The true northerner., 1899-05-31

Democratic Apostatates.
From the Inter Ocean:
Mr.. H. B. Halves, who presided at the
democratic banquet at ST. Louis on
Thursday night, said that annexation
and expansion had been political tenets
of republicanism since the days OF Alex
ander Hamilton, and for the same period
had been opposed by the democracy. In
common with other speakers, he put for
ward jefferson and Jackson as personi-
flying the democratic opposition to ex-
pansion. Former Governor Altgeld made
no reference to Jefferson or jackson in
connection with the expansion policy,
and w. j. Bryan associated neither Mon
roe nor Jackson nor Polk with any ref
erence to militarism or annexation.
The facts of history shed curious
light on the foregoing assumptions of
hypocrisy or ignorance. Thomas Jeffer-
son was the leader in the expansion
movement in America. While admit
ting that the constitution did not pro-
vide expressly for the annexation of ter
ritory to the Union, he annexed Louisi-
ana and Florida and enunciated the
policy which Jackson carried out by his
military force. Andrew Jackson became
the idol of the democratic party because
of his pronounced determination in ex-
ecuting the annexation policy. All
A. tot. ha
cratic party was the champion of annex
alton. The democratic convention of
1914 declared in it's platform; THAT our
title to the whole of the territory OF Or
egon is clear and unquestionable; that
no portion of the same ought to be ceded
to England or any other power; and that
the reoccupation of Oregon and the re-
annexation of Texas at the earliest prac-
ticable period are great American meas
ures." The democratic platform of l84S
stated while the ratification of the
liberal treaty offered to Mexico remains
in doubt, it is the duty of the country to
sustain the administration in every
measure necessary to provide for the
vigorous prosecution of the war should
that treaty be rejected" Another reso-
luton indorsed the capacity, frmness,
and integrity of James K. Polk and con
graduated HIM on the stoutness of his
adherence to sound democratic doc
trines, his purity of purpose, and the
nd oh inh ana al
his administration at home and abroad.
The references in the platform of lS4S
were to the Mexican war and its results.
Under the treaty which the democratic
convention of 1S4S indorsed, most inn
portant addition was made to the ter
ritory of the United States. From that
time forward the democrats were an
nexationists. No one will question the
statement that Jefferson, Jackson and
Polk were eXpansionists. Later, one of
the most popular democratic leaders,
particularly in the West, was Stephen A.
Douglas. In his speech at Freeport, ILL.,,
Aug u, i656, MIR. Douglas made as strong
an expansion speech as did Senator Nor
gan, Senator Davis, or Senator Frye in
the last congress. He declared it was
idle to say that we had territory enough;
that no one could limit this great repub-
lie by mere imaginary lines, and he
prophesied that in less than fifteen years
every foot of vacant land between Hi
nois and the Pacific ocean owned by the
United States would be occupied. Be
ginning with the striking sentence,
Expansion is the law of this nations
existence" Mr.. Douglas said:
with our natural increase growing
with rapidity unknown in any other
part of the globe, with the tide of emf
grafton that is fleeing from despotism
in the old world to seek refuge in our
own, there is constant torrent pouring
into this country that requires more
land more territory upon which to set
tie, and just as fast as our interests and
our destiny require additional territory
in the North, in the South, or on the
islands of the ocean, am for it."
This was the platform of the leader of
the Illinois and Western Democracy in
1858. Douglas stood where jefferson
and Jackson stood, and yet democrats of
Missouri and Illinois are now declaring
that the democratic party has always
been against annexation. If Jefferson,
Jackson, and Douglas were democrats,
then what are these latter-day gentle
mens We do not know, and we doubt
that they themselves can tell.