St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-23
GOUlD'S QUEER IDEAS
Thirty Years Ago He Thought
Canada Would Annex Us
Some Day.
The Southern States, With a
Great Army, to Brighten
the North.
He Regarded the British Form
of Government as Better
Than Ours.
He Called Himself Mr.. Sny-
He Called Himself Mr.. Sny-
der's Unpretending
Friend.

lily leIttr Ol IlG lJIu I6dCu6u IIl6 lOudy
on my return from Harrisburg. In
speaking of the different forms of gov
eminent that now exist and their re-
spective merits, notice your par
TALLY for our own republican in
situations. This certainly is the
common impression of Americans,
and if it could partake of the
same stability and permanency that be-
long to other forms. or at least the En-
glish government. should be of the
same opinion. Vattel, the standard au-
Their of the "Law of Nations" page 7,
says on this subject; 1.-The English
nation furnish US an example worthy OF
attention. That illustrious nation distin-
guishes itself in a glorious manner by its
application to everything that can render
the state more fiourishing. An admir-
able constitution there places every
citizen Ill situation that enables him
to contribute to this great end, and
everywhere diffuses that spirit of Cenu-
inc patriotism which Zealously eXertS
itself for the public welfare. We there
see private citizens form considerable
enterprises in order to promote the
glory and welfare OF the nation. Every
good citizen sees that the strength
of the state is really the
advantage of all.and not that of single
person. Happy constitution. which
they did not suddenly obtain; 1t has
cost rivers of blood. but they have not
purchased it too dear, May luxury, the
pest SO fatal to the manly and patriotic
virtues, that minister to corruption so
dangerous to liberty, never overthrow
monument that does so much honor to
human nature-a monument capable OF
teaching kings how glorious it is to
rule over a free people" p. Henry
quoted in his speeches upon national
questions from Vattel more frequently
than from any other author: so with
Webster and all Of our own leading
statemen. A government, in my Opin-
ION. like a steamboat or train OF cars.
should combine speed with safety"
and strength with liberty" and IN my
humble opinion that government is the
most preferable which combines these
qualities in the greatest degree. Would
not you Judge of the real happiness of
a people by even and continued pros
perity in their worldly pursuits,
by their jealous devotion to the
form of government under which they
live and their religious freedom? L VIII
venture the assertion that, II these are
the true requisites TO judge by, they
are found in the English nation i'll the
greatest state Of development. 1t may
be this civil war will create temporary
demand for leather, but there will fol-
low in the wake of the struggle ter
ribIe revuIsion, probably equal to that
which followed the Crimean war in 1857.
| hope. however, you will have a golden
harvest in the meantime, which al
though it would surprise me, is not i'm
probable. 1 was in New York on Sun
day. Hoping to see you soon. re-
main your friend, JAY GOULD.
Gouldsboro, Penn, May !, 1861.
GOULDsBORO. Penn, April 10, 1851
H. d. Ii. Snyder Jr., Esq.-Dear Sir:
| wrote you some days since, but not
hearing from you l conclude you are
engrossed in politics, and, consequently,
have not time to attend to the CORE
spOndence of your unpretending friend.
Busy you are / doubt not!
Drifting on! drifting on! Whence are
we bound? Whittier, whittier are we
going? The old ship has broken from
rapid stream of time toward an unknown
haven't The end of these troubles will
be a military despotism i'll the South
with standing army. In the North a
union with Canada and the formation of
the most enlightened and powerful king
dom on the face of the globe under the
rule of His Majesty Alfred Edward l."
A strange prophecy that, Henry! Yet
[ might, were [ so disposed, fill sheet
or folio of sheets with an exposition Of
the data from which have drawn thaU
conclusion. That the military despot-
ism to which the South is drifting will
compel the North, out Of sheer neceS-
sity, to protect her from sudden inva-
sion, to rear mighty standing army, as
congenial to the nature OF republican
government. a jealousy will spring up
bet e II the South and the North Oh
the subject of future acquisition of ter
ritory. The South has no navy and
never can sustain one of her own, and
hence she will seek an alliance with
some nation of maritime strength, most
probably France. The North will neu-
traliZe this powerful alliance by an
amicaDle annexation of Canada, convert
ing the whole into powerful kingdom,
calling to the throne Alfred Edward,
Queen Victoria's second son. l confess
| believe the English government to be
the most perfect form of government
that ever existed. A government must
have strength or it cannot stem the plot
tings of treason and the tide of adyer-
sity. How are you getting on these hard
times and what do you think Of the fut-
ure? Write me good long letter. Hop
ing to see you soon, L remain, as ever,
your friend. JAY GOULD.
Very little is necessary i'll the above to
comment on these remarkable letters
written by the late Jay Gould more than
thirty wears ago. The original letters
now in the possession Of the New York
World are written i'll clear. careful
hand, and the signature with which the
humble and unpretendiDg young writer
signs his SpeculatiOnS about the future
is very different thing from the scraWl
which ended the brief notes of the great
money king i'll after years.
Most men will be interested in these
letters and will do their own mOraliZing
about the lesson which they convey. 1t
is useless TO speculate concerning the
probable change that took place in Jay
Gould's opinions in after years. 1t is
probable that he would have looked
upon these old letters with as much
curiosity and interest a few months ago
as would any of his contemporaries.
The idea of standing army menacing
us in the South and the picture of the
annexation of the Northern states
by Canada, just at this time, when all
the states, more firmly united than
ever, are thinking of taking Canada
into their ranks, would probably strike
the author of those ideas as humorous.
1t is probable also that before he died
Mr. Gould made up his mind that this
form of government had certain adj
vantages over the government of Eng
land. Some things which he did here,
for instance, might have interfered in
England with further operations on his
part, and in various ways he would
have found it harder for young man
of his tastes to get up in the world over
tn ere as high as he got up here.