The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1898-10-27
DEMOCRATIC PRECEDENTS AS TO
TERRITORIAL EXPANSION.

only rev OF them, tnat FAVOR Cne
Republican policy of adding tc
our domain the territory recently
wrested from Spain are very fond
of citing the past actions of the
first named party upon this ques-
ton, as examples to sustain their
position.
The truth is, the Democratic
party has never favored the acqui-
sition of new territory under the
same conditions as those which
now confront us-the extension of
our limits for no other reason than
to enlarge our area. When, in the
| past. our party proceeded to an
mex lands which did not before be-
long to us, it was for reasons
which intimately concerned our
own we'll being, amounting in two
instance at least, to national self
preservation.
Let us note the cases in which
which new territory has been Ac-
quired by the United States. In
1903 our government, through the
agency of President Jefferson, pur-
chased from France the vast do
main known as the Louisiana
Purchase, Z" extending from the
Mississippi river to the Pacific
ocean, and including the most of
the territory now occupied by the
trans-Mississippi states, Oregon
and Washington being of the
number The reasons that i'm
PEELED our government to take |
this step were of paramount i'm
portance. Both Spain and France
(the latter acquired Louisiana
from the former) denied our right
to navigate the Mississippi River |
to New O Jeans and the Gulf, a
means of transportation Of which |
had we been deprived in those |
days when there were no railroads |
would have ruined a great number
commercially, and crippled our
government seriously III case of |
war. The principal reason how
ever for the purchase was that |
foreign enemies used this terrific |
ry as point from which they |
could attack our government Sc
cretly and openly, and by cross
ing the river, escape punishment
for their treason.
Jefferson acted as any other
sensible man would have done,
and purchased this region so as
to extend our police powers over
it. He bought it "at bargain"
from Napoleon, who was anxious
to sell.
The next annexation was in
1719. when Florida became un-
der President Monroe, part of
the United States. We acquired
this territory from Spain for the
same reason that we purchased
Louisiana from France-from con-
sideration of self preservation.
This province during the revolu-
tionary war belonged to Great
Britain, and after that war terml-
mated dlsastrously to British arms
that government coded this do
minion to Spain with the expec-
tation that it would be used as
rendezvous from which to harass
our government. In pursuance
of this plan, British emissary
melted the Seminoles to war
against the United States. In de-
tiance of the law of nations, Gen.
Jackson invaded the territory,
hanged the emissary and severely
punished the Indians.
Texas was annexed in 1915,
during President Folks admins
trasion, partly to afford adequate
protection tolthe 100000 Ameri-
cans residing there, but princi-
pally because the vast majority
of American voters, as expressly
indicated in the previous presi-
dental election, had declared in
favor of annexation.
The war with Mexico resulted
in the acquisition in 1S4S, by
President Polk, of California and
New Mexico which included in
their limits other states and a
territory as they now exist.
This war was about territory
concerning the ownership of which
two governments could not agree,
on account Of the boundary line
not being settled. We presume
that President Folks idea in con-
GLIDING the treaty of annexation
was to avoid repetition of this
trouble in the future by purchas-
ing all of the lands north of the
Rio Grande, which should forever
partially serve as a boundary line
| between the two countries and be-
cause the rest of the land annexed