Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-08-29
EXTENSION OF TERRITORY.

one Of the most fatal elements of its destruc.
ton. Examples have not been wanting to
warn us of the evil consequences Of such a pol.
other empires of antiquity which stand forth
in history as the beaconlights to warn us
from the evils which resulted in their de.
struction. Cassandras in abundance are heard
to croak their predictions of i'll, which like the
prophecies of their prototype are never believed,
but unlike those prophecies will never be full
hlled. For our own part we consider the great
mission of our government to be the extension
OF its principles over every country which will
become participant of its blessings. Nor do
we conceive that such an extension can be
detrimental to the interests of our country, or
inimical to the success Of our institutions.
There is in the very nature of our system
everything to exert conservative influence in
: this respect, and 10 render each new accretion
of territory a keystone in the arch. rather than
destructive element of the building The
great evil which has resulted from an extension
Of territory in other governments, is due to the
centralizing tendency of those governments to
the fact that the active government is located at
some central point, while the other portions Of
the empire are mere dependencies of its power,
and mute servitors of its will. Such was the
case in Rome, where the proud attainment of
citizenship was denied to many of her sub
jects, who in losing identity with their con-
querors, sought independence of their control.
Such, too, has been the history of Great Britain.
Her dependent colonies are taxed for the sup
port of a government, in the administration of
which they have no part, and which feels no
further interest In their welfare and develop
ment than that which arises from desire TO
increase the revenue which they pour into her
Golfers. From this cause she lost her immense
possessions on the North American continent,
and from the same cause she holds her posses
ions in India and Ireland by the expensive force
of military power.
The absence of any such colonial system in
the United States, makes the accession of ter
ritory by this government part of the govern
ment itself-developes in the people of that
territory patriotic love for their adopted gov
eminent, and destroys at once any of the en-
nifty which is ever latent in the breast of the
dependent towards a naughty superior. We
see this strikingly exempli6ed in the cases of
Louisiana, Texas, and California--three great
territories who became incorporated into the
Union from different causes. The first pur-
chase from France, the second an independent
government who voluntarily sought admittance
into the coDfederacY, and the third acquired af
ter the war with Mexico, as an indemnity for ex-
penses incurred in that war, and thus the ac-
QUESTION of conquest. In all these cases, the
territory came into the Union with all the pri-
vileges and benefits Of the States which had
acquired them, and, forgetfu of former asso-
Citations, have become the happy members of
prosperous confederacy. How incomparably
wiser is such policy than that of the willy
Florentine, who would maintain acquired ter
ritory by the force of the sword 1t is the
policy which Rome for long time pursued,
and which illustrated her annals by her greatest
warrior, her sweetest poet, and her most elo.
quent orator.
Nor is this the only cause of the SUCCESS
which we may hope from an increase Of ter
ritory Not only does the territory become
part and parcel Of the government, but it be.
comes an independent sovereignty of itself.
So soon as its population is dense enough for
the purposes of self government, it is elevated
into State, with the same rights and powers
and privileges Of the Oldest founder of the con.
federacy. For all purposes except those ex.
pressly precluded by the Constitution, Il be.
comes complete government in itself; and,
while it is placed under the protection Of a
powerful confederacy, it administers its own al.
fairs without any foreign interference. The
central government properly administered, can
never turn the sword of its protection against
any but the enemies Of the State. Thus is pre-
vented that centralism which has always been
the bane of the remote sections of any govern.
ment; which subjected France to the ruthless
rule of Partisan mob; and is even now de-
veloping itself in the blood which flows through
the streets Of Madrid
Governments which extend over large do
main are frequently weakened by the discord
ant interests which exist in different sections
of the country. So jealous is this feeling every
where, that even our own equal Constitution
has not been able entirely to prevent it and
yet the foiled fanaticism Of Northern Abolition.
lists, who would rasbly interfere in the domestic
institutions Of another section, is in itself an IL
lustration Of the fact which we have asserted,
that the local governments of State are suf
fcient safeguard against sectional strife. The
more various and numerous these interests be-
come the more efficient the check on the grow
ing power of any one; and thus an extension
of territory, and the consequent creation Of
new interests, so far from weakening. gives
new strength to the confederacy. We find a
striking illustration Of this principle in the
history Of religious power. When the Roman
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