The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-22
EXPANSION AND TREASON.

both on principle and upon irrefragabe authority
| That government existing only under the consti-
tuition could acquire possessions to which the con-
stituton would not extend or exclusive of its sane
tons, proposition that American babes and suck
1ings are intelligent to entertain That either a
rule for imperial colonization the right to absorb
Asiatc territory and barbarous and mongrel popula-
tons be found in the constitution expressly by
| implication, is purely an invented falsehood
But upon the score of policy alone, as distinguished
from the constitutional argument, the attitude of the
United States toward these revolutionary schemes
less national somesault is achieved, is definite and
unalterable he argument for the purchase OF Flor
ida was put by John Quincy Adams the ground of
contiguity, and as to contiguous and desirable
territory accreton and not colonization speci6-
cally declared to be its purpose 1t Thomas JET
ferson isolated passages from whose writings have
been so strung together by expansionsts as to be
converted into virtual orgeries who in his inaugural
OF 1901 warned people against "entangling ALI
ances" This great statesman and founder of the
Democratic party canonzed in all parties, while he
realized the necessity of acquiring Louisiana and
outlet to the Gulf OF Mexico as measure of defense
and to promote commercial development nevertheless
believed that egalze its purchase and to avoid the
creation of dangerous precedent, an amendment to
the constitution was essential On April FL $780, he
wrote to James Madison the question of expan-
sion by the peaceable acquisition of Cuba Nothing
should ever be accepted which would require navy
to defend it." December p 1898, James Monroe, who
formaiized the Monroe doctrine, which had been pro-
posed by Jefferson and approved by Canning, the
british statesman, in his seventh annual message
poved this language: with the existing colonies
dependencies OF any European power we have not in
terfered and shall not Interfere In IS45 President
Polk in his first annual message repidiaed the nten
ton OF acquiring territory by conquest. December
1852 Edward Everett addressing the Spanish Minis
ter in relation to Cuba, defined geographical prox-
unity" and extension in this henspere limiting
any possible desire of the United States for expansion
Writing to the President July 4, 1870, Mr.. Fish, Sec
rotary of State, in relation to our national sympathy
for revolutions in America against Span, which
menced in $780, put it on the ground hat ''the
states WERE like ourselves, revolted cOlones, and
claimed that this policy is not police of aggres-
sion" The same accomplished diplomadst address
ing Sir Edward Thornton in his Official capacity,
April g. 1879 disclaimed any desire to annex Hayti
because the policy of the Government as eclared
many occasions in the past has tended toward avoid
ance of possessions disconnected from the main con-
tnent" The ground of Mr.. Stewards has against
French intervention in Mexico, is well knlwn, was
the application of the Monroe doctrine, wlich ex-
Guided imperial conquests this continent, While
stricting the United States from nterferene with
European powers in other parts OF the woriL On
these lines and in auson to southern ne ghbor,
June FL, 1881, Mr.. Blaine, Secretary OF Stae ex-
pressed the settled policy of the Government: o late
years the American movement toward hxiv OF
boundaries and abstention from territorial enlargement
has been so marked and so necessarily a part o7the
continental policy of the American republics that any
departure therefrom becomes necessarily menaceto
the interests of ALL In February, 1884, Mr.. Frel1g
huysen Secretary of State, again declining to enter
tain Haytian proposals. Endorsed the unbroken SENT
ments of his predecessors: "a conviction that fixed
policy dating back to the origin OF Our constitutional
government considered to make 1t lnexpedlent to
attempt territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT, which would re-
quire maintenance by naval force in of any
vet provided for actual uses, has led the Govern
ment to decline territorial acquisitions In his first
inaugural President Cleveland in speaking of San Do
mingo sad Maintaining | do the tenets of line
OF precedents from Washingtons day, which pro
scrbed entanglng alliances with foreign states, l do
not favor policy OF acquisition OF new and distant
territory or the incorporation of remote interests with
cur own" And September 7, 1885, Mr.. Bayard, Sec
retary of State and afterward ambassador to Great
Britain asserted that the policy OF the United States
declared and pursued for more than century dis
countenances and in practice forbds distant colonial
acquisition.
These brief extracts, to which hundreds of other
Presidents Harrison and Mckinley, could be added
are all the emphatic voice of this Government under
administrations which represented every national
party since the end of the last century They denounce
and reject acquisitions by conquest and acquisitions
through negotiations purchase, unless on this
continent contiguous and essential to the natural
growth of the country. They treat even the islands
of the Caribbea- Sea as beyond the scope of onr
rational ambition, regulated by constitutional
obligations They fail to sanction any territorial an
nexaton except under and through the constitution
and with the purpose of constructing and admitting
American States They demonstrate the abandon
ment of constitutional principles and the wilfu per
version of facts by the expansonists, who advocate
either imperial colonization territorial enlargement
in Asia. Whatever novelties, based upon their own
views Of expedency, they may employ in their effort
to gull the American people, they cannot rely either
on law or history II projected revolution, based on
deliberate violations of the constitution and of uniform