The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-06-25
MACAULAY ON COLONIES
From the Philadelphia Ledger, June IS

1t is true but melancholy saying of
Coleridge, that experience is like the
stern light of ship, which only illumines
the path already travelled From the
speeches and writings of the advocates of
the new land grab policy, it might be in
ferred that foreign colonies had always
been sources of boundless profit, and that
this country had now a chance for secur-
ing unprecedented prosperity if it could
only secure the ownership of few islands
here and there in the Gulf of Mexico or
the Pacific Ocean.
The fact that the people of the tropics
can seldom be induced to work long enough
or hard enough to cover their nakedness
is quietly ignored, and the imagination is
allowed to run riot in speculations as to the
prosperity which is to follow the annex
alton of countries without capital, without
industry, without anything to sell, and
without money to pay for anything they
wish to buy. Even Cuba has been un-
able, since the abolition of slavery, to
compete with France or Germany in the
cultivation Of sugar, and the Hawaiian
Islands are only able to produce by the aid
of Coolie labor; but it is useless to partic-
ularize when the lesson of Spain herself
stares us in the face For the last ten
years her colonies have entailed constant
expense, and her present bankruptcy is
largely due to the heavy drain upon her
resources from Cuba and the Philippines.
Nor is there anything novel in this state
ment. The experience of England has
not been much more fortunate. At the
present day the question Of how to deal
with Jamaica is one of the most trouble
some puzzles which confront the English
statesmen The planter in that island,
with everything in his favor is reduced to
bankruptcy, and nothing but system Of
bounties can save him. The great decline
in the price of sugar, caused, be it re-
membered by competition in Europe and
not in the tropics, has ruined the English
men in Jamaica, as it did the Spaniard in
Cuba; but even in former years, when
large fortunes were still made by individ
uals, the West Indies were not profitable
possessions for England
1t will be entertaining, if not profitable,
to turn from the frethy declamations Of
the Congressman of today, to the weighty
words of one who was Il great statesman,
as well as great historian. In his essay
on the West Indies { Essays, vol. vi, PIP.
324, ct seq, Lord Macaulay said :
"There are some who assert that, in a mil
itary and political point Of view, the West
Indies are of great Importance TO this coun'
try This is II common, but a monstrous
Misrepresentation. We venture to say that
colonial empire has been one of the greatest
curses of modern Europe. What nation has
it ever strengthened? What nation has it
ever enriched? What have been its fruits =?
Wars of frequent occurrence and immense
cost, fettered trade, lavish expenditure, clash
ing jurisdiction, corruption in governments
and Indulgence among the people. What have
Mexico and Peru done for Spain the Brazlls
for Portugal, Batavia for Holland? Or, if
the experience of others is lost upon US, sha IL
we not profit by our own? What have we
not sacrificed to our infatuated passion for
transatlantic dominion? This 1t IS that has
so often led us to risk our own smiling gard
ems and dear firesides for some snowy desert
globe. This inspired us with the project Of
conuuering America. This induced us to
resign all the advantages of our insular silua-
tion-to embroil ourselves in the intrigues
and fight the battles of half the cOntinent-to
form coalitions which were instantly broken
and to give subsidies which we're never earned.
This gave birth to the fratrcdal war against
American liberty, with all its disgraceful de-
! fea's and all its barren victories, and all the
bloody contracts of the HeSSian slaughter
house. This it was which, i'll the war against
the French Republic, induced us to send
thousands and tens of thousands of our braveSt
! troops to die in West Indian hospitals, while
| the armies of our enemies were pouring over
the Rhine and the Alps. When colonial
acquisition has been in prospect we have
thought no expenditure extravagant, no III
| reference perilous. Gold has been to us as
| dust. and blood as water. Shall we never
learn wisdom Shall we never cease to prose
! cute a pursuit wilder than the widest dream
| of alchemy, with all the credulity and all the
profusion of Sir Epicure Mamman?
''Those who maintain that settlements so
remote conduce to the military or maritime
power of nations, fly in the face of history,
| The colonies of Spain were far more exten-
sive and populous than ours. Has Spain, at
any time within the last two centuries, been
| a match for England either by land or by
sea? Fifty years ago our colonial dominions
| in America, were far larger and more pros
porous than those which we at present pos
sess. Have we since that time experienced
any decay in our political influence, in our
opulence, or in cur security? Or shall we
say that Virginia was less valuable posses
sion than Jamaica, or Massachusetts than
Barbadoes?''
Such is the lesson Macaulay drew from
the experience of Great Britain, although
its skill in governing foreign dependencies
has never been approached by any other
people, ancient or modern. Is it possible
that we shall be rash enough to run the
risk of corrupting our politics, and de-
stroying our institutions by trying an eX-
pertinent in which every other nation has
reaped only disaster?