Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1898-07-07

|
III ROYAL BAKING powDa CO.. ssw YORK
effectiveness with the Papal bull
against the comet.
When 1t comes to Democratic pre-
cedent as to the annexation of Cuba
and Porto Rico there, Ii no dearth of
that. The final acquisition of these
islands by the United States has been
carried along hand in hand as part and
purpose of the Monroe Doctrine. In
writing of the Monroe Doctrine in a
letter by Mr.. Jefferson to President
Monroe, October 80, 1923, he said:
"Does it exclude future views of
acquiring Porto Rico, etc., as well as
Cuba?" In another letter Mr.. Jeffer-
son said: 81 candidg confess that
ever look upon Cuba as the most
interesting addition which could be
made to our system of states. The
controiIwbich, with Florida Point, this
island would give US over the Gulf of
Mexico and the countries and isthmus
bordering on it, as we'll as those whose
waters flow into it, would fill up the
measure of our political we'll being"
John O. Calhoun, Secretary of War
to President Monroe, in a speech
called Calhoun's exposition of the
Monroe Doctrine. said: "There are
cases of interposition where I would
resort to war with all its calamities.
Am asked for one? will answer.
designate the case OF Cuba. So long
as Cuba remaine in the hands of Spain,
a friendly power, a power of which we
have no dread, 1t should continue to
be, as it has been, the policy of all
administrations ever since have been
connected with the government, to
let Cuba remain SO; but with a fixed
+ determination which hope will never
be relinquished, that If Cuba passes
from her that it shall not be into any
other hands but ours; this, not because
of ambition, not from desire for the
extention of domain, but because that
island is indispensable to the safety Of
the United States"
In 1854 Mr.. Marcy, Secretary of
State to President Pierce, had under
consideration the acquisition of Cuba,
and joint conference of the ministers
of the United States accredited to
London, Paris and Madrid, composed
of Messrs. Buchanan, Mason and
Soule, in addressing Mr.. Marcy, said:
.'We should, however, be reoreate to
our duty, be unworthy of our gallant
forefathers, commit base treason
against our posterity should we allow
Cuba to be "Africanized" and become
a second st. Domingo with all its
attendant horrors to the white race,
and suffer the flames to extend to our
own neighboring shores seriously to
injure or actually to consume the fair
fabric of our union"
When Mr.. Buchanan became Pres
ident in one of his messages to Con-
gress he said: "I need not repeat the
argument which I urged in my last
annual message in favor of the acquisi-
tion by fair purchase" In his next
annual message he said: 81 reiterate
the recommendation contained in my
annual message of December, 1858,
and repeat that of December, 1859, in
favor of the acquisition of Cuba from
SPAIN"
In 1856 the Democratic party in its
platform declared in favor of the
acquisition of Cuba. The war came
on and the subject was dropped. But
it is fact that, although the Republic
can party never took any party action
upon this subject, number of
it's statesmen both before and since
the war have opposed the acquisition
of any of the West India islands.
President Grant closed treaty
between the United States and Hayti
and submitted to Congress for consent
the annexation of that island. This
was opposed and defeated by the Re-
publican statesmen of that day.
When Democratic politicians appeal
to Democrats to stand by the ancient
policy of their party as to annexation
of territory, they only invite them to
be progressive and aggressive in that
direction. When they invite Demo-
Gratis to oppose the further acquisition
of territory, then they invite them to
be reactionary and to repudiate DEM
ocracy's past upon that subject. They
have only Mr.. Cleveland's withdrawal
of Harrison's Hawaiian annexation
treaty and his recent utterances
against acquisition of distant terri
tory, while there is a long line of pre-
cedents in its favor and expressions
favoring 1t from Jefferson down to
Secretary Bayard, Gen. Schofield and
Mr.. Olney, of the present day.
Further, acquisition of territory
simply means the progressive march
of civilization and extention of rights
and privileges to others that the
American now enjoys. Hawaii, re.
gardless of other reasons, is a military
necessity, made SO by Dewey's vic
tory at Manila. Cuba, by the assist.
ance of America, viii be free, and the
annexation of Texas will be repeated
Porto Rico and other Spanish possess.
ions will fall into our hands ss the
result Of the war, as Spain will have
nothing else to give us as indemnity
Anti-annexation may be the "Nex
Democracy" II is not the old prin.
ciples made sacred by time and thu
hailowed wisdom of the fathers. is Il
possible that the Democracy vii
t~oxud;ota ito mat and that fha Ra.