The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-21
British ana American Annexation.

Several London journals have supposed
that the increase of the British feet in the
West Indies was prompted by desire to
check the "flibustering tendencies of the
United States,n and '.their proclivity towards
the annexation of their neighbors' property"
An allusion of an analogous nature was made
by Lord Ellesmere in his recent speech on the
war, in which he took occasion to observe that
the Mexican war was little better than bucca-
neering expedition.
1t is, perhaps, hardly worth while to discuss
these statements, or to inquire whether the
facts justify them, or whether the charges they
convey apply more particularly to the United
States than to other nations. Neither the Lon
don journals nor Lord Ellesmere occupy such
position of authority that it is essential not
to allow their errors to pass uncontradicted.
Still, as it seems to be the general impression
--one that has been gaining ground Of late
years-not only among the people of England,
but among the French and the Germans, that
the Americans are loose in their principles,
and lawless in their acts when their neighbors'
territory is concerned, it may be we'll to cast
glance at the fact of history.
Itmay be ob=erved at the start, that the idea of
making it reproach to a nation or arace that
it expanded and spread itself over territory of
which it dispossessed other nations or races, is
of modern origin, and was not adopted by any
writer of eminence, we venture to say, before
a very few years since-that is to say, before
the time of the annexation of Texas For in
stance, the histories of Greece and Rome have
been written by men Of all tempers and charac-
tiers, including among them, certainly, as strict
examples of probity as exist anywhere in the
world and it may safely be asserted that
from the heather Livy to the Rev. DIR. Arnold,
and the man of mercantile honor, the banker
Grote there has not been a single writer-we
will not say, who has blamed Alexander and
Caesar for their conquests, but who has not
made these conquests, and the national expan-
sion of which they were part the subject OF
much honest laudation and compliment. So
in modern history We are taught at school
to consider the conqueror Charlemagae as
great hero, worthy of all admiration to enter
tain high opinion Of Charles the Fifth, and
poor one of his pacific successors to idolze
Napoleon, who nearly conquered Europe, and
to think Louis XVIII, who was very
respectable man, but peaceable, a con-
temptble bore. Conquest and expan-
tional progress and national excellence !;
when we find them repeating themselves
steadily at regular intervals, we praise the
sovereign and consider him model to im-
tate; when they are wanting, we call the ruler
| to account, and moralize on national decay. II
| is thus that young people despise and pity
| Spain because it has ceased to expand and
conquer; while they entertain secret respect
and admiration for England, which every year
!. adds to it's dominions. The habit is both ma
1 tural and logical, and the morality of it was
never questioned, as we said, until the United
States annexed Texas
1t was then discovered by England that the
onquest and appropriation of territory be-
10 uging to one nation by another was a
crj me- Passing over the singular appropri-
ate uess of the discovery by a nation which
in G. ommon with ourselves-sprang from the
coml Ninaton Of the three boldest aud greatest
races OF robbers that the world ever knew
the Sa xons, the Danes and the Normans and
coming at ouce to the charge fastened upon
the Uni ted States by British writer's it be-
comes =, Tious to compare the number, extent
and mann er Of the acquisition of foreign ter
ritorv wb ch have been made by the United
States and Great Britain respectively since the
former been me an independent nation.
Those Of ii We United States can be summed
up in very few words. In leeo' hr. Jehcrsor
bought Louisia ia IRON france Tor Si2,ooo.o oo
In 1921 Florida was coded by Spain, without
violence or conn ,ulsion of any kind, in consi-
Iteration of claim Is for spoiations upon Anne
r;con commerce In 1915. on her reiterated
prayer, the indep 'hdeht state OF IeNas was
admitted tn the Union. In 1913, after a
var with Meyico 'alifornia and a tract OF
unsettled land were acquired from the con-
quered power by pur chase' ana the iaeler wa
o,ab, -. n recover fro N the war and renstata
her government by the ala OF tne money paio
over by her conqueror, we uni.ed states. IL
1874 a strin of land in Il e Messilla valley was
,,,,rohasoa Cor the sun Of 100000 These
are the acquisitions whc the United states
have made.
SHORTLY after the establish ment Of American
independence, the British G, INCLUDED the Ny
sore war. and on the death OF Tippoo Sab
seized the virtual sovereignty his dominions.
which contain three millions OF Inhabitants.
The ACQUISITION of rights which, unot actually
rights of sovereignty, were Il VII substitute
for them, followed the Mahratta v ar 10 ISL,
the Nepaulese towns were occupieii in 1917
.Ahmedabad, together with several tNher cities,
were coded to the British by the conquered
people Of Guzerat. In the year ls2ir Aracan
was seized, and during th two follow ug years
the Assam and Tenasseril provinces At the
same time, strange to say, lalacca was Dough
by the British. In 1884 peat'e was secured by
the occupation by British odiers OF large
.. = - T., cnnthorn Ia dia and on the