The national Republican., 1868-12-31

The United States Csnnos Ansrd 70
Permit 10 % Grew mp under . Por-
etgn Jurisaict ton Gal cu1atiens OF
the Southern Rebels on Coss crv-
atism this wiuter-They Lean on y
Brokcn Reed.
| DECEMBER 30, 1865.
To THE RRPuBLicANi Among the questions
likely to prove Of great pstional import in the
| near future, 10 that OF the annexation of her
| Britannia Majestys Dominions 20 the north of
US. They are becoming Of paramount import.
ance to the United States,-not especially on
account OF what they may add to our popuIs.
tion and to our commerce and production,
! however. The fact that they are the national
property OF another Government causes us to
maintain customs guards over line Of from.
tier some three thousand miles long. This
entails an enormous expense upon the national
Treasury. The difficulties Of 60 guarding this
Imaginary line ofnationsl division are so great
as that 1t is but imperfectly guarded at best.
From the mouth Of the st. Lawrence to the
shores OF the Pacific, spend as much money as
the United states may to that end, every dve
miles or so present avenues for smuggling
which are being taken advantage OF here aud
there every day in the year Those who know
what goes on, on and about the line, are frmi,
lions year by Its existence. This Is a los.
that cannot much longer be submitted to, now
hat the United States have become sun.
oiently powerful for their own protection.
| % long as the British North American Pos.
sessions are not ours, just so long will ths
enormous expense to US Of that fact go on in.
creasing annually.
| The possession Of her North American de-
| minions 10 OF no real moment or value to Eng.
land Her statesmen universally admit the
fact that they cost her treasury more thsn
| they come to; and not \ few Of them are be-
hevers that were they Independent or annexed
to this Government, they would be worth more
-net-to the commerce OF the realm than at
| present.
The sentiment in favor OF annexation to the
United States grows riper in the Canadas dai.
ly The only class there manifesting decided
hostility to 1t are the ofiice.holders under the
British Government and thcir dependents. 1
know Of no others. II read the history OF
the progress Of nations correctly, It cannot be
that government so powerful as ours has be.
come, will much longer consent to be taxed
hfty millions annually by the existence of an
Imaginary line Of frontier. dividing US from
perfectly homogeneous people numbering not
more than six millions, all told, who would
be lar better of in all respects II made part
aud parcel OF US. 1t must be recollected that
already, we are the most powerful nation In
Christendom, for war, except, possibly, Rus
sia. That Is, we can put more men In the field.
aud have greater resources of the other mate
rails OF war than England or any continental
nation, save, possibly, Russia. Up to this
time the policy of this Government has been
that OF permitting Its rights and interests to
be overshadowed in order to avoid foreign
| trQ la haa haAn do,
bly, to enable us to acquire the strength requi.
site to the proper maintenance Of our rights
and interests as involved In our commerce and
Intercourse with foreign Governments. We
are now amply able to protect A merican inter.
ests, wherever or however involved. Eng.
and's power Is on the wane. She is no longer
able to dictate to US, successfully, = policy on
the North American continent with reference
to our own future, costing US afty millions a
year, wholly for the m maintenance of her worth.
less rights growing out Of ideas OF the middle
ages concerning the rights of Governments,
which are now virtually exploded.
There is another point bearing on this sub.
Ject-matter OF great national import. In due
time the greatest city Of the western coast 10
to spring up somewhere about the mouth Of
Colu mbia or Pugets Sound, from whence the
voyage to the ports Of China and Japan will
from San Francisco, and will not be obstructed
by the proyerbial calms OF the San Francisco
passage. These Gains render the eastern yoy.
ages OF sailing vessels well nigh impossible
with any margin of proht. Thus, our current
and coming commerce with the East will be
confined almost exclusively to vessels pro.
PEELED by steam, unless we hold such a mort
on the Pacific coast as indicate above. A
vessel traversing the Pacific from the mouth
Of the Columbia or Pugets Sound to China or
Japan, will not traverse the iatltudes of that
oceans Gains. Such port will also be be-
| yond the latitudes OF esrthquakesj will be as
safe from them as Ia New York or Washing.
ton city at this moment.
There are, besides, deposits Of coal and
other minerals requisite In the useful arts In
the vicinity Of where this coming city must
necessarily spring up, equal in extent and
prospective availability to any on the eastern
slope. San Francisco and the region around
about 1t are without such elements OF success
ful commerce. The presence OF these minerals
there forms an important element of the future
: development Of our great far West. They
will greatly stimulate the construction of rail-
roads to that quarter. Indeed, branches of
our railroad system will be constructed to this
new western port beyond all doubt. No rail.
road can be made and worked across the conti-
nent through Her MaJesty's dominions, owing
| to climatic difficulties. This Government,
having the power to make this new port its
own, will never consent that 1t shall be under
any foreign jurisdiction. In such matters 1t
is the province Of Government to look ahead!
to provide for the contingencies of decades,
half centuries, and centuries to come. A
statesmanship less far.seeing and less ener.
r getic than sufficient TO grasp with the inevita
bility explain above, will not prove a sum
cheney for our exgencies of the times.
! find the Southern Press Of the rebel "per
2 suasiOn,n very hopeful OF u conservative
+ senatorial combination. to prevent Congress
. from passing the proposed universal suffrage
amendment By way of encouraging 1t, they
aver that General Grant himself opposes the
reconstruction policy of Congress In some Of
its most essential elements trust they may
be as far wrong In their calculations upon the
- conservatives" as know them to be with
reference to General Grants views on recon.
struction. Conservatism" however, is a
{ very unreliable condition OF mind. II has op.
posed popular rights, and defended the rights
and interests Of prescription however inJ Ut.
ious to the public interest, for quite twenty.
: Ave hundred years. Anxious, in all that time,
to be on the strong aide, 1t has rarely been
bold enough on any occasion TO face the hos
: tility OF popular power, when and where the