The New York herald., 1870-01-15
Oppositiou 70 Further Annexations-Mr'
Wulard's Absurd Resolutions

House of Representatives the other day sub
mitted a series of resolutions on retrenchment,
economy, reduction Of taxes &C., which were
referred to the Committee of the Whole for
consideration. These resolutions are all very
good, except the last, which declares that
any acquisition Of foreign territory by treaty,
cession or annexation by the United States,
for which a consideration in money or its
equivalent in the assumption of any debt or
obligation OF the people Of such territory is to
be paid, increases at once the expenditures of
the United States and entails a prospective
with every measure Of economy now pressed
upon the attention of Congress is a direct
assault upon the public credit and is not
called for by any exigency of national affairs;
which we pronounce very absurd resolution
in each apd all Of its conclusions.
The resolution is shot aimed directly at
the treaty for the annexation of the republic
of Dominica, and Indirectly at any negotia-
tions initiated or likely to be initiated for the
annexation of Hayti, which, with Dominica,
will give us the whole of the splendid island of
Hayti or st. Domingo, and at any proceed
ings looking TO the purchase Of the island of
Cuba. Mr.. Willard protests against any ex-
penditure of money if necessary for anyone
of these contemplated acquisitions, because
such outlay, he thinks, will be drain upon
the Treasury and IAN assault upon the public
credit" We say it will be no such thing.
Similar objections were made to the purchase
of Louisiana from France and the first Ma
poeon in 1903, at the awful price of fifteen
millions of dollars, for an empire embracing
New Orleans and Louisiana, the west side Of
the Mississippi Valley from Missouri down to
Texas and the Gulf, and the outlets of the
rivera region worth more than thousand
millions to us to-day.
Again, the same objections were made in
1920 to the purchase of Florida from Spain;
but although, in addition to the purchase
money of few millions, the forty millions
expended in Van Burens Seminole war
must be added to the costs Of Florida.
it has repaid the government in its live oak
timber and other naval materials, and is in
valuable as military position in a foreign
war. The same objections were raised against
the annexation of Texas, in view of the costs
and hazards Of war with Mexico and against
the acquisitions involved in the treaty of peace
with Mexico and against the ten millions Of
purchase money embraced in the Gadsden
treaty, ceding to us the southern portion Of
Arizona. But what were all the costs of Texas,
the Mexican war, the Mexican peace and the
Gadsden treaty compared with the wealth
developed in these new acquisitions, and which
has been pouring in upon us and has been
yearly increasing in it's returns from California,
Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada and
Arizona to say nothing of Utah? In these
acquisitions we have drawn from our invest
ments of money and costs Of all kinds the
most splendid dividends ever dreamed of, and
the value Of the property involved, with its
people and improvements, is simply incal-
culable.
Now, suppose each and all Of these acquisi-
tions rejected, and all territorial extensions
avoided from 1903 down to this day, what
would now be the position Of this country?
1t would be in the position of third rate
Power among the nations, of about twenty
millions Of people, limited to the east side
of the Mississippi river, excluded from
its outlet, surrounded on three sides by
foreign States, and still under the sitting
grasp of Southern slaveholding olgarchy.
On the other hand, with all these territorial
acquisitions and expansions since 1903 the
area Of the United States (excluding Alaska,
itself great empire in extent, has been more
than doubled, and we have population of
forty millions, and universal liberty and
equality under the law are fixed in ''the
supreme Law Of the land" Putting all the
costs in money, to the North and South, in one
bill, Of the terrible struggle which extin-
guished American slavery at ten thousand mil
lions of dollars, we are still richer o-day,
South and North, than we were on the
momentous opening Of the rebel fire on Fort
Sumter. But what would have been the end
Of war with slavery had our national
boundaries remained as in 1903? It would
have been the end Of the United States.
Perhaps, however, the gentleman from ver-
mont" has been cured of the annexation policy
by Mr.. Stewards purchase of the icebergs of
ALASKA for 81, 200, 900, and his treaty for the
earthquake island of St. Thomas, calling for
800, 900 moro. st. Thomas, we grant, If
purchased, would be a sell. Alaska, on the
other hand, will probably within ten years
yield us at least ten millions of money in furs,
seal oil, Goldfish and salmon. Aud what Of the
direct question Of the annexation of Dominica,
on the basis Of the assumption Of the debt Of
the republic Of million and half, and then
the absorption Of the Haytien end Of the
island, with its debt, say Of three millions, or
four or five millions, as the case may be 2 II
will be but bagatelle compared with the
cash value aud the immediate cash profits Of
that magnificent island. And so with Cuba,
even IL necessary upOn an Ontlav of a hundrnd