The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-06-18
Harry l.. west. in Washington Post

THE FUTURE.
Harry l.. West in Washington Post.
For eight years Caesar struggled to
eubdue Gaul. Long and sanguinary
campaigns were fought and won ere
Napoleon changed the map of Europe.
-Four hours at Manila sufiiced to mark
an era in the history of the world.
This change too, has been wrought
in most curious fashion. Ever since
Napoleon Ill surrendered at Sedan the
nations of Europe. armed to the teeth,
have stood ready to grasp each Others
throats Immense standing armies
have been maintained, while navies
have been increased at an enormous
cost. Time and time again have the
cables of diplomacy been periously
strained, threatening to plunge all Eu-
rope into the abyss of war During all
this period envous eyes have rested
upon the rich but helpless empire Of
the east. and rapaCiOus hands have
sought to dcspol the tottcring dN-
nasty before it shall have given up the
ghost. The dismcmhcrment of China
has in fact already began. The
French are in TOnquin, the japanese
in Korea, the Russians in Port Az
thur, the British in Hong Kong, while
Germany somewhat laggard, is just
securing its foothold. Realizing that
The east is to be the theatcr of the
future, the European powers, by con
quest and diplomacy, have sought that
partial dominion which is but the be-
ginning of greater acquisitions.
Thus it has been i'm Europe. sudden
ly new conner has appeared in the
east. The greatest republic in the
world, a peace-loVing, unaCgrcssivo ma
tion, with a standing army no larger
than a COnstabulary force, and with
scarcely ships enough to be counted a
navy, has, in a few hours, secured
more territory in the Orient than that
possessed by any other foreign power,
the French alone excepted. Without
desiring conquest, the fortunes of war
have placed in the possession Of the
United States vast archipelago. num-
bering 200 islands. and greater i'm its
area than the whole Of Spain. Eng
land. with all her planning; Germany.
with all her rapacity; Russia, with all
her necessities squirting on to con-
Quest--nOt one of these has he'n able
to secure, much less hold. SO large Il
territory. What other nations have
failed to accomplish through years of
preparation and eChcmng the United
States has achieved in Il few brief
momentous hours
With the Stars and Stripes floating
over Cavitc arsenal the sun never
sets upon our flag.
TimOrOus minds are disposed to
shrink at the enlargement Of the United
States. Empire is not a dream to them,
but q nightmare.
This fear is not new thing in our
history. If Timothy Pickering cOull
have prevailed, Louisiana would never
have been purchased. There were men
in 1903 WHO thought that the United
States was largo enough, who saw in
the acquisition of more territory the
disruption of the republic. who fanciod
that tie constitution was being Violat-
ed. Who thought $1,000 600 an cNtrav-
agant price To pay for wilderness
Nearly century has elapsed since the
gray closed upon these fearful souls
and their furebodnGs, apd we romem-
her them only in pi,y. Time has PROV
Ell the wisdom Of Thomas jefferson and
the statesmen who supported hum. ont
of the Louisiana purchase we have
carved some fifteen states whose popu-
lation and wealth today constitute an
CApTe.
Since 1858, when we secured the last
OF the Mexican CessiOn the spirit of aC
QUESTION has been dormant, tEoLgl
nOt dead, i'm the minds of the AmeHi
can people, save when Seward bought
Alaska and was popularity supposed t,
have been sWindled into a s,nselesS
purchase our territory touched ur
each side, hcmmad in by a natura
boundary, and we rested satisfied
Canada or the north and Mexico on tn,
south, were equally inaccessible as ad
ditions to our domain. In thirty year.
new generation has grown up. know
ing not of conquest or enlargement
and fOndly believing that the limit hat
been reached for ali time to come.
But now the American flag float.
over new possessions The American
Colossus stands with one foot on tn,
Pacific Slope and the other on the Phil
iprines. looking calmly down upon Ha
wall beneath. 1t is new and inspir
ing figure outlined against the horizon
Shall it remain?
The constant tendency of the worlC
has been toward the west. From
PhoeniCia to ConstantinOple, and thcl
in stately march to Venice, Holland
and England, the center Of COmmcrC,
has swept onward Some of these day
there will rise w in the west new
and commanding mart of trade, Will
London, following ineXorable destiny
Will sink and decay 1t is a mysteri
Gus law which turns the minds of mel
TO the west, which inspired Columbus
and the Pilgrims, and pushed the out
posts of civilization across tracIles
continent, nearer and nearer the set
ting sun. Even now the time has com
when we stand on the shores of III
Pacific and look still further to tn
West-to the west which, i'm turn, be
comes the east Hawaii and the Phil
ippines heckon and allure. They at
tract with a wonderful, an ncXplic
able magnetism. They will be our
through the uncomfortable influence
of destiny. 1t is the onward, resistlos
sweep of western civilization. 1t /
fate.