and scholarly student of Spanish history and folk lore, Charles F.
Lummis of Los Angeles, himself a Puritan on both sides of his house for
several generations back. It was the fortitude of this Spanish race,
coupled by its strong devotion to the faith which you and I profess,
which enabled them to solve the Indian problem as it has never been
attempted since. While under our present system of the government of
this United States, the Indian has been an outcast and a derelict to be
robbed and cheated by his white brother, yet on the other hand the
Spanish missionary brought into the life of the simple native of the
new world the wholesome light of Christianity, which made him recognize
in the Red Man the same soul which was made in the image and likeness of
the common Creator of us all. In that spirit of brotherhood and charity
he obtained the confidence and good will of the Indians, almost without
exception, throughout the length and breadth of the countries that he
explored. And while his path was beset with dangers from the grim forces
of nature, and occasionally the crown of martyrdom was given to him by
an unthinking hand of those he was coming to evangelize, yet he faltered
not in his footsteps.

Today the memory of Columbus may be coupled with and attributed, on our
part, to the splendid heroism and Christian fortitude of the great
Spanish race which continued the work of Columbus with all that it
entailed for the betterment of humanity."



In compliance with our promise not to forget the friends of the
missionaries and of their compatriots, of today, we will first speak of
California's wonderful enthusiasm in the celebration of the Bi-centenary
of Junipero Serra's birth. Of the privileged thousands who visited