The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-14

great speech in favor Of the purchase OF
Alaska should be published and circulated
today for its valuable information
OF this address there is most interest
ing account in the Makers of America"
as follows:
Among other measures was one whose
far-reaching consequences We are only be-
ginning TO discover-the purchase OF Alas
ka- Perhaps none Of Senator Summers
orat!ons have brought him more fame than
his speech on this bill and certainly no
measure In his long legislative career had
more direct effect on the development OF
the country than this. so widely apart ana
entirely disconnected from the main WORK
OF his life. Secretary Seward had conceived
the idea that by the rurchase Of this terri
tory. then known as Russian America
we should show our friendship for Russia
who alone OF the great powers had valan,-
~ stood by US In the war: We should as
Sumner afterward put his own view of the
matter. dismiss another European sover-
eign from our continent. predestined 10 be
coma the broad, undivided home OF the
American people. and we should gain a
valuable possession
on March -. 1867. Secretary Seward and
Baron Stoeckei. the Russian minister. frs.
laid this plan before sumner. who was as
eager as they for the result. The next day
the treaty was signed. Ten days later
Sumner made ii Speech covering this hither-
10 unknown territory as completely as il
IL had been the Interest % mis- lifetime In
The more than thirty years that We have
been possessed of this great land We have
discovered, except in one or two pariicu-
lars no more of il than Sumner told us
after the study OF a single week
AS usual on such occasions he went
10 the congress ,onal library for all the
works il contained on this subject. and ht-
secretary declares that they came by the
car load. To these he added al the
knowledge possessed by the Smithsonian
Institution. either II printed reports OF
through its officials Prof Charles I
Baird. then It's chief officer. took much In
teTest In the matter. and gave him great
and V8lla BILE assistance Other depart
nehts e the government AID likewise ONT
of ali This mass OF material IL many lam
Eua4es. Sumner extracted with urerr!EE,
SIX what he wanted
The speech IS a com pletp review % the
history ~ that country ard The political
cors}slerat lions making the treaty ieSira HE.
II Is an equally complete review ~ al mar
all that IS now knowu--of the government
population. climate. vegetable ana mineral
products. fUrs and fisheries Il is an ar
sOiDte.y exhaustive survey though curious
Is enough. as IL proved. Sumner hardly
credited the fabulous tales II th.. worth
% the seal fisheries Bu. with no ~us-f3l
attention u those which have already
brought the govern 11eot revenue ~ many
million dollars he considered Il worth -
a commercial venture, much mere than me
seven million dollars We weTe 20 nay. ana
as A polite and national acquisition. OF
untold value
In closing he suggested tna name Of
Alaska WA: citizen 90 the United Statss
today bur aiulTes and hiesseS the courage
and foresight ~ those two statesmen who
regardless ct the great war debt under
vh}ch we staggered secured FOR Us that
magnificent possess