The times., 1899-02-20

great in extent MS the whole OF the terri
tory OF the thirteen original States-ail
this fell into the hands of this Govern
ment for the paltry sum OF fifteen millions
of dollars No wonder that when, years
later, Prince Napoleon visited St. Louis
and saw the importance and richness of
this Western territory, he exclaimed, with
intense regret, How could my uncle have
deprived himself of such an empire?" 1t
is difficult to imagine what he would have
said of those Americans who were so
shortsighted and provincial as to object
TO the acquisition of that empire on the
ground that it was of no use to them.
1t was through the instrumentalty of
Jefferson, Livingston, and Monroe that this
gigantic transaction was made. jefferson.
as President. and Monroe as Minister Ex-
traordinary to Paris. saw at once the i'm
mense advantage of the possession of this
tract, and overcoming the opposition of
Senators and Representatives who were
not interested in much besides their own
home affairs. carried the plan triumph
autly TO completion 1t is needless to say
that to this action on their part we owe
the extent and importance of our coun-
try, since the purchase made the acquisi-
ton of the far Western States feasible and
created a nation which from its very size
was too powerful TO be molested lightly.
Had the United States been permanently
bounded on the west by the Mississippi
River what is now the western section of
our country would have had history
troublesome TO itself and probably annoy
ing, if not disastrous, to us 1t would either
have become a battle-ground, during many
years, for French. English. and Spanish
forces, or it would have come into the pos
session of some European power, probably
England. and with the feeling which Eng
land entertained toward US during the first
half of this century there is no knowing
whether We should not have had more
than one fight for our independence. At
any rate, our commerce would have been
crippled, our agricultural interests cut in
half, and our country would have remained
English in many OF its characteristics, in
stead of attracting enterprising men from
all the European nations, as it has done.
There is no schoolboy so ignorant as not
chase now that a century of history has
proved it The Worlds Fair at Chicago
was in celebration of the discovery of this
continent; the Centennial at Philadelphia
commemorated the birth of the nation;
the st. Louis Exposition may be said to
commemorate the birth of Greater Amer
lea. since the Louisiana purchase made it
possible for US to become leading world
power. and assured our imperial destiny.
There is one moral in this movement
which some statesmen of the present day
will do well 10 ponder At the st. Louis
Exposition of 1903 the most curious object
which could be shown would undoubtedly
be the skull of a statesman who deter
minedly opposed the Louisiana purchase.
1t may therefore be suggested 10 the SEN
ators and Representatives who are oppos-
ing our present movement for national ex-
pansion, some of whom are supposed TO
represent the very States included in the
purchase of 1903, that a road TO fame is
open TO them as relics. When the United
States of America, including territory on
brate in 1899 the centenary of its advent
as grand colonial power, there may be
exhibited among other curious and inter-
esting things the skull Of Hale a Hoar,
a Mason, or a Reed. Perhaps it would be
wise for these gentlemen, in view of this.
to study the Alger embalming process and
prepare themselves for immortality.