, as to a
foreign country Landing here he waited upon the
French Consul then the subject OF another Imperial
Sire sauted him as the subjects OF "Sires' do when
they meet, and put himself under that Consus pro
lection
The United States had no diplomatic relations with
the Sire" were consigned, with other merchandise,
goods and chattels, to the diplomatic and consular
representatives OF France But those were tcklish
times here. France had large army in Mexico.
Renegades like Henley were crossing the line to find
their Sire and support his empire and in the stress
OF our Civil War sudden turn in European affairs
might project the French forces commanded by Mar
shall Bazaine, across our borders. SO General Nc
Dowel1 called Henley, the subject OF his Imperial
Sire" to account wien he landed here Senior Hen
ley responded that evidence that he subject of
the Mexican empire had been deposited with the
French Consul and that ended the incident
Finally the fortunes OF war turned. Juarez came
down from the heights, gathered the wide scattered
patriots together and Henleys Imperial Sire fell at
Queretaro. History gained tragedy, the Monroe
doctrine gained point, and Senior Henley lost his
Sire"
1t is for the voters of San Francisco to decide
whether they want to elect a man who deserted his
country and flag, washed off his American citizenship
as If it were the dirt left in bath, and knet
Emperor with prayer that he would "deign" to make
him \ "subieCt"