Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1852-11-06
Gle polpnesian.
American Expansion.

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u American Expansion.
The following is part of the speech de
livered before the Vermont Agriculture
Society in September, by Hon. VIM. H
Seward. U. S. Senator from New York.
Let me urge this duty of self-improvemen
by consideration of the nature of the srea
national crisis through which we are passing
One word describes it-Expansion Expan.
sion within our borders, to people and or.
ganize not less than forty States, each as
great and populous as those which now con.
stitute the Union-Expansion beyond our
borders to bring in States more numerous
than one dare to conjecture Do you ques.
ton the existence of this crisis ? Recollect
then, how soon you have become familiar
with the yet new States of Wisconsin, Iowa
Florida, Texas and California and how
fast the territorial form of government, only
preliminary to that of new States, is extended
under names before unknown, in Minnesota,
Oregon, New Mexico, Utah and Nebraska
Do you doubt the tendency of expansion be-
yond your present borders Only sixty
years ago, all our settlements clustered he
tween Cape Ann and ST. Mary's river, on
the Atlantic coast. Where are they now ?
On the east and north, they overhang the
Bay of Fundy and Lake Superior south
ward, they stretch away quite around the
Peninsula of Florida to the banks of the Rio
Grande on the west, their setting sun ex-
tinguishes his fires in the waters of the Paci-
fc. BY purchase and conquest, the bound
aries of the Republic have been made to ad-
vance equally with the gigantic but voluntary
expansion Of population And are we now
content Not at all. On every side there
are signs of the chatting of the people against
the rigid and unyielding frontier. What do
these controversies with the maritime British
North American Provinces about the fisher
les, and with the inland Provinces about re-
straints on trade, indicate but discontent !?
What these Unsurpassed and desperate ex-
peditions from Louisiana and Florida against
Cuba, but covetousness of the sugar-planta-
tions and coffee-grounds Of that beautiful
Island What this this ominous diplo-
matte controversy with Mexico, about a
route for railroad across the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec, but further dismemberment, if
not complete absorption, of that prema-
turelv declining Republic And lastly,
about Japan and the Sandwich Islands, but
the necessity of naval stations In the Pacific
ocean? Mark, also, that nearly all these
coveted countries, not only have the prnci-
pies of American Republicanism worked Out
practically institutions substantially similar
to our own, but there are already organized
in the native populations, parties strong
enough when seconded by efforts on our
part, to deliver them into our hands
How significant indeed are the facts that
Great Britain has practically reinquished
government in the province adjacent TO us,
TO their inhabitants, and that simultaneously
with the fixed society in Australia, indica-
tions of the rise of a Republic appear 1t
is happily true that these desires for in.nle-
diate annexation OF adjacent region are local,
and in some measure what we call sectional
and so counteract and balance each other;
and that the expanding forces are also fur
ther modified by conservative apprehensions
widely prevailing in the country. Nevcrhe-
less, these are only checks-not absolute re-
straints. All such restraints have ultimate
ly given way heretofore, and must do so
sooner or later hereafter. Nor may it be
believed that any American colony, planted
beyond our borders will contentedly remain
without, or will, with the national consent,
be left to remain Independent, of the Repub-
lie. Experience has taught us that where
ever the American people 60, they will draw
the American government over them
wherever an American colony establishes
itself, there, an American people will extend
the Constitutional roof over them. Indeed
there is nothing new in all these movements
neither those within nor those across the
national borders. Expansion and incorpo-
ration were laws Impressed on the American
people two hundred years ago and they
yield to those laws now inst as they have
hitherto done, because they have arisen out
of circumstances above national control, and
are inevitable. Let me not, however, be
| advocate no headlong
progress, counsel no precipitant movement,
much less any involving war, violence or in
Justice. / would not seize with haste and
force the fruit which ripening in time, will
fall of itself into our hands. But | know
nevertheless that the stars will come out
even if the moon delay her rising. have
shown you then that a Continent is to be
peopled, and even distant islands to be col
onized by US.