Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-11-30

claim TO Americas citizenship Tous-
saint rOuverture has forever won for
the negro that token OF the gratitude
of our nation.
But. alas. now. with flushed cheek of
humiliation and downcast ewes of
shame, we must recall our national
dealings with the poor, helpless. strug-
Cling republic of Mexico in reference
to the Texan annexation Of 1915 and
the Mexican cession of 1913, and the
more we study this sad epoch OF our
national history the more we feel that
our government not only acted unjust
~. but she acted dishonesty.
Texan Annexation.
In the first place, TO understand the
chief cause of this geographical expan-
sion you must enter the United States
senate at Washington and stand for
little while there amid the slavery
agitations of the antebellum time OF the
early forties. The north was arraying
its congressional forces on the one
hand, and the south was arraying it's
congressional forces on the other hand.
The great center of this forensic strug-
gle was in the United States senate.
I'VE must have more men TO represent
us In the senator cried the north.
Then, as speedily as possible. they
rushed the settlers west to fill I'D the
prairies beyond the Mississippi and
carve out new states to send their
senators TO the national capital to help
them in the slavery fight. 1--WE must
have more men in the United States
senate to help us in the struggle to
perpetuate Slavery cried the south.
But where were they to get the new
states from which to select the new
senators?
There was no unsettled land and no
possible new states south of the Ma
son and Dixon line. So the south turu-
ed its eyes toward Texas. part of the
Mexican republic. 1t practically said,
IF the Mexican republic will not sell
Texas we will send the settlers of the
United States into it. and we will get
up revolution there, aud then we will
annex Texas to the United States. and
out OF Texas can be carved ten new
states" In Other words, the south
overran Texas wtH is people, as the
north rushed its. settlerS' into Kansas
1t an abolition state. Then. after Texas
was admitted into the Union, the
United States government. figuratively
speaking, as a highwayman out the
pistol TO Mexico's forehead and said.
Surrender to me all of California. all
OF Nevada, all of Arizona and most of
New Mexico for paltry S15,OO0,OOO,
or L will blow your brains out and
gobble up your whole country" OF
course am telling this transaction in
coarse way, but l am truthfully
though bluntly telling you what the
United States government did. l am
recounting bare historical facts.
A Kindly Climate.
But. as England acted unjustly in
absorbing the Transvaal and the Or
ange Free State, yet, after all. the
greatest blessing which could come to
those African lands is the British flag.
Where the British flag goes there go
British capital and British men and
Anglo-Saxon enterprise. Because the
British Gag now waves over all the
southern territory OF Africa there is
going to grow up q great African gov
Han government and make those hills
TEEN with enterprise and with virile
life. Because the stars and stripes
wave over Texas and New Mexico and
Arizona and Nevada and California
those lands have been developed ms
they never could or would have been
under Mexican rule. With all the nd-
vantages Of climate which these states
have and with their great mineral and
agricultural possibilities, Texas and
Arizona and New Mexico and Nevada
and California would not be support
ing the vast numbers OF prosperous
homes were IL not for American rule
and the protection OF the United States
Gag.
In praislng the climatic conditions
OF the great southwest, and especially
OF southern California, we may use the
strongest superlatives. We must com.
bine In that description OF California;
| climate the IMMIGRATION of the TEN.
perate zone and the balminess OF the
tropics. We must describe climate
beneficial 10 the well man and to the
sick In this Edenic climatic coudl-
ton we find all the atmospheric bless
ings Of the arctlcs cuddling up and
nesting against all the atmospheric
blessings OF the tropics. while 1t is free
from the destructive billiards. of the
north. which. like an Alpine avalanche
or snow. threaten TO destroy the Nor
wegians and the Russians and the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. too, from the pes
tiferous miasmas of the equator, which,
like the fatal coils of the Brazilian
anaconda. threaten to crush out the
life of the inhabitants. Here, truly, the
crocus and the heliotrope can grow all
the year around. AS loving maldens,
they lift up their lips TO be wooed and
kissed by the same gentle sun.
Are the climatic conditions of south
ern California ali that?" says some
one. "You are talking like a crazy
man. How can winter and summer be
married at the same nuptial shrine Y'
How, do not know The meteorolo-
gists tell me that the cause is due to
the Japan current which flows like a
great river along the shore OF Califor-
MIA. But after these scientists have
tried to give nc rational explanation
Tor this atmosph0go elysium ] still am
as much In The dark as ever. simply
state facts as they are and must refer
you to the scientists for the causes.
know that on Dec. 2S, 1908, I left
Chicago in binding snowstorm to GO
and live in Los Angeles. Bundled ND in
heavy fur lined overcoat, the wind
cut through me like a knife. Yet.
strange to say, after arrived in Los
Angeles l could look out OF my study
window into my yard and see roses
growing upon the bushes. These roses
We're not nr0faofed hu hofl,o,aso ..isl...