New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-03-16
.r,a,,,ior nm a Grand scale.

| cation, addressed 10 IHo oui'O1 va ~ -
per, and signed by Hon. Isaac b. Sturgeon
Will the old Democratic party abandon
| its cherished doctrine OF annexation simply
because the radical Democracy espouse IL
Who is there of 1913 that does not relnem
Der the raIying cry OF that mem9Fao.e can
yass between Henry Clay, OF hentucky
and James X. Polk. of Tennessee" Polk
and Dallas. Oregon and Texas, 54' 40 OF
| fpb+"-as il was emblaZOned ON the party
banners of the Democracy for that presl
DENTAL eIection1 Who does not remember
that the opposition of Dir. Van Buren tc
the xafinn of Texas defeated MS nom
nation by the Democracy tor PRESIDENT
| and who does not believe that the OPPOSE
ZION of Mr.. CLAW to that measure defeated
his election to the presidency, and that the
| support of that measure, more than any
| other cause, secured the election OF Mr.
| Polk?
Annexation until recently seemed to be
the settled policy Of the country and OF
| the Democratic party. 1t Is IN accord with
the action of our government from its
| foundation to the present time, as evidenced
in the acquisition of Florida and Louisiana
| Texas. Alaska and other territory.
| There are those who have always feared
| that expansion of territory would endanger
the Union, and for this reason oppose each
new acquisition: but | would say to such
persons that if all North America were to.
| day under one government. with the ad-
| vance we have made in railroads and tele-
| graphs, they would be nearer together and
more one country than were the thirteen
| colonies when they wrested their indepen-
| dence from England and banded themselves
| together for their common welfare and de-
! tense.
Our government can not be weakened by
natural and healthy expansion. Its mani
| fest destiny is to absorb all of North Amer
| lea under one government, and we should
bravelg and manfully fulfill the mission al
| lotted to US. From boyhOod it has seemed
to me that the mission of this government
was to absorb all of North America, incIud-
ing the West India islands, under our gov
eminent, aud secure the cuttin of great
ship canal across the Isthmus of Darien.
free to the ships of all the world and in
which grand enterprise all the nations of
the world should be invited to cooperate.
as 1t should be free from all tolls, to be
used with like freedom by every country.
The peaceful policy of annexation in the
past has added great glory to our country,
and doubt if there is citizen who would
this day be willing to part with an acre Of
the territory we possess. Il such be the
feeling In regard to past acquisitions, let
us go on in the policy we have begun. until
the whole of the North American continent
is safely sheltered and protected under the
stars and stripes of the United States of
North America.
Instead Of Hayti resisting the efforts of
San Domingo to become part of this great
nation she should favor 1t, and seek for her
self the same boon. Happy, indeed. will it
be for the people of San Domingo and
Hayti when the day shall arrive that they
become part of this great union of States.
which will insure to them domestic tran
guilty and prosperity, and guarantee them
against wrongs that might be inflicted by
more powerful nations.
In their weak and powerless condition
they would be unable to resist foreign
aggression; nor do they seem to be able to
protect life, liberty and property from do
nestle violence.
What has been said in regard to Hayti
and San Domingo applies with like force to
Mexico and south of the Isthmus of Da-
rien.
During the administration of Mr.. Monroe
our government declared the policy of non
intervention on the part of European gov.
ernments in America. 1t is a sort of unde-
fined dOctrine-''the Monroe doctrine" as
it is called. 1t seems to imply quasi pro-
tectOrate policy over other governments on
this continent by the United States, reserv-
ing to ourselves the right to Judge when
this Intervention shall begin, or whether we
shall intervene at all. | have never com-
pretended its meaning, and it seems so
underlined and vague that it can not be re-
lied upon at all times. True under it we
trowned Napoleon out of Mexico 1t seems
to imply sort Of voluntary protectorate
on the part of our government, we reserv-
ing the right to judge. Now. instead of
this underlined prOtectOrate, | prefer annex
alton, when we control the actions that we
may be called upon to defend from foreign
aggression. If we resolve to protect these
States we can with more safety to ourselves
and them do so with them as a part of our
country than independent and acting for
themselves.
| do not propose to abandon the Monroe
doctrine as | comprehend it, leaving this
government free to judge, but am unwjl-
ling, as some have advised to assume an
absolute protect0rship over any country
which would render our government liable
to be involved for acts over which it could
exercise no control Let us therefore not
adopt the protectOrate policy further than
the Monroe doctrine may commit us, but
instead, let us go on peacefully, as oppor-
tuhIty offers, anneXlng all territory not
now belonging to us from the Isthmus of
Darien to the North Pole, including the
West India Islands.
Anxious as our people may be for the
speedy acquisition of any part of North
America not belonging to us. or The West
India Islands, we should oppose any war as
preteXt for making any acquisition. We
can afford to wait-tO abide our time The
fruit is rapidly ripening from natural
causes, and all we need to do is to wait and
cheerfully and promptly receive it as it
ripens and offers itself to us. Let orr mis-
sion in annexation be peaceful as it has
ever been, except in the case of Mexico
when, instead of anneXing the whole of
Mexico, we footed the bill of the expenses
of the war, and paid her an enormous price
Tor the territory she agreed to sell US. This
was. it always seemed to me, a serious
blUnder on our part. But, as said let our
annexations be peaceful, if possibie-at
least, let Us so act that history Shall not re-
cord against us as a nation that we made |
war for conquest. If war be forced unon
us and conquest follows, none can com |
plain: but let it never with truth be said
that we sought war as q pretext tor acqui- |
siti0u.
San Domingo knocks a: our doors for
Let her come in 1t will NOT |
be long before Hayti, Mexico and other |
countries will follow her example. The |
British provinces in due time will also seek |
admission. And when the people of these |
provinces seek admission, and shall make |
known peacefully to the mother country |
that they desire annexation. England will |
permit them peacefully to make their
choice. if We shall cultivate friendly rela.
tious with that great power. and trust
that as all important differences seem now
removed that England and the United
States vii. have an unb.oLlen friendship
and peace.
There seems but one great .Ianger--that
i. Cuba. The slave aristocracv of Cub.
are loyal 20 Spain. Let Spain Weld 10 the
humanitarian feeling of the age and strike
down slavery in Cuba, and she would not
have 10y adherent to her On the island,
save he was made SO by her hayoncts. Let
SPAN withdraw her troops. and the people