Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1899-03-16
HISTORY OF EXPANSION.
OTHER NATIONS HAVE TRIED
1T WITH DISASTER.
John Davis Reviews Some of tho At
tempts OF Nations to Extend Their
Power Over Unwilling People, Civil
lied and Savage,

In the first place, II tho Inhabitants
nre opposed to being acquired by MS
we will find the conquest OF the is
lands very difficult and costly, II not
impossible, A country that can be Mt
tackled only by sea may be annoyed,
ravngcd Hnnd greatly damaged, but
seldom entirely subiugNtcd and assml-
atcd, II II possesses u considerable
population OF united, courageous and
determined pevplc,
Ancient Rome, in tho height OF her
imperial power and splcndor, tried the
experiment. Of conquest on the Island
II Britain, For five hundred years
hc Roman legions ravagcd, burned,
murdered and dcsolated the country,
u tremendous cost Of blood and treas
are, but, finally, gave up tho effort OF
conquest and assimilation MS impossi-
bic. When the lcgions were finally
expelled they left no enduring traces
Of their occupancy except few paved
roads and stone walls, aud other APP
planes and necessities OF military
rule, There was no assimilation Of
The people, or their institutions or lam
guage TO the Roman form Of clviliza-
zion and government The people re-
manned Independent, and in the course
Of years, have built up a government
and civilization greater than the
Romans
Learning nothing from the lessons OF
history in later times, Great Britain
tried the old and disastrous expert
ment OF conquest on the infant Ameri-
can colonies but after ruinous and
aesolating war OF nearly eight years,
was obliged TO give up the job as u
allure.
The Spanish empire, when in the
zenith Of its power and glory, tried
Spanish American colonies, when they
were but thinly populated, in the early
part Of the nineteenth century. 1t
hid not succeed. And this is the gen
pral lesson of history, Ships cannot
whip armies, any more than armies
can whip ships When there is fight
between lion and whale, 1t Is usn-
lily u draw battle, each remaining
master of its own element,
A further lesson Of history is this;
The hardest OF all countries to con-
luer and assimilate Is mountainous
sland OF considerable size in, hot,
unhealthy climate, with a numerous
md hostile population, This fact has
,ften been verified, For two or three
centuries Spain has been trying to re-
luce the Philippines to subsection.
The work was scarcely half done,
when q new and powerful rebellion
broke out, which was still raging when
The Americans steamed into Manila
harbor. Points on the coast were oc-
cupod by the Spanards, and cities
were built, but the mountainous inter.
lor OF many of the islands was as free
from Spanish rule as when the Span
ards first discovered the country. The
late Spanish war in Cuba, also illus.
trates the fact have stated. The
Spaniards held the coast line cities
The Cubans held the Interior. Neither
could successfully conquer the other,
1t was dead lock, aud the war was
In condition to be perpetual, destroy
ing the industry and commercial i'm
portance Of the country 1t was this
view Of the case which made it neces-
sary for the United States to interfere
and save the island from long drawn
out and painful suicide.
But the most noted examples of the
difficulty Of conquering hot, tropical
island by foreign. foe was the invas
ION of ST. Domingo by the ornaments
of Napoleon in 1902, Napoleon sent
two squadrons with land troops
amounting to about sixty thousand
men, to reduce" the people to subjec-
ton. General Leclerc, brother-in-law
Of Napoleon, had command of the ex-
petition. AS the armies approached
the coast the black governor of St.
Domingo rode to the eastern end OF
the island, and, observing the terrible
array, exclaimed: "All the world Is
coming to Hayti! They can only come
TO make us slavesl"
Then, retreating to the mountains,
he issued his short but expressive proc
lamation to his people, as follows;
BURN the townsl Destroy the har-
vestsl Poison the wells! Plow up the
roads with cannonl And show tho
white man the hell he has come tc
make~
The proclamation was obeyedl The
first battle was fought amid the flames
and embers of burning town. The
war was merciless The yellow fever
Of the tropics did its work on the
French troops, The blacks held The
interior, always fighting when tavora