The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07
Territorial ExpansiOn.

Territorial Expansion.
Henry B. Bl4ckweil, of national
reputation in social and political ma
ters, addresses to the newspapers an
interesting letter on the subject of ter
ritorial expansion, which presents more
fully than we have previously seen the
views of anti-exp nsjonists in the
early part of the century, and shows
how time has covered the doloful
prophecies Of that period with coufus-
ion. Mr.. Black writes:
Tightly eight years ago, Hon. Josiah
QmnCy, after wards president of Harvard
college, and Fl 1T mayor of Boston, great
GRANDPA her of our present mayor, pre-.
sentrd NJ 4ssachusetts in the national Fl use
of Representatives.. He was a cool, con-
servative man, not likely to take extreme
views. Yet when the bill TO purchase and
annex the LIuisia' a territory was under
considerations he deliberately declared that
its passage would break up the Union and
would make It. the right and duty of Massa.
chusetts to s-cede. Here are few salient
points from his speech on that occasion.
made Jan. Ia, 1911:
Il address you, sir, with anxiety and dis
tress of MUD wholly Unprecedented. To
mt it. appears thai IT, would ] lstfy revo-
luton III this country, and that in no great
length OF lime IT, may produce it.
The act contemplated lays ruin at the feet
of all our hops. L. is my deliberate opin-
ion thai, il thus bill passes, the hOnds of
this Union are virtually dissolved; hat the
State " hich compose are free from their
moral obligatOhs aud that, as it will be
the right Of all, so IL will be the duty OF
some, To pr Ia definitely for srpara-
tion--amicabIy If they can; vloler thy, II they
must.
"The Constitution is political compact.
By whom and Ahpu, wi ? 1t is we, the
people of the United Statrr, for ourselves
and our pOsterltA; not for The people OF
| Louisiana, nor for the p-one Of Nav Or
leans, or Of Canada. This Cousti-
tuition az never constructed TO TO- III a COW
ering for the Inhabitants of Missouri and
Red River Iuntr,, and whenever il is at
TEN led To be stretched over these IL will
be- rent asunder. = 80 Why, sir have al.
ready heard of six States, ami some say, at
no great distance If time, more. l have
also heard that The mouth of the Ono will
be far to the east of he center of the con-
templa'ed empire. Il moi for these
men that our IA hers fought. 1t was not for
them this Constitutio WAS adopted. You
have no authority TO throw ihs Tigl t. and
liberties, and pr prrty of This people into
hO' chpJJ with the wild men on The Mis-
souri,, nor with the mixed though more re-
Amer leans who bask on the sands at the
mouth nf the Mississippi. II would he
virtual dissolution OF the Union. When you
throw the weight of Louisiana into the
scale, you destroy the political tqu poi4e
coutemnlatrd AT The llIn- Of forming ~ COM
pact. Do you suppose The pee pie
OF the Mort hern or A lanIic States will, or
ought 10 lock on with palltnce and see
II pre- sent4tves and Senator's from the
Red River and The Missouri pouring Them
! I. a
aging the concerns OF sea board 1900
miles at least from their residence; aud
h wing prrpOndtraucy in coun cils into
hich, consiirutinually, they could never
have been admitten? They nei her will
see il, nor ought to see 1t, vii h content
! The bill Will justify revolution, and will
produce it., New States are intended to
be- formed beA ond The Mississippi. There
| il no limit to meL's imagination on his
sui CT short 81 California and The Colum.
Dir liver. The bill If it passes, is a
| d-aih blow to the Con-ti u'itn. H. may
afterward lingtr; bur, lingering, irs fate
! will at no distant period be consum ma ed -
! The Louisiana purchase gave us our pres
emit States Of Louisiana Arkansas, Nil
snCri, Iowa, Minnesota, X tusas, Nebraska
| North Dakota, Snnth Dakota, and Okla
homa and Indian Territories.
There are men and women still living
| who remember the delivery Of that speech.
l myself am old enough TO have Witnessed
the annexation of Texas, which aroused a
similar protest not only from the Apoli-
| tionists but r. IN many wings, who prrdc cred
the permanent sup emacy of slav-rv AS the
| inevitable cons -quence. Then followed the
war with Mexico, which resulted in the
transfer to the Unied States of what are
now Nav Mexico, Arlz ma, Nevada, CALI
| fOrniA, y 'rgOu. Utah, Wyoming, Colorado,
Idaho, aud Montana. Florida was ced, d 10
| III by Spain; Alaska was sold to us nv Rus.
sia, purchase advocated by Summer,
though he defeated the admission OF st. Do
| mingo.
All these expansions seem TO have been
dimly Anticipated by the founders OF Amer
iCar independence, who spoke of their army
az the "CuntlEentals," and quoted the cele-
bratrd cpnp-':
"No prn,-up Utica contracts our powers;
The whole unbuunded con inept IL Oufs."
SO lar, thiS series of territorial expansions
has been Istitied by it's results.
Going over the differences in racial
geographical and climatic conditions
presented by the i-lands OF the West
Indies and the far E Ist, and the prob.
lens the changed character of pend.
ing expansions of territory present
Mr.. Blackwell concludes:
III our people are wise enough and Just
enough to relieve these alien communities
from he cruel yoke OF Spin withnut st
temp ing to Incorporate them int or po
lirical system, al will be we'll. l. t us en-
tablish equal suffrage on moderate proper
~ and educational QUALIFICATION cjmbln-d
irrespective OF race or sex, and system Of
free schools for all. Lit us give tn IN the
priceless boon OF self-governm-nt, applica
Bile alike 10 all races aud both sexes-"t
right invaluable to them and dangerous tC
tyrants only"
Mr.. Blackwell's contribution 10 the
current discussion of the overshadow
ing national topic is timely and will
serve useful purpose.