The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-09
OUR NATIONAL DESTINY
FRENCH VIEW OF Stewards PROPH-
ECY CONCERNING AMERICA.
Events I'm the Philippines the Pro-
Iogue of the Grand March Toward
Worldwide Expansion.
Paris Figaro.

Paris Figaro.
Europe has just seen the United States
advance toward the south to the Antilles
and toward the west across the Pacific
ocean, and she says to herself: What pos
sesses them? What is the meaning of this
new fancy to seek trouble with us and to
make conquest at our expense? We never
imagined that they would be capable of such
a thing
AS matter of fact, Europe has no right
to be amazed 1t is not new idea that has
set the United States in motion. On the
contrary, it is very old idea, since it dates
back half a century. The events which we
have just witnessed form part of the pro-
gramme conceived and extolled long before
the war of secession by an American states
man placed in the highest rank among his
compatriots, and whose prophetic views
they now love to recall. The thought of
this policy of expansion has been silently
Matched in the national conscience since his
death, according to the counsel which he
himself energetically gave, and that was TO
precipitate nothing. But there was little
difficulty in the United States in recognizing
it when it appeared through the war with
SPAIN
The name of the statesman in question
was Seward, secretary of state during the
administration of Abraham Lincoln. Con-
WINGED that his country had a great mission
to perform in the world and clearly dis
corning that mission, ne lost no opportunity
to define it and to explain it in public 1t
was not that he was afraid that America
would deceive herself and make too sudden
bound toward her destiny but he had a
notion that the result might be attained by
means which he did not sanction. An enemy
of war; Seward knew very we'll that his
gigantic dream could not be realized with
out a combat. He deplored that and added
magnificently in a letter published in 1876
under the title I'VE Should Carry Out Our
Destiny: ITO carry out that destiny the
United States should prepare themselves for
their mission by getting rid of the fntrusions
of the old world. which still continue, with
ideas of another age, upon portions of the
American soil. The monarchies of Europe
said Seward in the same letter. "can have
neither peace nor truce as long as there re-
mains to them one colony upon this CONT
nent." He called that buying out the
foreigners. France did not trouble him; she
was a quant1te negi1geable, having already
sold out. Neither did Spain embarrass him.
The events that have just happened ap-
peared to him at that time already accom-
pliShed. In 1876 he counted, without any
ceremony, the rulers of Cuba and Porto
Rico among the foreigners VINO should sell
out their possessions 10 the United states.
He was also sure that Russia would leave
without offering any difficulty, and in this
he certainly not deceived 1t was he
himself during his term of office who pur-
chased Russian America, or Alaska, from
the Car for the sum of 81 200 0o0. he also
negotiated for the acquisition of the Danish
Antilles, and the project fell through by
the fault of the Senate of Washington
which voted against it simply because the
President at that time was for it.
PATIENTLY WAITING.
England remained and presented, as he
was well aware, the hardest nut to crack.
Nevertheless, he was persuaded that She
too one day or another, would come to
terms, and that all that was necessary was
patience. He advised his compatriots to
practice that virtue and to hasten nothing,
to take time to digest one territory before
hurry. When look upon the territory of
Hudson bay and Canada" said he in 1860.
land see there population Industrious, en-
terprising and ambitious, engaged in digging
canals, building bridges railroads ana tei-
egraph lines and organizing and preserving
great English provinces north of the great
lakes and of the St. Lawrence and around
Hudson bay, l say: That is fine You are
forming excellent States, destined to be ad-
mitted later on into the American Union =
IN politics he favored a system which he
compared 10 the ripe pear that detacheS
itself and falls into your hand. Mexico and
the little republics of Central America could
not fail, according TO him. to come, ore
after the other. and solicit the honor and
the favor of forming portion of the United
States One thing seemed to him still more
certain. annd that was that the United
States could not help annexing by force the
people who would be too slow to come 10.
them willingly. That was clear for him,