The record-union., 1893-12-20
AMERICAS ANNEXATIONO.
How Our Territory Has Been Enlarged
II the Past.
Uncle Sam Has Eeen Something of
Dealer in Real
Estate.

Uncle Sam was not always Sc backward
in the matter of extending his dominions
as he has shown himself in the Hawaiian
business. On the contrary. he has gener-
ally been ready for a deal in territory
whenever it has been offered, and the his
tory of his transactions is a long record of
extensive and profitable annexation. He
has been on the lookout for desirable
property ever since he went into business
on mis- own hook, and it is impossible to
look over the accounts of his deals with
out acknowledging that he has driven
some first-rate bargains.
THE FIRST ANNEXATION.
The first acquisition of territory by the
United States was the so-called "Louisi-
ana Purchase" in 1903. By this purchase,
which was effected during Jefferson's ad-
ministration, for ST., ,OOO, 900. this Govern
ment acquired possession from France of
all the territory now included in the
States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri,
Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, the
Oakotas, Wyoming, Idaho, oregon,
Washington, part OF Colorado, Indian
Territory and Oklahoma. The territory
thus transferred has an area of 100000
square miles, or considerably more than
the country embraced prior to the pur-
chase. In this bloodless conquest the
United States secured control OF the Mis-
sissippi River and the Gulf OF Mexico.
and Bonaparte, who then occupied the
throne of France, said of it, 81 have thus
given England a maritime rival who Will
sooner or later humble her pride"
THE FLORIDA PURCHASE.
The next acquisition of territory was
T1uVobaaQ Of E'lOridQ from Sn9in in
1919. Spain, doubtless fearing that the
territory would be invaded and seized by
an act of war if she insisted on retaining
it, finally agreed to cede it If the nited
States would assume the claims of the
the Spanish citizens. The terms were ac-
cepted, and the territory of Florida, con-
tafning in all about $1,000 square miles,
was transferred to this Government at a
cost OF something like $5,0OO,0OO.
NEXT CAME TEXAS.
There was no further territorial expan-
sion for quarter of a century. In the
meantime Mexico had secured its inde-
pendence from Spain, shortly after the
latter had ceded Florida, and Texas, then
a province of Mexico, had drawn a large
and turbulent element from the United
States. Under their leadership there
grew up fierce opposition to Mexican
domination, and in 1886 they succeeded in
followed a series of events of eXtraor-
binary interest. The new republic
sought admission into the Union as a
State, and her action became an over
shadowing issue in national politics.
Nearly all Democrats favored annexation
and nearly all Wings opposed it, Henry
Clay declaring with what afterward
seemed like the voice of prophecy that
1.-THE annexation of Texas meant war
with Mexico"
The campaign of 1914 turned on the
Texas question. Polk, the Democratic
and annexationIst candidate, was elected
to the Presidency, and the defeated Whig
Administration, recognizing the result OF
the election as a definite expression, dis
tinguished the closing days of its career
by annexing Texas to the United States.
War with Mexico followed, and it was
not until after the treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo was signed in lS48 that the status
of Texas was settled. By that treaty the
United States agreed to pay to Mexico
the sum of S15, 1000, 900 and TO assume debts
Of about 100000 due from Mexico to
citizens OF this country. In return for
this money the United States acquired
possession of territory some 92l, coo
square miles in extent, included in which
were what are now the States of Calitor
MIA and Nevada, parts of Colorado and
Wyoming and the Territories of New
Mexico, Arizona and Utah.
To this cession by Mexico must be
added what is known as the "Gadsden
Purchase" strip of territory now at
tached partly to Arizona and partly to
New Mexico. This territory remained
in dispute after the Mexican War, but in
1888 it was finally ceded to this country
on the pryment of the sum OF $4,000, 900
to Mexico. The tract contained about
5000 square miles, and the name Of
"Gadsden's Purchase" was derived from
James Gadsden, the American Minister
to Mexico, under whose direction the
deal was negotiated.
BUYING ALASKA.
Alaska, bought from Russia in 1867 for
$,200,000, was the last acquisition of ter
ritory by the United States. 1t has
proved, contrary to expectation at the
time, an immensely valuable investment.
1t added nearly 100000 square miles to
the national domain and has abundantly
vindicated the wisdom of its purchasers.
Other annexation schemes without
number have been proposed since the
Louisiana purchase" Half a dozen
propositions for the acquisition of Cuba
and Santa Domingo, either by seizure or
purchase, have been brought forward at
various times, only to be rejected or con-
demned. Walker, the Nicaragua adven-
turer, dreamed Of bringing Nicaragua,
Honduras and other Central American
territories into political union with the
United States. The annexation of Can
ada has become question of pressing in
terest on both sides of the st. Lawrence,
and seems likely to develop into an ur-
gent issue in Canadian politics.
The most recent movement looking
toward the territorial expansion of the
United States has been presented by
Hawaii. The rejection of the appeal of
those islands for annexation would be the
first instance in our history when such
an application was refused. Moreover,
it would be complete reversal of the
policy followed for nearly a century by
the Democratic party, for it is a fact that
the various anneXations of territory de-
scribed above were all accomplished un-
der Democratic Administrations, with
the single exception of Alaska.-New
York Herald.