Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-12-20


whole the adventure NAV be accepted in all
faith. and reflects credit on the great rdcoR
/ teUr
Arne1ailoa---B -Bominlca.
EY HON. r. G. BENEDICT.
The extensions of territory Of the United
/ States have always been carried a. 1artv
measures, and have been obstinately or-
/ posed by the minority Nothing seems 80
| Of our institutions. and their wonderful
/ power TO take in, to absorb, to digest and
/ assimilate The minority is ALWAYS ready
! 20 say. We have more territory now than
we can use, and we do not want any more
/ outside barbarians." Bat We have never
made an extension which the result has not
| shown to have been wise-indeed almost nee
| cesslrv. Let rs take brief retrospect Of
/ them
!. Louisiana territory was bought, in
/ lS03, by Mr.. jefferson, for $4,000 ,000
/ lie doubted his constitutional power, and
/ he was denounced for it By the Federal par
/ ". Fifteen millions for wildernes>, while
/ the nation was in its infancy We paid for
| it nearly three times the whole annual ex-
! pensc Of the Government outside of the pub
| lie debt. once and half the whole yearly
| income Of the nation. Why2 Because We
could get it then, and might never have an
other opportunity We needed it TO secure
/ To Us the Mississippi River, it. valley and its
mouths and portion of the Gulf shore. Ii
wa, subsequently, divided and made several
states What would we sell them for now
/ Not for fifteen thousand millions Of dol
/ lars
> Then came Florida, territory Of Ia
goon-. irredeemable everglades, and pe-ti-
/ lential swamTs with alligators enough 10
/ fence it, as was said in those day.. Al that
time our debt was S9l ,000 600 and our an
nual expenses $4,000, 600 WHY did We
buy It for a price then TO Us So large?
/ Because We could get it. and might lose the
| opportunity The Florida peninsula, stretch
/ ing down into the Gulf and the narrow
/ strip of Gulf shore were necessary for mari
time ports for the Gulf States and for nation
/ al security greater Ueaceahie protection
! than Notifications. costing millions W hat
wluld we take for it now Who can tel
/ What would have been our condition in the
great rebellion with Florida and the key- a~
neutral foreign territory. into which We
could not follow the enemy,
3 Then the annexation 90. ic.as was
pi@''i.aNE l't'ii'-e ~, I,','.'i ,, ,.'.. ,,'
sovereignty over IL anu anu > '',,"'V'';
l. ms 'arriea us 90 hl' ,'I4h'e 'h'1
thu, all the north coast of the Guli-ahout
/ twenty degrees of longitude and a vast in
terror territory-and plenty of yellow fever.
/ The Whig party opposed and denounced the
measure But Texas. Ike Louisiana and
/ Florida. was lust about % % into other
hanH~' "Gt oi our reach We do" ID" see
that II was cheap and nece.-'iry' anu II """la
have been the height oil i"-iE 10 ie, the OF
porilnitF l'-~- 1t "ill soon nr three, per-
/ haIo h'r, large and prosperous aSilru-i'i'il
~tate~.
t- hrn came 'a.ll'fii!' ana Ne" -Aea''9'
Tor winch We gave tnr & eNl eh-eI 'i 'N' NIeA'-
can W ar and SI2.WVVUV- IheE were am
heAeI a~ e'mlaTli'l.I-! .''Il'h anu lIN i''"'-
ucan' iln li'cue"'A' l"f '-ll''i'14"l pro-
"u''l'i- MS was -'.'.e ''iH 'N guy. , ''.i'
ago -n,l' Nl''N 'i ,''ii' ''
hAii.h- Now Ni'al WIZ WIZ we ,'A' ''' ',',. M. "'-
qui~ltion, with Us earthquakes ana hlna-
men No Fi'r ""u-I 'e-'il U.s. '''.l'--.
We 10" only 'e-in '' 71e ''e '1I'"'i li'' '''''
disclose tht nature a2fl' ul'u''I "''''''. '''l--
ing throu@n our western re7ioH>' 10 ny
nothing oI lht iniie-, mat ''Io'''- On t,I'.''
from ii!f i>'.'li-'' tHI ,HIn d" '''
possessions, to the North Pole
D.. Hle"AiiiiI ol 'h' -'ol'n i''c r,.
10 Alaska me largest pure ii'Ne 'i Az lA.'
is q vast territory. extending to B'hrn- $
Straits ana the ROAR o'''--' icon '' i'1
and long winters, me region ol ,Ae llr
trade ana seal and "h'"e ana ''' hInel,
embracing the immense chain of the Aleu-
tian Islands This purchase for = 600 .VuV
encountered party and personal animo~itie,
Of great bitterness, aS well as satire and
rdiculs but the time will soon arrive when
those who opposed it viii be among the
loudest 10 boast Of the adyantage- Of the