THE WEST SHORE.
h
ins with them, and until this policy is dary line, when it purchased Florida of
clLl we can hope for nothing better, Spain, Louisiana of France and Alaska
snd may certainly look for much that is of Russia. Here it should have stopped,
worw and considered its title, as a government,
The principle of li iUl ownership is a ample and without a cloud. I do not
wrong one, and is unique in the history mean that the natives should have been
of nations.' The Anglo-Saxon race oc- deprived of any of their rights and pos
cupies this continent by the long-recog- sessions, as individuals, but that as a
OMftl right of conquest This is as political body they had been overthrown
much a fact as though we had first land- and superseded, and as such their entire
ed on these shores with an army of in- rights had been absorbed by the new
tiution. We have taken the land and government When California, in 1846
onnverted it to our own use, because we 47, was wrested from Mexico, all the
are the stronger in numbers, in intellec- title of the government of that province
tual jwwer, and in all those forces which at once vested in the United States, and
enable one race to dominate another, that, too, without violence to the individ
Tbat we have made treaties with these ual rights of property owners, who wera
jwople and have purchased their title confirmed in their titles to such lands as
for a consideration ridiculously small in they then legally occupied. This is the
comparison with the value of the land principle which should have been ap
eonveyed, doe not lessen the force of plied from the first in dealing with the
this fact We have displaced them be- aborigines of this country. Their rights
cause they could not help themselves, as as individuals should have been respec
haa beon time and again demonstrated ted, and as tribes ignored; and much
by the subjugation of several powerful that has reddened 'the annals of our
combinations of warlike tribes, confed- frontier would have been avoided.
c-aUI for the purpose of resisting our There was, to be sure, a marked dif
encroachmenU Our purchase of title ference between the status of the Mexi
bu been more for the purpose of throw, can citizens of California, and the na-
If a In rr?unC8;lnthef0rm tive80f America served to com-
realla. RDy 0tllPr Plicate the tion. This consisted of
Ti r .1 i i- tlie fact tuat tne former had a regular
KUiUmL I . """"r of land titles, while the Ur
pons n all rrU of !, r,i i . , e from their ancestors, over any par-
M-Wiln tiCulM rtio of ich no Indian as-
rvi.UnoA t'DjUht M it " .e 8ume1 the right to exercise special con-
tnd, it i, in Jy" troL Such Wng the case, had the gov-
Kt rule of progression uh in l igDred the tribal title' there
Btti.U! th human family in it! i T Would hftve been nothing left the native
1t through the athe ? hk Vropevty. This fact,
"f fittet, the wpplantin,. ofl howewr make8 no difference in the gen
fcrms of life by higher Our pox princiPle R8 dated above, that iadi-
nt rfwguizAl this when it tnTi V .al riShts only should have been rec
Uh England for the location of a h! 8nt7'ed and Protted by our govern-
Un" raenL After many long years of war,