Right to the Land

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 1, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 47.

Right to the Land

The Catholic press seemed to be highly pleased at the Portola festival, especially from the fact that the Roman Catholic religion was recognized in connection with the discovery of San Francisco Bay. Just as if that had anything to do with its present possession! If this doctrine be true, that the discovery of any land by Roman Catholicism is equivalent to a quitclaim deed to the church, what about the prior possessors of these lands? There were humans here when Gasper de Portola landed in San Francisco Bay. Their skins were copper-colored, that is true; they were what were considered heathens, that is true; and yet they had been here for years. What about their rights? Christopher Columbus found persons here when he discovered the eastern part of the country. Did they not have rights?

William Penn recognized the rights of the prior owners of this country. What lands he obtained he bought and paid for in an honorable way. In the general course of the rise and fall of government, California fell into the hands of the United States Government, a government professedly, and in its very origin, non-religious, regardless of discovery by any one of any religion. This state now belongs to this government; it has no right in its public functions or as a government to recognize any religion whatsoever. The earth itself belongs to God; He has given no religion, no people, no organization either deed or contract or lease to its territory. He sends His ambassadors, but those ambassadors are strangers and pilgrims in a strange land. The time that the Master will possess Himself of the rebellious dominion, will be when He shall Himself come again. It will not be through human might or force, but “the zeal of the Lord” will perform what He has promised.