The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-18

people Ike the u nlted States to become in less
than century one Of the great Powers of the
world, He certainly means that we shall do
something more than plant corn and build
railways. 1t was Napoleon who was always
fond Of dwelling upon the Emission" Of
France, while Pitt and Canning made many
proud speeches upon the mission" of Eng
land. France construed the Napoleonic die
tum to mean that sue should make and un-
make Kingdoms on the Rhine and the Baltic,
and establish Bourbons and Bonapartes upon
alien thrones. England translated the policy
OF Pitt to be that all aags should be fured
before her flag, when they met upon the high
SEAS We put an end to that legend, as far as
America was concerned, In 1914, while the
ambition Of France, In going beyond her real
duties as a liberal and progressive Continen-
tai Power, ended in defeat. On the other
hand, the influence of France in Italy and
Spain, in making war upon superstition, and
the influence of England in liberalizing India,
have added largely to the happiness of the
world. They have shown their appreciation
of their responsibilities as nations.
We have a tradition In our politics against
Intervention in the affairs of foreign States.
It comes to us from Washington, aud should
be remembered with the reverence that we
pay to every precept that fell from that illus
trlous statesman. We have tradition that
no European power should be permitted to
interfere in the affairs Of any nation on this
Continent We owe this to John Quincy
Adams, and 1t does honor to his courage and
sagacity. Apparently antagonistic, these
principles are harmonious. We have no
business with the affairs Of foreign Powers.
The time may come, in the progress of
Oriental egeneration-separated from the
Eastern nations as we are by sea which
washes thousands Of miles of our Western
coast-when we may be compelled to exercise
our influence over Japan and China. Ties of
commerce, emigration and, perhaps, of citizen
ship, may make this necessary, and we may
have to depart from the Washington maxim.
But for the present, and for another generation,
most likely, the wars of Europe or Asia are
of no concern to US. The teachings of Mr..
Adams admit of no criticism. The American
republic is the dominant Power upon the
American Continent. Compact united, homo
geneous-with more population than England
or France, and as much as Germany-with
We have responsibility upon this Continent
which becomes duty. In our extravagant
mo ments we speak of it as manifest destiny"
We prefer to regard it as manifest duty"
Since we came into confederated existence
as nation war, annexation and purchase
have added largely 10 our domain. We have
received Florida from the Spaniard, Louisiana
from the Frenchman, Alaska from the Rus
sian, Texas and California from the Mexican.
The requirement Of these Territories has been
q source of happiness to the people and con-
to the progress Of mankind. We
have made California Commonwealth as
rich as Tyre or Carthage, and in twenty years
city has grown up in an old and neglected
dependency of Mexico which bids fair to
rival Babylon. Texas and Louisiana
are rich and proud Commonwealth.
Florida is far different from what
she would have been as a Spanish
Porto Rico or English Jamaica, while humid
and ice-bound Alaska has been developed into
one of the most important commercial stations
in the world. Wherever the Yankee has gone
he has carried life and growth. The world
is better, civilization is ripper because of
the Americans work in these Territories.
Nor has the republic been weakened by the
addition to her domain. As we have advanced
in the path of political aggrandizement and
reform science has kept pace with us, steam
and electricity have become the servants of
the Union, and the republic holds the two
oceans more closely in her arms than when,
in the early days, she held Virginia and Mas
sachusetts. Taking o religious view of the
past, we may truly say that Providence has
blessed our adventures in union and annex
alton, by enabling US as people to come
closer and closer.
The duty we fulfilled to those Territories has
become graver responsibility in the case of
Mexico. President Grant has an opportunity
greater than what came to Jefferson when
Napoleon offered to sell Louisiana-greater
than what came to Polk when he annexed
Texas and California: Here is country
rich In all natural resources. It's climate
is fertile beyond description, its scenery
exceeds the most romantic sections OF
our own country it is full of agricultural, in
dustrial and commercial capabilities. Yet,
by reason of evil government, apathy, slug
gishness and bigotry, 1t is no more advanced
than it was under Montezuma. Buckle has
shown in his sketch Of European civilization
that while England and Russia, Germany and
France, have kept pace with the progress Of
the age, Spain has stood still-a hopeless,
dormant, sluggish mass-chershing the ira
ditions and superstitions of the Middle Ages