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Show THE FZOTOFTHE FILIBUSTERS. -No SMALL degree of Interest lias been aroused by the recent attempt to seize Lower California and set up therein an in Jci"jnilcnt government. The Sin Frtncifco Chronicle claims to have obtained information on the subject from Walter G. Smith, editor of the San Diego Sun, v, ho uas connected con-nected to some extent with tho plot In Tuesday's issue of that paper. Mr. Smith is credited with making the following statement: "Tho English Colonization Com pany wis alone at tho bottom of the so-called raid of filibusters. The scheme was never Intended as a filibustering fili-bustering proposition, bnt was to be a revolution of tho residents of Lower California, nothing more nor les. Major Scott came to me, original! v, a tho agent and general minagtr of the English Colonization Company. Soott Is a roval engineer, a member of General Gen-eral Wolseley's army, stationed In India and came to LowerCaliformann a two-years leave of absence. This leavo ef absonccexpired anil ho is now on his way to join his regiment, having hav-ing been refused a second leavo of ab sence. This is one of tho prime -tors in the failure of the revolutionary scheme. "Major Soott came to inv olBco in San Diego early lis: winter and introduced intro-duced himself. Ho slid that he had oen rccommen led to call and see rce. ' lie told me further that he wanted to ' , j .-.. w. uiaiu, nuu cusrgj to raie a row in Lower Califor ma. Then he unloaded his plans. Ho wan'cd a number of tmericans to locate at Easenad-, to Uko up their residence thero and become eitizens of Mexico. At the proper moment an uprising of tho peoplo would take place, arms an 1 ammunition being previously smuggled into tho territory from tho United Slate-. An inde-pen inde-pen lent grvemraint was to be se: up in Lower CalifornU, with Enenada as Itho capital city. "I accepted Mijor icon's proposl tlonanda: his invitation made a trip to Lower Califo-ma. If tho schme bad carried I would have mailor. clean $50,000 by the operation. My printing print-ing office I intended to remove to Eo-senada Eo-senada an 1 start a dally paper thero that would become tho offi-tal organ of tho new independent government. I was to bo made Governor-Genera! at a largo salary. Before I isited Ense-nada, Ense-nada, at Majjr Scott's request, I met General Edward Hill at, the Hotel dl Coronsdi, whore I was living with my family Gaaeral Hill vas spending tho winter at the, ho.al. Ho is from Michigan and wswiih the Sixteenth lieginicnt of Michigan Volnntccrs during the la's rebellion. Being an accomplished min and an expert upon military aOalis I looked upon him as a valuiblo man for Major Scott's scaem. aud he accepted my invitation to accompany mo to Ensenada. I was anxious that he should look over tho ground carefully from a military pointer v.ew. We visited Ensenada, examined tho proposition pro-position with great care and were entertained en-tertained for several dajsby Major "scott and tho other officials of tho English colonization comjiany. "Upon our return from Lower California Cali-fornia we consulted with ltanford Worthing the surveyor. B. A. Stephens Steph-ens who had traveled ail over tho peninsula and was well posted upon i its resources and the various other ; gentlemen who have sinco been named in connection with thosehemo- '. We consulted them mora ep- , cially to obtain their iews upon tho I Jifferent propositions Involved. It : was our intention nnf tn m.T.A t. upon Lower California, but as I have stated, to uke up our residence there and in six months to become lawful citizens of Mexico. Wo held several raetings in Sau Diego, but none of them .ra regularly organized or offifial. They were merely conferences, confer-ences, at which wo discussed possibilities possibil-ities aud probabilities. "It Is my opinion that Major Scott had other plans in .ten, with which wo were unacquainted. I am satisfied that he made connections, s'mdar to those raado with u,la o.hcr quarters. In fact, he may have had half a dozen connections, so that in case of tbo fad-uro fad-uro of one or more ho con Id fall lack upon one of tho others. Tho trouble with Soo was that he talked much and allowed to many m-.i, some of them irresponsible fellows, to kuow thelnside secrets of hl schemoto inaugurate in-augurate a revolution and Uke possession posses-sion of Lnwer California. Colonel Foster, tho special agent of tho Department of Justice, has carefully care-fully Investigated tho facts in the case. He caEed upon mo and I told him whit I knew about Iheafiuir. You iTdlsesihathe will place tho blamo "ntlrely upon tho LuglLsh Colnniza-:ion Colnniza-:ion Company, and will completely exonerate tbs Americans who were nveigled into the scheme by Major vcott-' " |
