New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-04
A FEW FORMER "IMPERIALISTS."

Some of the opponents OF tne so-caheu in-
perialist' pOlicy-which has been good repnD-
licanism for ninety-five years-put FORWARD
what they regard as perfectly crushing argu'
ment in the form of a deadly parallel On
one side they range the long line OF former
Secretaries Of State, from Jefferson TO Olney,
under the head of "antimperasts,' Little
Americans" etc, and on the other the TWO
Secretaries Of State who have been ldenuheu
with the acquisition of new territory under the
present Administration. Then with witherlhg
sarcasm they ask If these two are greater thah
all their predecessors.
The point is not we'll taken. 1t might have
some force if the fundamental premise were
correct-namely that the former secretaries
from jefferson to Olney, were all anii-expan-
sionists. But every schOolbOy-with acknowi-
cduments TO Macaulay-knows such was not
the case The first on the list is Thomas Jei-
ferson the first expansonist the FOUNDER OF
what in that day was fearsomely called I'M
perialism: the President who doubled the area
of our domain by annexng remote territories,
occupied by aliens and savages. and VINO oiu
so and set up a government over snch TERRI
tory without asking the consent OF the lhhap-
itants. Why, jefferson was one or the most
rampant. rambunctious expansiOnists, imperial-
lists and limoges the world has ever seen.
little way down the list Is James Madison. lie
was JefYcrson's rght-hand man In the task or
founding the empire" by the annexation OF
Iouisiana. Next Is James Monroe. who set
forth the Doctrine so hated by these same crit
los Of EXPANSION. and who continued the i'm
perial!st' policy by annexing Florida. After
him comes John Quincy Adams who aided and
abetted him In his Imperialism, and who went
further and declared that one or these Gays
we must 60 beyond continental limits anu
annex the island of Cuba. Next Henry gay
the supreme knighterrant OF 1ingoism' WHO
not only wanted to fight European Powers 1or
the liberation Of South America, nut "ouiu
have interviewed in purely European aHairs ny
declaring war against the Oppressors OF Greece
Is II to him the antimperlalists turn Tor coih-
fort3 After an interval Of one comes John c.
Calhoun classed as an "ant-expansionst' le
gods and little fishes. That most aggressive
ardent soul. whose guiding star was lhper'ai-
ism and whose programme was 10 take icA"''
TO take California. TO take Mexico 10 '"he
"everything in sight'-is he to be maze the
patron saint Of Little America! Ana W lilaih
L. Marcy who babe the rest or the Worln Keep
hands off Hawaii. a kingdom destined 10 De
ours: and William II. Seward, VINO added 10
tho "amnIre- without the consent of It's inhaD-
itonts vast, remote, alien and savage lanh'
not contiguous to but far separated from 'ne
United States. and destined never TO ne erect
cd into n State. but perpetually to be held as
colony or subject province; and lfamiitoh
Fish. who wanted to annex ST. Thomas ana
ST John and San Domingo; and James u.
pl,ino whom these same critics pictured as
sitting up O. nights seeking what he might
grab and with whom he might stir up rue
lion: and finally Richard Olney. of Venezuela
Message fame. and Of most favorable DISPOSE
tlon toward the expansion of the Republcs
domo,n-these he thy gods. o Israel!
On the whole. we are not sorry the attempt
70 draw a parallel has been made The paral-
,el NAV be deadly, but not to the present AL
ministratlon nor to the great centnry-old pol
lev which 1t Is so faithfully maintaining