Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-10-18
"IMPERIALIsM IN AMERICA ~

"IMPERIALIsM IN AMERICA"
A writer in the GALAXY for November under.
takes to give the history Of an extraordInsr,
movement set on foot OF late by few restless
people TO establish Imperialism in the United
States. He asserts that there really EXISTS An
ORGANIZATION for this purpose which has en-.
rolled considerable body of members; that
the AMBIGUOUS print called "The ImperiaIist''
which appeared weekly for some months of
me present year was the accredited organ of
this society; and thar, though the paper has run
its course, the society still continues
The prolix and somewhat contradictory mar.
rauve OF the Gdl1ry writer may be summarized
as foiiows:-DurIng the heated canvass which
preceded General Grants election to the
PRESIDENCY his opponents frequently charged
mat ne was aiming to make himself perma.
nent Dictator OF America. Although the idsa
was scoffed at by the Republican journals that
any one, and least of all General Grant had
me slightest idea TO establish an Empire In the
Cnited States, persisted repetition of these
charges was not without its effect. People
grew familiar with the possi6tlify of an Empire
More than this 1t was found that the project of
an Empire was not distastefui to every one
Many who did not openly advocate it. frankly
expressed their indifference as but a choice of
evils. Following upon the election of Grant
there was lull in the political excitement;
the rumors Of an imperialist plot died away,
and when on the fourth Of March he was in.
augurafed, nobody looked to see him assume
the Imperial purple. The rumor appeared to
have been originated solely by politicians for
party purposes.
Suddenly, on the third OF April following
there appeared in New YORK ne W weekly ma !,
Per called "The Imperiaiist," which ad yoca,ed
the establishment of Casarism personified in
military elector, responsible only 10 public
opinion; paper which assumed that the rev.
olution II aimed at was already begun, and
which spoke no longer of the United States but
OF The Empire Of The Vest.
The appearance Of 1.-The Imperialist,, cre
aied a notable excitement At once the old ru
mors OF monarchical conspiracy were revived
The ublcatiOn of"The Imperialist" was held
TO be the open defiance Of a party strong enou yh
10 make public It's aims and plans. "The I'm.
perialist' made its regular weekly appearance
Tor twenty successive weeks, when IL sudden.
~ stopped. The paper claimed to be the organ
or an offensive political party, known a. The
l. u l. D. These initials represented the So
eiety OF the "Triumviri Civesque Imperii Dec.
cidfntalis' which the GALAXY writer asserts
was and IS bona fide, wide spread ana nm
merous organization, with civil and miIitarv
colonies as active as ever. The care ana skill
with which the T. e.. 1. o. is organized render
~ particular secure against espionags or I'M.
iaitnfulness Of members. 1t is governed by a
iriumyirate, who are persons llv known only
TO TIE TWO Consuls, the officers next be.
low the Iriumviri in rank Each of these
Consuis Is known to 8 certain number OF
fiocohsuls who rank Immediately belo them,
cut 10 TO other members of the society, with
the exception Of the Triumviri The Procsn.
suls appoint the Commission and the latter
OrO mia fhao
consist of the rank and file. No member of
any colony knows the members of any other
colony, and his only connection with the rest
OF the society is tnrough the Commiss Toner OF
MS particular district. If q member OF q col
ony, aCommissioner, or even a Procons al turn
TRAITOR, he can thus tell but little of the secrets
of the order, and car implIcate only few of
its members. No one knows the full extent of
the order except the TrIumviri, who hold the
threads that lead to every part OF the labyrinth.
Thus shrouded in mystery the society was
never heard OF until Its existence was revealed
in "Tne Imperialist." The society afterw ward,
regretted the publicity which was thus given ID
n, and has since retreated into the darkness
from which II briefly emerged.
For one who prof.sses TO be so we'll informed
IN regard 70 this lmperialist movement as this
winter IN the GeIazy, lie Is sinsularIy foggy
and contradictory in undertaking to explain
the origin Of the society, and of the paper, and
the relations they bore to each other. At one
time lie leads US TO suppose that the society
vas a full fedged affair, with complete and
wide-sprs ad ranifca,ions, prior TO the pu biIca-
ton CT the 'ImpeIiaIist,'' and that the appear.
oEee of the latter was surface indication of its
existence, deprecated by the society, and sum.
manly suppressed by The ImperiaIists when
,@ey found Its publication doing mischief. la
iLe same connection he says -. The conduc.
tbs OF The ImpeTialist" were not, as some.
uInes al eyed, mere adventurers," &c. "They
We're Americans by birth, and gentlemen of
POSITION and culture, mcnarchists by convic-
ton, and believed their motives to be patri.
oiic and pure" Yet a little later We find him
saying the society, like tae paper, seems 20
have been the work OF a TITO of Hnkno,ga alien.
i'TeTS Other palpable contradictions will be
noticed as one proceeds; and the reader speed.
lily abandons any solicitude in regard to the
formidable proportions OF the Imperiaist
movement in this country, and begins to in -.
dulge very decided feeling of impatience that
tie GALAXY conductors could not confine tbs
sensation business OF their magazine where il
belongs-to the chapters Of "Susan Fielding,
and % Put Yourself In His Place"
The GALAXY writer states that "The Imperial.
isr bad reached circulation OF ten thousand
copies when Its discontinuance was perempt.
only ordered by the Soeisty-that scor es Of let
tiers expressing the warmsst sympathy with
The Imperialist'' ana its course were daily
received at the ONCE men employed In
Government offices, "from postmasters u per.
sons high In Federal bureaus at Was ngton.
wrote, giving in their adhesion to the Empirs
OF the Future,'-that the Democratic politi.
Clans contributed largely TO support "rhe Lon.
perIalist," because II was though, to be a thorn
IN the side Of the Republicans,-that the .sTam.
msny Ring offered to pay . weekly subsidy
OF SlOO 10 insure its contin uanee; and that In
ole instance the accredited owner OF leading
Democratic newspaper which charged Mr.
Borie with having advanced funds to support
1.-The lmperalist," had himself given money
for that very purpose The writer adds the
perfectly needless dental that Presid ent q rant
Secretary Borie, Senator Sprague, the Grand
Army Of the Republic, or any Republican pei.
iiician or organization ever had any counsc.
ton with "The Imperialist.''
Afbr reading he GALAXY article rather care.
folly, we hazard the following statement OF
''faets" 10 offset those above referred to-
First. That the Imperialist movement In
America Is confined to the three New York
bohenians who started The Imperialist" as .
sensation Speculation.
c2tc. That the three Bohemians speedily
exhausted their resources, and arhe Imperi.
NNassN ant AnaA