Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-22


tailed upon us d great civil war at a cost
which cannot yet be finally summed up
after generation has passed away. But
New England sold her slaves TO the
South, and so escaped the curse without
bankruptcy. Suppose we had kept Por
ter's empire and that Of the West Indies.
Would Ii not be conceivable that with
such room for expansion the South also
could have gotten rid of her slaves with
out such dire COMMISSIONS
Nav We not be- We that IL we cOnfine
the energies Of our people now within the
narrow limits of this Continent We should
again become too introspective and once
more fall into commissions and demon
strate our need OF safety-valve? Has
not the South ever since the war, in the
absence Of anything else TO engage the
attention of the North, been held up ana
shorn under force bills, gold bills, and
Dingley bills?
Inc Monroe doctrine IS now n settled
matter 1t is not probable that any ma
ton in Europe, or any nations in Europe
will ever contest IL. The acceptance Of
this doctrine affects other nations on the
American Continent more than the United
States This Continent Is given up TO
America and the area OF contest is
transferred 10 the eastern coast Of Asia
and 10 the Pacific ocean.
When jefferson feared New Orleans
was so distant from Philadelphia as 70
make annexation dangerous. was he
| taking Tor our Tune. Wnen MdGlEOn re-
commended that we find work enough
over here for our hands 10 do was our
! flag on the Pacific In his eyes? When
| Washington wished us 10 let Europe at
| tend TO her own business, In her own
! fashion. was Europe seeking 10 deny us
| a market for our productions and limit
| ing our right 10 buy and sell?
The Philippines are now nearer 70 us
/ than was the Pacific coast 10 Andrew
/ Jackson Cuba is more truly a part Of
70 1o.r h0, xrsac 1nrf1 IA
/ 10 our grandfathers. English is a living
! tongue and the meaning OF word may
/ easily change In a generation so COM
/ pletely as TO stamp with apparent folly
! the language Of the wisest. / would warn
/ All If those people who ATTEMPT 10 de-
celve the people by quoting advice from
| our fathers, which steam and electricity
have made obsolete. to use a boomerang
and the bump OF foolshness is apt 10
raise itself on their heads. To misuse
| language Is not 10 argue 10 talk learned
" IS not to convince the people OF thls
| generation to which has come the benefl-
| cent influence OF the school, the cheap
book. and the newspaper.
II is entirely true, I'm one sense, that
| we desire no worldwide empire, and that
! this Continent Is big enough and rich
| enough for us. But 10 conclude that we
| snail he satisfied with our work Tor the
| next century If we feed and clothe our
selves Is 10 confine forces that VIII
]
OF an Standardization is the only
safety-valve for us
The despotism that Napoleon sought to
impose on the century now passing away
nv the weight OF his armed battaltons-
a nolicv that would have shut the Cont
nent Of Europe 10 all but the sword
the nations that buried Napoleon would
infict on the next by restricting TRACE
me conflict is the same, though me
weapons be changed. and II we Woulo
| 80 rotroorade we must prepare to de-
fend our own.
Put a trade trocha around this Cont,
nent, confne US within II, and we woulc
wither like Jonah's gourd, even though
we have all the elements or wealth anc
all the incentives 10 progress. The utter
most corners OF the earth are now al
our doors. the Hindoo and the Malay are
our brothers I'm business, as well as rem
| gion. the Russian needs our iron ana Goa
| as truly az he must have our battleShlpS
and the German eats our pork as thu
starving banks Of the Ganges and tn'
] indies call for our wheat and cotton
England has opened the heart OF Atrlc;
TO our manufacturers, and shall we re
linduish those strategic points now right
fully I'm our grasp, merely because tnel
were distant when our fathers counted
the miles that our steam and electriclt.
have overcome? II the arguments or IN
alarmists are good, why should we con
graduate ourselves on the work we nav
done what is the use OF II II we do no
avail ourselves OF its fruits? China dis
covered the mariners compass ana gun
powder. but TO her they were only sclen
tihc TOYS. Shall we follow her exampl
and invite her fate?
Mr. Editor the past few months haN
Witnessed great changes I'm Information
politics. Old questions have been settl'
| and new ones nave taken their place
So far as America Is concerned the pro
| that sectionalism IS dead Is matter
| vital importance. The death OF sectlona
ism cannot be credited TO the period
= the war with Spain. That has been
| matter Of years. The proof that IL W;
dead however. was furnished by the Wa
- The change in the relations between q
Il United States and Great Britain has be-
Il remarkable. For years the two natio
have regarded each other with feelin
II of hostility. Each Of the two great parti
r. I'm this country has used appeals 10 PREF
e dice the people against Great Britain
d effective campaign measures. What Wou
IS such an appeal amount TO In politics nov
o Scarcely three years ago we appeared
. be on the verge or war with Ensidn
"a and the actual outbreak or war was OF
- averted by Great Britain's forbearance
e Now the two English-speaking nauo
n are friendly and a war between the
r. seems almost beyond the range or pos
bility. But this brings with II someth'
d new-not a change, but growth. a NJ
y wear ago no idea was more hrmly settl
l. than that the United States would be CO
- tent with America and would never req
- bevond the seas The advocates OF II
. waian annexation were not acting In r.
:, opposition TO this idea. for the Hawah
y Islands are nearer 10 America than
"a Asia Those who wished 10 annex I'M
he did not think OF going further ana int
y fering in the affairs Of Asia.
e, The advice Of Washington given WI
ID the nation was In its infancy. was
10 cepted as the rule OF conduct LOT us 1a
i, of mower A touch OF battle-a III
p. burning Of gunpOwder-broke the Sc
- imposed bonds that restrained AmeIlc
-, aspirations. Hawaii IS now part oI
ne American Union, and other ISLANDS
or he carving the eagle TO almost Wit
ne sight Of the shores Of CHINA. .,
The philippine question, too mas oe
he cleared up to some extent. II Is not
I'd threatening as IT was a lew Gays a
q Two weeks ago 1t seemed probable u
\ the annexation of the Philippines Wol
- involve a war with a combination
:" strong European Powers. Now no st
7 probability exists. 1t IS now reaaohd
certain that the settlement OF the u
ne ton is in the hands OF America aloh
)n that whatever she decides VIII De
ok quiesced in without dispute
ip srbe powers Of Continental Europe
re not now prepared 10 act IN opposition
the United states in the Philippines.
Of estrangement Of FRANCE rom hu5SI "a,
az settled the question. To the united ga
~. France would be the most dangerous
81 Of any Of the nations Of the earth. ;
~ has no territory that we coulu tt ,d
DIS a1d She mas a powerful navy With
f FIan enc the ie9 other continental Pow
d. would ttIf' not risk conflict with the Uni
or state. backed by the good VII OF r. r.
c. iand and japan. Austria and ltaly u
IaI Ia r','T torritoTial hopes, and would have
le. motives M in interfering. Russia and q
rs mar, have a combined naval siren
-ai nearly I',si twice as great as that Of
%. limited states. but they would nor J
~ ~ dangar OF also fighting tnsla