The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25
THIS COUNTRY OF OURS"
GENERAL HARRISON'S BOOK FINDS
LARGE SALE IN ENGLAND.
Comments of Prominent London
Character of the Volume.

Ex-President Harrison's book. This
Country of Ours" is having an unprece-
dentedly large sale in England, where it
was republshed under the title, The Con-
stitution and Administration of the United
States of America" The London Daily
Chronicle, in reviewing the work, says:
This is one of the most interesting books
that has reached from the other side or
the Atlantic for "a long time. 1t Is neither a
philosophical dissertation on the duties OF II a
citizen. nor a commentary on the Consttu-
ton OF the United States. 1t simply ana
modestly lays bare the machinery of Amerl-
can national government, with the frank
ness only probable in an American and the
knowledge only possible in an eX-President.
We cannot remember, at the time of writ
Ing any similar volume with which this
can be compared. There is a cynical lack
of reticence in many writings of the great
Napoleon published since his death; there
are a few astonishing secrets revealed in
the memoirs of other men who have held
the destinies of nations in their grip. But
we do not recall a single instance. or the
executive head of a great country giving to
the world during his own lifetime calm
and dspassionate criticism of the govern
ment with which he was intrusted, with
an amount of detail which makes you al
ternately hear the grating of the coeWheeiS
and see the greasy oil can at It's work. Ine
book covers so vast field that only the
slightest sketch of it's contents can be even
suggested. But it will be of interest to COM
pare the views of the historian, or or the
novelist with those of the man VINO mas
really done what they thought they had
perceived. 1t will be worth while to point
out what an ex-President has to say on
these questions of his internal policy which
most effect ourselves, or on those larger as
poets of international behavior with which
European diplomacy has chiefly had 10
come in contact.
ex-President Harrison, are not the armed
men nor the armored ships of the great
powers If there is too much exuberance
int hn hon IA q.
1t is a safe saying that we can DEFEND our
land and coasts against any part or the
world that will ever be in arms against us.
We are alert as to foreign foes-the drum
tap rouses the heaviest Sleepers. But We
are a dull people as to internal assaults
upon the integrity and purity of public ad-
There could be no better demonstration
OF the truth in these words than the recent
victory of Tammany. in which a municipal
election was deliberately made the battle
ground of national parties, with the prize
of a dictatorship which had been created
by one of those parties solely for the graf
ification of it's own office seekers. And as
to coast defense, it may be mentioned that
there two arsenals for small arms IN
Massachusetts and Illinois, and one at W est
Troy, N. Y. for rif1ed cannon ana mortars
to be used for the protection of harbors.
AS TO INVASION.
Even if every rort the Atlantic coast
were blockaded or even destroyed by hos
tile power, the only result would be to pen
up 100000 very angry men (as Kipling
puts it, behind them, who would be plenti-
fully provided for in a country that can
easily supply itself No invading force
would care TO pentrate far into the terri
tory or tarry to reap a crop of grain
American commerce would, indeed, suffer,
but their navy would be well able to make
reprisals, for besides the private shipyards
there are yards at New York and at Nor
folk (Va.) where battle ships like the Maine
and the Texas can be locked, without
counting those in New Haven, Massachu-
sets and Florida for smaller vessels, and
and Mare island. In calculating, however
on these various possibilities of defense we
think ex-President Harrison has hardly
given sufficient weight to a considerable
which was certainly attendant, If ii was
not the determining, factor in the war
scare of two years ago. we may Suggest
our meaning by recalling the coincidence
that the proposal of Congress for 800 600
to be raised for purposes of national DEFENSE
occurred at the same time as ian OF al
most an equal amount in the value OF ma
tional securities. while consols also at the
same time, went up.
1t must also be remembered in this con-
nection that the President cannot declare
war. He can play with fire. He can APP
peal to jingoism and sectio4al preJudices lor
the purposes of benefiting his own political
party. The question of the award of the
Boring arbitration is rot matter. for
instance. of inherent wee In the population
of the United States. AS was pointed out
in these columns on Monday 1t is largely
owing to the methods of Congress that a
state of things SO Cn;T,aatisfactory TO both
lions apply to such matters as the proposal
for the selection of the King of Sweden in
certain eventualities which might have
arisen under an arbitration treaty. so long
as any senator can call up any subject at
almost any time. and speak upon 1t, a reso-
lutte minority can always thwart the pur-
faff ha hos mo nrif 20 lnno no
best thought and principle of the nation re-
main unrepresented in it's Congress, so long
as private gain or party interest are the
will the official utteranceS and actions OF
the United States fail to satisfy either
themselves or other people.
EXTENT OF THE COUNTRY.
There is another aspect of the case that is
far too often entirely left out of sight. 1t is
the simple fact that the United States of to-
day stretch from the arctic circle to the
tropics and from the Pacific to the Atlantic
ocean. This enormous extent OF territory is
struggling to govern itself, on the lines of
Constitution made for a few small COM
munities the northeast coast In the
century that elapsed after the English col
onies declared their independence they
changed as much the elements compos-
ing their nationality as in the actual expan-
sion OF their country. a sudden and enor-
nous increase in material wealth produced
Industrial and economic situations which
infinitely complicated the problem They
now find themselves face to face with a
condition of affairs as different as can well
be imagined from that for which the fathers
OF the Republic drew up their first Consti-
tuition. Whereas England has left the out
lines as well as the details of her system of
government TO be gathered from multi
tude of statutes and cases. the United
States find theirs expressed In one compre-