Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-12-27
AN AGE OF CONQUEST
Rapid Growth of the United States
Within Its Own Confines.
Henry VI. stanley on the Present and
Future of Oar Great Nation
Progress Toward
Empire.

In referring to the rapid growth OF
the United States, within the confines
of IA W continent, Sir Henry NJ.
Stanley, in an article on "Anglo-SaXon
Responsibilities" y
There is nothing so very strange
about il. While still young the nation
showed extraordinary expansive pow
er. Its pioneers were the boldest OF the
species. Neither Frenchman nor scalp
ing Indian could stay their progress.
Step by step they pressed on, and were
g~allaAtly followed by the vanguard of
the nation, until, in the course of time,
they had spread far and wide in multi
tudes over the once unpeopled wastes"
Then he continues:
To-day the nation numbers over TO-
100000. True, it is but n slim popula-
ton for so vast a region, compared to
what we see in crowded Europe. We
must not, however, measure the capac-
ity of these millions by mere numbers,
but in organization, in the power of
combining for a common purpose and
in the prosecution of big enterprises.
Treble their number of ordinary Euro
peans could not have surpassed them in
what they have done.
THE story of Their achievements reads
like an epic OF the heroic age. ~Itappears
as though the bigness of their noun
tains, their plains and their rivers and
sweet water seas had impressed itself
on them. Their wheat fields, their
orchards and their parks are on a scale
unknown in any other continent. Their
railway mileage exceeds that of
united Europe, inclusive of Great Brit
ain, by $4,000 miles, and the capital in
volved amounts TO the colossal sum of
S12, 00O, 000, 900. So that, large as the
superficial area of their territory may
be, these 70,000,OO0 Of brainy people
most naturally have begun to find
il getting too narrow for their concep-
tions, and TO think of investing their
surplus money and energies in some
thing else than railroads. Also in point
of numbers, propCrtionate TO area, it
will be seen upoI studying the sub
ject that they have arrived pretty near
ly to what the English had done before
they sailed from these islands TO found
a greater Britain. Then. again, we find
that hate of Spanish cruelty has led
them to venture abroad, just as Spanish
greed, bigotry and the inquisition IN
cited our forcfathers in the time of
Elizabeth TO go out On the high seas
and give battle TO Spain. And, prob
ably, as in old time, there were minor
and less noble motives underlying our
hate, so we should discover, if we took
pains, that America was animated by
similar desires.
at needs no prophet to foretell that
our progress toward empire will be imi-
tated still further. The British empire
consists of new countries that have
been peopled by cmigrants and COM
mercial agents from our shores, such
as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa; of India, which has been
slowly gained by conquest; of islands
that fell TO us in political wars; of AZ
rican territories which were absorbed
through the necessity Of saving from
the general scramble a portion that
should be free TO commerce. II is UNI
likely that Americans will acquire col
onies by emigration in the manne we
did, because there are no u%ninhabited
regions available, or that they can IN
mex territories with the consent Of their
inhabitants as we annexed Nyassa Land
and Uganda, because there are none
left, but the acquisition of territory by
conquest will always remain open TO
the powerful and aggressive, and il is
to be feared that no peace conference
can provide against the contingency.
at is by that method of conquest that
the Americans are destined 10 still
greater dominion. There are nations
periodically dying, and they offer
strong temptations and, unfortunately.
they become more and more impolitiC
as they become weaker. Fate often pro.
vides the opportunities. 1t braces the
strong nation and benumbs the fac.
, ulties of the weak. II inspires that
, which seeks inspiration and paralyzes
, the other. 1t furnishes wisdom and
strength To one and breeds confusion
and discord in that destined to doom
} You have but 10 study the worlds maj
: to find that at least four nations seem
{ already marked by fate to provide prey
for the strong. America must be NUN,
bered among the strongest, and it is hel
nature to recognize opportunities ant
TO avail herself of tham-Ouflnok