The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-05
EXPANSION.
What Is Accomplished and
Future Outlook.

! A. Lawrence Lowell opens the February
Atlantic with a paper on 1.-The colonial
expansion of the United States" in which
he shows historically that there has never
been time for lis years when the United
States has not had continually increas-
| ing number of colonies and he demon
strates that the true question before the
nation today is not, Shall we now begin
a career of colonization? but Shall we
change into new channels the habit of
colonization which we have practiced ever
since the nation was born? He discusses
also the false construction put upon the
doctrine of human equality as stated in
the Declaration of Independence, and con-
cludes finally that if home politics" do
not interfere with colonies they will not
harm home politics." that "our destiny is
in our own hands, and our measure of
political wisdom and virtue will deter
mine what we shall make of it."
| The task of managing colonies outside
the continental limits of the United States
is exposed to two dangers of an opposite
character. One is that of attempting TO
apply theories of government where they
are not applicable; the other, that of
taking a selfish view of their relation.
| We must reject all a priori political dog
mas, and avoid premature experiments in
democracy and at the same time we
must not allow the colonies to be consid-
cred mere market for our goods, a lu-
crative opening for a commercial monop-
DIV or a happy hunting ground for poll
ticians. The success or failure of our
dependencies does not affect them alone.
or the Americans who trade or dwell
there.
! 1t will sreact powerfully upon us, and
that is the reason why colonial expansion
fills many people with alarm Rome APP
pointed her provisional governors for
short periods on political grounds, and the
result was that they looked upon the Of
republic could not stand the strain. 1t
fell, and the emperors rose upon its ruins.
England governs her colonies by means
of permanent corps of trained admin
istrators, Independent of party. and they
have contributed to her greatness without
endangering her institutions.
Properly speaking. a colony is a terri
tory not forming for political purposes
an integral part of the mother country.
but dependent upon her, and peopled In
part at least, by her emigrants If this
is true. there has never been time since
the adoption of the first ordinance for the
government of the Northwest territory in
1884, when the United States has not had
colonies.
The extension of the boundaries of the
United States has been brought about by
every kind of process; by purchase, as in
the case of Louisiana with the land then
belonging to it, which stretched from the
in the north all the way to the Pacific;
as in the case, also of Florida, of the
Gadsden purchase, and of Alaska; by vol
mntary annexation. as in the case of
Texas; by conquest as in the case Of
California, together with the country "
ing eastward to the Rio Grande, and by
far the greater part of these acquisitions
have been for time governed as terri
tories or colonies
That the expansion TO the Mississippi
and the plains beyond has been a source
n Gtrnnoth DFnn1ntg1
fare of the nation to an incalculable de-
gree, no man will feel inclined to deny
In fact. to realize 1t one has only to recall
what the position of our country would
have been today II the ocean or foreign
power had encompassed the boundaries Of
the original thirteen states; if the Allie
ghanies had been our western frontier
Since the revolutionary war the inhab-
itants of the United States have increased
twenty-fold. and of the present popula-
ton one-half live in communities shat
have at some time been organized as ter
ritories-in other words. that have been
founded by the process of colonization.
It may safely be asserted. therefore, that
the United States has been one of the
greatest and most successful colonizing
powers the world has ever known.
Finally we must not forget that the
Anglo-Saxon race is expansive. While
the elaborate administrative systems OF
continental Europe tend to make men de-
mon law develops self-reiance, and fits
man to cope alone with new conditions.
colonist to succeed must be allowed to
make his own way as best suits his sur
roundings untrammeled by administra-
tive regulations; and it is a striking fact
that German emigrants do not flock to
their own colonies. They prefer to go to
America or to an English colony, and
thrive better there. The habit of shifting
LOT one self Is not only a natural result
OF our institutions, but has been deeply
1nRrAinAd YYanN ptnf ne
the population. until the idea of lettering
his prospects by immigration comes nat
urally to every American. That tend
ency so firmly rooted should die out as
the country fills up; that the custom of
pushing into any favorable opening should
not operate beyond the present limits of
the United States, seems incredible. The
rush for the Klondike is enough TO dispel
such an illusion. Now II - large number
OF American citizens were to pour into
any country where law and order are not
effectually maintained and where there
is no adequate security for the enforce
ment OF contracts, our government would
certainly be called upon to interfere, and
vain.
It seems altogether probable, therefore,
mat II the war had not broken out with
SPAN the question of expansion would
nave arisen in some concrete form before
many decades had passed. and that IL
would ultimately have been answered in
tne aiflrmatNe. The war has forced the
issue. prematurely, perhaps, and rightly
or wrongly. for good or for evil the die is
cast. 1t behooves us. therefore. to con-
slider the causes of our past success in eX-
pansion or colonization, and see how far
they are applicable to our new possess
sions OF these causes two are pre-em-
inent: The territories have been treated
as infant states, subject to tutelage only
until they came of age, and they have |
been managed unselfishly.
The doctrine Of human equality has two
distinct meanings. One of them refers to |
civil, the other TO political rights and the |
two have no necessary connection. The |