The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-03-30
Exit Maine.

Carl Schurz, the Missouri Senator, made a
great speech in the executive session of the
Senate, Monday, in which he opposed the an
nexation of San Domingo on the ground
that manifest destiny leads us not toward
the tropics, but toward the pole. He holds
that any further territorial extension ought
to come from the annexation of countries IT,
Ing on the north of US. Alas! he little
knew that we might not securely look upon
all the world from our own standpoint-rela-
tive to our own interests and desires. Inc
countries on the north of us make themselves
the primary consideration anu ies"iu 'no
territory lying south of them as AMEN SOIL 10
be used as will best suit their convenience.
so IL happens that the Legislature of Brit
,sb Columbia has come to the conclusion that
~the natural seaport of the Canadas" should
belong to the Canadas, and urges the Domin-
ion to "buy" the State OF Maine. To add to
our humiliation Alaska is coupled with our
ill-starred State, asia part ofthe contemplated
purchase. The last heard of British Column
bia before this piece of menacing legislation,
1t was sending word to President Grant by
Vincent Colyer that the people desired above
all things to have their country annexed to
the United States. About the same time pro-
tests we've sent to the imperial government
against annexation to Canada, and also
against the present unhappy condition of pub
lie affair, in the far off colony. The cost Of
supporting the government was represented
to be more than it is worth, and the little set
tlement seemed just on the point of moving
across the line into the United States in a
body. But now all this is changed, and Wis
ions of empire seem to have place in the
minds of the hitherto modest people.
We warn the Canadian government before
1t begins its negotiations, that though it will
buy very pretty piece of property, if it
should conclude to absorb Maine, yet there
Are unfortunate blemishes. In the first place
ee.:e will be the quarrel about the title, il
Mrs. Thurston undertakes to convey us in fee
simple as she no doubt will. We fear that
our honored Protectress, if she will permit us
to call her so, would never consent to allow
the people to vote on the question, but hav-
ing made the transfer to our British masters
would bundle us off remorselessly ignoring
our protests. But suppose this difficulty set
tied, the Canadians will still find that they
have drawn an elephant. How Sir John
Young, Prime Minister Mcdonald and all the
rest will howl with rage and anguish when
they find that they have the Aroostook rail-
road question to settle!-that in some way
they must reconcile Presaue Isle and Houl-
ton-Stickney and his Bangor foes! What
will be their chagrin when they find that
they have the civil war in Westbrook on their
hands! How they will dance with pain when
they find the great Machias wharf question
still pending. But more troublesome than all
else will be the rush for baronet-
cies. England has recently formed the habit
Of scattering these little sugar plums quite
freely in her transatlantic possessions. They
have a fair sprinkling of Sir Johns and
Sir Alexanders at Ottawa already, but after
annexation all our mlIionaires will claim to
be their peers,