The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-16

be finally transferred to The United States by
the Commissioners of King Christian, by virtue
Of our lalo purchase. Tho bargain may be
regarded as complete, for-as will be seen
from tho batch OF ofdciil documents which we
publish to-day-although the native inhabi-
tants have the right of voting Its ratification
under . manhood suffrage franchise, there Is
little dsubt that the royal arrangement will
be acquiesced in, as the entire population, par
ticularly OF ST. Thomas. favor it, with the ex-
osn,ion - the English and French traders,
who ocro.a :, ma island Of st. Thomas
is really tho key Of tho ..sss inu'os'
Iii, tho entrsp6t Of commerce bet<een snis
leans, and its value TO us az great maritime
Power cannot be elsily measured In dollars.
The wonder is that 1t has been allowed to slip
into our hands SO quietly without opposition or
interference from tle Powers Of Europe. Eng
land, especially, one would suppose. should
have endeavorel TO prevent us from obtaining
this Gibraltar OF the West But for SONS rea-
son theco has b,en great apathy in all the
governments Of Europe upon this subject. Is
1t that they are afraid to interfere with any of
our bargains in real estate, or that they have
no AmerIc n policy and are bewildered by
our progressi That we have obtained an i'm
portant ACOUSTIC in securing St Thomas
there can be no doabt, as the letter Of Woe
Admiral Porte, published In these columns
on Friday, very clearly shows In case Of war
we command, from its bectling cliffs and fine
harbor, post on impregnable; and as 1t lies
in tho track Of all the commerce passing
through the Gulf we can, If necessary,
interrupt lay toll upon, or utterly
break up the traffic of any nation hostile to us
permitted us TO obtain II is, therefore, In this
view, marvel Lord Russell must have been
asleep and Lord Stanley dreaming over bis
Reform bill when Mr.. Seward consummated
the bargain which has added to our possessions
what he 80 ap ily called one Of tho outlying
bulwarks of our commerce."
Having secured the control Of this important
key to the West Indies and our maritime in
terests in that direction, the next thing to be
done Is TO purchase the Sandwich islands,
which are, In faot already under the rule Of
American officials, and therefore any objec-
ton to the bargain on the part Of the natives
could be easily overcome. Besides, the
dowager Queen Emma is under many obliga-
tons for courtesies extended to her by our
most courteous Secretary OF State and the
American people, at large, and we might
therefore expect to find in her q powerful
auxiliary. The value Of these islands to us
may be computed from the fact that the whole
carrying trade Of the Pacific. from China,
Japan, Australia, and all the islands Of the
South Seas, finds stopping place there. 1t is
In the Sandwich islands that steam vessels get
their coal and sailing vessels Of all nations
their provisions. Without this point TO touch
upon they become waits and strays upon the
ocean.
With tho S.as and Stripes floating from
sundry forts and defences in the harbors of
St Thomas and the Sandwich islands what
nation could compete with us In the naviga-
ton Of those seas? What nation, in time of
war, would not be dependent upon us for
the freedom Of her trade IN the South Atlantic
or the Pacliof With such outlying bulwarks
we could defy tho world. Therefore 1t Is bad
taste for any partisan journal to quarrel with
Mr.. Seward on party or personal grounds for
his advocacy Of policy which SO manifes.ly
rebounds to our interest as a maritime nation.
In this policy, too. we see the workings Of a
great change in history. In oiden times il =
Power found it necessary to acquire new terri
tory 1t seized 1t by conquest Now we offer
fair price for 1t, and we generally get 1t. In
the past rulers hurled thousands Of soldiers
against foreign Power and overran Its do
minions with fire and sword. 1t was with this
appliance OF force that they crushed rebellions
within their own boundaries and subdued their
neighbors. We have adopted more modern,
ifnot sounder, philosophy. We ask how many
millions it will cost to sustain . rebellious
army, or how much Is the price OF foreign
territory, and we are ready to pay the money
down and forthwith purchase what we desire
Alexander the Great never thought OF this
plan, nor Pyrrhus, nor Cyrus, nor Julius
Cesar, nor Richard the Lion hearted Of England,
who might have bought tho Holy Scpulchre
from Saladin for . few pounds sterling If he
only knew how to make the bargain. 1t was
re5erVeu Ior tno uuvnncou CNhsSuVn W niS
age TO obtain for . few millions OF dollars what
other people had 70 purchase with oceans Of
blood and vast squanaerlng Of "chivalry."
| We shall accept gracefully the New Years
gin Of the island Of ST. Thomas from the King
Of Denmark, aud We VIII take I'll The chances
Of earthquakes and tornadoes. In few years
we shall know how to appreciate Its value, and
by that time We hope also TO possess that other
"bulwarkr in tho Pacific, the Sandwich islands.
General Grant Tor President.
A Grant meeting Is 70 be held al old