New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-14
WALTON BUILDING.

Timid souls imagine that this Republic cam
not govern without peril 10 its institutions
provinces populated by diverse alien races long
habtuated 10 other institutions and forms Of
government. and strang" TO our language ana
religion They must be ignorant of history. or
else must believe that the people have wofnlly
degenerated within a century; for the world
Imposes that the progress OF this people in the
art of government and assimilation has been
enc of the most marvellous things in human
history.
Florida was a colony Of Spain. populated by
savaCes and Spaniards as the Philippines are
now It's treatment had been essentially Span
ish. the kind Of treatment which caused even
the Mexicans Of that day TO revolt Relics OF II
existing there match the worst dungeons ana
instruments Of barbarOus cruelty I'm Cuba. The
people Of the United States were not unable 10
reconstruct and govern Florida. though II cost
some ugly wars with savages, more or less in
stiga,ed and aided by Spaniards. and it took
many years 10 establish State. The state OF
louisiana with the parts Of Mississippi ana
Alabama along the Gulf, was Spanish colony,
governed by Spain for thirty seven years prior
10 1900 and having the usual mixed population
resulting from such settlement and govern
ment. when It was cedrd 10 France. and only two
and n half years later by France 10 the United
States. The races were different and the Ian
cuaces and the institutions strangely different,
but the Union was able to suppress pirates. es-
tabIish order and create provincial govern
ment in harmony with American institutions.
The vast Louisiana territory acquired at the
same time and In Ike manner held by Spain
for thirty-seven years, made up with the acqui-
sitiOns lust referred to- 1,231 100 square miles.
against S27 S44 covered by the United States
when the Constitution was formed. Stretching
from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean, with
settlements partly French and partly Spanish,
but all foreign TO American speech. race and In
situations, this vast territory still offered few
difficulties because the savage occupants were
rapidly pushed back and its allen settlers sub
merged by the food OF migration from the old
American States. 1t is precisely that process
which may speedily transform the condition of
things in Hawaii and III West India islands.
Texas practically came in as n State, and had
already been so far settled by Americans that
the early Spanish settlers had lost power. But
the vast territory acquired by cession from
Texas and by treaties from Mexico after war.
covering 591 ,3SS square miles, now the States
of California, Nevada, Colorado Utah. the Ind
ian Territory, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Ari-
IONA has been only In part occupied by Amcri-
can settlers and Institutions. and 10 this day re-
mains In part somewhat alien. California, Ne
vada and Colorado quickly attracted such set
Element by the productveness Of their mines
that the old Spanish influence was soon sub
merged but New-Mexico still remains in part
Spanish in methods and tendencies, while the
Indian occupation long kept out settlement from
a large territory. and Arizona is by continued
migration growing toward Statehood. The peo-
pie of the United States were able from the first
70 establish and maintain throughout all this
vast tract better government, whether MILL
tnry or territorial in character, than had ever
existed there prior to its acquisition. Nor will