The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-07-29
LOWER CALIFORNIA.

For a region that lies, geographical
~, in the thick Of things, little IL
heard or known OF Lower California.
Joined TO busy Southern California ana
mentioned In history as one 81 the
earliest places occupied by white men
In the western lttoral of North Amer
lea: fronting on that part of the Pa
cific which carries Hawaiian, Austral-
ian, Philippine and Central American
traffic and lying in the latitude OF
Texas. Florida and Georgia, with the
thriving mainland OF Mexico close by
IL ought 20 be a definite factor in AT
fairs Especially Is this true when one
considers its attractions and resources.
Thirty years ago a writer i'm Harper's
Monthly said that the climate OF It's
great table land. was the most equable
I'm the world and that was not. as II
Turns out an overstatement In THIS
respect Lower California is an improV-
ed Southern California. Then again.
its soil is rich. its mountain range
Yields abundant water, ii is prol hc IN
minerals including gold and copper IL
is a better region than Florida, which
Il mates on the map as a continental
cape
Yet how little Il counts FOR, Once
in a while smugglers are reported on
las frontier and the other day its Mex
lean Governor, Sangines, was arrested
for shooting a prisoner with his own
hand. That about tells the story of
life in Lower California. There is no
mining or agriculture to speak of, no
commerce OF any account ana Few IN
habitants Nobody ever hears from La
Paz. the southern capital-a city lying
almost due East from Honolulu-and
the glory Of the northern capital,
F.nscnada. departed with the San Die
go boom. That place, sunlit on its
Incompatible bay may have one hun
bred or perhaps two hundred inhab-
itants; and the whole peninsula north
OF La Paz probably does not boast 5000
the remaining population of about
$4,000 lives in the extreme South ana
includes Indians. Yet Lower Califor-
mia is larger by 10000 square miles,
than the Empire state OF New York
and could. with a proper system of ir-
rigation, comfortably support millions
of people. 1t could be another France
for fruit and wine: another Colorado
for minerals; another Newfoundland
for fisheries. All 1t needs, as prelim-
mary, Is the American flag.
Lower California would have been a
part of the United States If the men
who made the treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo. representing the Americans,
had known their business. But they
were Fasteners to whom place
which looked arid In summer-the pos
sibilitles OF irrigation being then un-
known-did not appeal. Even Alta
California was houted in that day and
by men of the intelligence OF Daniel
Webster. so II came about that Lower
California, which might easily have
been annexed with California proper
was left out. as something not worth
the taking.
But the peninsula is sure to come In
Geographically II is not part OF
Mexico but Of the United States: sc
much so that Mexican troops intended
for its northern garrison have to trav-
FL over 1000 miles on American rail-
roads to reach their posts 1t will have
q certain strategic value when the
Panama canal Ia built: and the chances
1t gives for progressive people to get
rich are manifold. Where these cordi-
tons exist the doctrine OF Manifest
Destiny will ultimately apply. the
ways and means being a mere matter
Of detail. We may add that none OF
the logic Of the appeal against holding
the Filipinos touches the annexa-
ton OF Lower California, the place
having so few inhabitants as to raise
no race question OF Importance.