The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05
EXPANSION AND THE CONSTITUTION.

phetic vision for his country and an
ticipated and endeavored to counteract
the retrogreSsive tendencies or the eX-
pansionists He and his compatriots
framed a new form of government and
produced the conditions that, without
treachery to its principles. assured It's
permanence. But Washington foresaw
that a time might come when there
would be a concerted effort to revert
to the repudiated type OF government
that originated in divine right, the an
tithesis of the sovereignty of man, that
characterized the middle ages. HIS
fears have been justified, Tor 1t Is not
some new advance, not discovered when
our constitution was formed, that the
expansionists pg opose, but q reversion
to the substance. perhaps to the very
FORMS that, in his double capacity Of
General and President, Washington so
largely aided to overthrow. 1t is for
tunate that the last celebration in
honor of his memory proved that even
in his ashes live their wonted fires,
for the theme of most of those who con-
tributed to the education of the daS
was the maintenance and the perpe-
tuity of the American republic, with its
cornerstone unchanged. And whose
ever shall fall on this stone shall be
broken; but on whomsoever It shall fall
it will grind him into powder" Our
imperial missionary, spreading Ameri-
can civilization with navies and armies
among benighted ASiatics, or marching
arm in arm with Great Britain toward
universal dominion.
A few of the other suggestions of Mr..
James grew out of the basic miscon
ception to which l have alluded. For
example he doubts whether Solomon
would have made a satisfactory presi-
dent of the Stanford University. That
admirable institution is fortunate in
the possession of a president who is at
least on the road to greatness, but If
it were deprived of his services l think
he would agree with me that a resus-
citated Solomon would make an excel
lent substitute who would probably
learn the new facts that Mr.. James con-
founds with principles with unusual
facility He would be likely also, as he
grasped the projects of American ex-
pansionists, to repeat his declaration
that there is nothing new under the
sum-" and to disagree with Mr.. James
about the inapplicability of the pre-
cedent of republican Rome. And al
though 1t might take some months or
years for Washington to master the in
ventions of a century, If he revived it
is my deliberate opinion that he would
make a greater President than ever.
With due reverence 1 would rather see
him sitting on President Mckinley
than, as represented by a New York
pictorial, President Mckinley sitting on
him. However, there is probably no
occasion for either to sit on the other,
as l have yet to learn that our present
chief magistrate is infected with the
imperial delirium, which is also rapidly
dying out among the loyal citizens of
the country.
1 appreciate the courtesy and the
graphic terSeneSs of Mr.. James, but I
still remain an American, welded to the
constitution and politically tied to this
continent, while rejoicing at the COM
mercial prospect that, if we are true to
ourselves, no European combinations
will obscure.
HENRY E. HIGHTON.
San Francisco, March 2, 1899.