The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-29

said in letter to President Madison, da-
ted April -, 1909:
NO LIMIT TO FUTURE ACQUISI-
TIONS."
1T will be objected to our receiving
Cuba that no limit can then be drawn to
our future acquisitions" but he added.
"Cuha can be defended by us without a
navy, and this develops the principle
which ought to limit our views. Nothing
sh}t1ld ever be acce,74nd which would
require navy to defend il"
In the same letter. speaking of the
possible acquisition of the island, he said:
Il would Immediately erect a column
on the southernmost limit of Cuba and
inscribe on it ne plus ultra as TO us
III that direction"
Ii may be argued that Jefferson was
wrong in asserting that we should con
fine our possessions to the North Ameri-
can Continent. but certainly no one can
truthfully quote him ~.''h~ritv
for excursions into the Eastern hemi-
sphere. If he was unwilling to go fur
Their South than Cuba. even in the West
ern hemisphere. would he he likely to
look further with favor upon colonies in
the Orient?
If the authority of Jefferson cannot be
invoked TO support the acquisition of re-
mote territory, much less can his great
name he used to excuse a colonial policy
which denies to the people the right to
govern themselves.
When he suggested an inscription for
his monument he did not enumerate the
honors which he had received. though
no American had been more highly hon
ored: he only asked to be remembered for
vrhat he had done, and he named the
writing of the Declaration of 1ndepen-
dence as the greatest of his deeds
mo GOVERNMENT BY ENTER
NAL FORCE"
In that memorable document he de-
clared it self-evident truth that gov
ernments derive their just powers from
the consent of the governed The de-
fence and development of that doctrine
was his special care. His writings
abound with expressions showing his de-
votion to the doctrine and his solicitude
for it. T.e preached it in the enthusiasm
of his youth; he reiterated il when he
reached the age of maturity: he crowned
it with benedictions in his old age Who
will say that, if living he would leopard
ize it to-day by engrafting upon it the
doctrine of government by external
force?
Upon the fourth proposition Jefferson
is no less explicit Now. when some are
suggesting the wisdom of military gov
eminent for the Philippines, or a colo
NAL system such as England administers
in India, it viii not be out of place to
refer to the manner in which Jefferson
viewed the inability of aliens to prescribe
laws and administer government. In
1917 French society was formed for
the purpose of settling upon a tract of
land near the Tombigbee river. Jeffer-
son was invited to formulate laws and
regulations for the society. On the
10th of January of that year he wrote
from Monticello expressing his high APP
probation of the confidence reposed
in him. but declining to undertake the
task. The reasons he gave are well
worth considering at this time. After
wishing them great happiness in their
undertaking, he said:
1.-THE laws however, which must eff
feet this must flow from their own
habits, their own feelings and the re-
sources of their own minds. No
stranger to these could possibly propose
regulations adapted TO them. Every
people have their own particular habits,
ways of thinking, manners, etc, which
have grown up with them from their
infancy, are become a part of their ma