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Inter Pocala & History of California (Various Pages) (33 pages)
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Page: of 33
494 EXTERMINATION OF THE INDIANS.
should dare to accept the gift, and their consequent reluctance assisted go
well the appeal to congress that the grant was annulled. Encouraged by
their success, land-grabbers began to oust the Indians, even from their homesteads, occupied by them for generations, but for which they had failed, as
non-citizens, or through ignorance, to obtain preémption or other title deed.
Grant-holders also joined in ejecting them, and in removing ancient ranche°
rias to quiet titles and sell the land. Even their scanty personal property '
was sold to cover the cost of such iniquitous judgments. This satire on justice soothed the government for another decade before it was roused to some
sense of its obligations, and consented to set aside for them a portion of the
comparatively worthless tracts unoccupied by land-grabbers, chiefly in San
Diego, and to give aid toward establishing schools. Blushing at this Ems
upon the nation, upoa humanity, certain fair-minded men undertook to
champion the cause of the oppressed. They clamored at the doors of justice
for three decades before a hearing was accorded them, and then came a small
concession to the mission Indians, some refuse land on the outskirts of the
valleys which their fathers had trausformed into gardens; the rest, nothing.
They might have taken lessons from more savage tribes, which gained
prompt and favorable attention by ravaging the homesteads of white men,
and slaughtering their wives and children, after the manner of the white
men in their outrages upon Indians. The progress lately exhibited by different California tribes, once among the lowest in the scale of culture, affords
the most flattering hopes for the future, and our duty and interest to assure
their realization are the more concerned when we consider the influence of
soil and climate toward a probable final predominance of the aboriginal type
among dwellers in America,
. CHAPTER XIX.
INCEPTION OF RAILWAY ROUTES,
1832-1862.
Earty TRANSCONTINENTAL Expepirions—WAGON-ROAD Prosrcrs—Firsr
RAILROADS IN AMERICA—AGITATIONS AND Progecrs FOR AN OVERLAND Ratbway—Carver, Pius, Wurrney, WILKEs, AND OTHERS
—Tue Svares Movinc—MeErrinas AND ConVENTIONS—THE QUESIION
ty Conaress—Pactric Rairoap Bitts—Tue Act or 1862.
Brrorz the average American statesman becan
seriously to consider that proposition in our politics
called the Monroe doctrine, there were a few sagaclous men who foresaw the Americanization of the
continent, and discussed ‘it, chief among whom was
Thomas Jefferson. The question which presented
itself to his mind most strongly after obtaining an
acceptable treaty with Hngladd giving us a boundary
to the Pacific, was how to bind the west coast of
America to the territories stretching to the Atlantic
on the east. Such a navy as ours could not hold it
against the other navies of the world; nor could isolated military stations, such as Spain had used to
‘frighten away sea-rovers, prevent other nations from
erecting forts and disputing with us our claim. If
we were to be a homogeneous people from the Pacific
to the Atlantic, we must have free communication:
but how ? 3
This question led to the explorations of Lewis and
Clarke in 1804-6, proving that nature had interposed
no insurmountable obstacles to the establishment of
aroad to the mouth of the Columbia river, whence
_ the enthusiastic traveller could almost scent the
breezes of far-famed Cathay.
; (495)