The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-10

idas were attached to the government OF
, Cuba. In 1919 James Monroe, an old revo-
lutionary democrat and follower OF Jeffer-
son, was president and Andrew jackson,
afterward democratic president. was In
command OF United States troops In Geor-
gia and Alabama. Monroe was doing his
best to buy the Floridas from SPAIN but
"Old Hickory" became impatient at his
slow diplomatic methods, and. in order TO
expedite negotiations, he moved his army
over into Florida and captured the Spanish
garrisons at Pensacola and other places
and put them In Jail and established
government OF his own--the purchase was
concluded very soon after this. And no.
body asked the consent Of the governed.
Jefferson was still alive and rejoiced when
he heard Of the purchase and said IL he
I could Just get Cuba he would be satisfied.
| 80. TEXAS.-Texas had gained her own
independence, but Mexico had never ac-
knowledged her as an independent State
And war continued between Texas and
Mexico up to the annexation. The an
nexation OF Texas was made an issue in
the presidential campaign of 1874. James
| X Polk was the democratic candidate and
Henry Clay was the candidate of the
wings The wings used the same arguments
against the annexation OF Texas that are
now used against Porto Rico They failed,
and the.sun OF Henry Clay went down IN
defeat and the bones OF the whig party
were scattered along the shores of the
Mexican gulf. Andrew Jackson was still
alive and the venerable democrat rejoicei
to welcome his old friend, Sam Houston. as
a senator from Texas, This was anneSa-
ton by the joint consent of two SOVEREIGN
States.
~. CALIFORNIA AND NEW MEXICO.
I The United States ard Mexico engaged In
war and our forces invaded Mexico and
took possession OF the whole country. A
treaty Of peace was concluded and Mexico
was required to pay indemnity to tho
United States and In payment OF this In
IDENTITY Mexico ceded California and New
Mexico to the United States, the United
States paying a difference Of Si2.0o0,0O0
This was annexation by conquest. James
X. Polk. democrat. was president. There
was considerable Mexican population In
the annexed territory. but nobody thought
1t necessary to ask their consent.
(5). OREGON AND WASHINGTON.-
This territory was not part OF the Louis
lana purchase. In 1892 Captain Gray, an
American skipper, sailed up the Columbia
river and claimed the country as Amer
lean territory by right of discovery. This
was followed in 1905 and 1906 by the eX-
plorations of Lewis and Clark and then by
cid John Jacob Astor, the fur trader, who
CO +dDI!sASu d L! do'AS iSSl ~ -1oNS' 40, Va
the Columbia river, and claimed the ter
ritory for the United States. England
likewise claimed the country and when
the democrats nominated Polk for presi-
dent, they demanded that England give up
he country or fight and one of the dem
ocratic campaign cries was asa degrees, 40
minutes or fight" The war with Mexico
caused Polk to agree on a compromise al
parallel 40 degrees north. This acquisi-
ton was by discovery
(6). GADSDEN PURCHASE.-This en-
braced parts of Arizona and New Mexico
and was purchased from Mexico in 1858,
while Franklin Pearce, a democrat. was
president
%. ALAsKA.-The first negotiation for
the acquisition of Alaska was begun in
1863, when James Buchanan, democrat,
was president. The purchase was con-
Guided in 1867, when Andrew johnson,
democrat. was president.
(s). THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.-These
islands constituted a republic and were
annexed by the mutual consent of the two
countries in 1898, when Mckinley, repub-
lican, was president.
Thus we see that every substantial &C
QUESTION of territory prior to 1898 was by
democratic presidents, and we further find
that these acquisitions were made by pur-
chase, by voluntary annexation, by con-
quest and by discovery, which are the
only modes of territorial acquisition known
to international law. Certainly this his
torical resume ought 10 convince any dem
ocrat that we are not violating the Declar
alton of independence the constitution or
any democratic doctrine when We favor
the annexation Of Porto Rico So we have
only left for consideration the third propo-
sition, which is, that Porto Rico and Cuba
are desirable territorial acquisitions.
For convenience, l shall consider the
two Islands together. In contending that
these islands are desirable acquisitions.
must not be understood as affirming that
they come to us as unmiXed BILE sing
They will bring with them some difficult
ties, but the good in them will far out
balance the bad Opposition TO Cuba Is
a new song to democratic ears. AS early
as October "a, 1928, Thomas Jefferson wrote
10 President Monroe:
Il candidly confess that have ever
looked on Cuba as the most interested adj
dition which could ever be made to our
system of States.
THE control which, with Florida Point,
this island would give Us over the Gulf OF
Mexico and the countries and isthmus
bordering on it, as we'll as all those whose
waters flow into It, would fill up the meas
ure OF our political we'll being"
The old man was wonderfully far-s seeing,
In single sentence he leaves as a tesla
ment to the party founded by him the
obligation to control the great Mexican
and Caribbean seas. and the countries
bordering on them, ana while the caral
was not then dreamed OF. his prophetl,
vision seems 10 have had 1t in contempla-
ton. And, with a masters eye, he sin txsl
out Cuba as the strategic point from
which the sea, the main land and tha
isthmus could be protected. Surely his
voice does not fall on dumb ears Today.
Cuba became the apple OF the democratic
eye ana time and again efforts were made
to acquire it. The young democrats I'M
dertook to flibuster it into the Union aud
the noble Criterion aad other Southern
youth persisted in the attempt. The older
democrats were almost as impetuous And
In 1884 Franklin Pearce, democratic
president, directed James Buchanan, then
minister to Great Britain. afterward dem
ocratic president; John Y. Mason. minister
10 France, and Pierre Soule. minister to
spain, 70 negotiate for the purchase OF
cuba. They undertook to buy it and failed
they then communicated to our govern
ment what is known as the Ostend mani
Iesto in which they recommended that the
oniied States offer Spain $4,000 coo for
Cuna, and that in the event NJ Snain,s no