The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-19
STORY OF THE new PACIFIC


One OF the most remarkable books OF the
year has Just been issued BY Hubert Howe
Bancroft the eminent author OF tho series OF
West American histories, which so long nlled
the mind Of the literary world a. ono OF the
most erudfto and thorough OF historical ef-
forts. The closing scenes OF the Nineteenth
century seem TO Impress themselves upon
the authors mind as OF more than Passing
interest In the war with Spain he secs
something moro than transient disagreement
between two great political powers to be
fought out and dismissed from the mind
In the dcliverance OF Cuba. he sees some.
thing moro than the rescue from the hand
or the cpprossor OF weak and down-trcdden
people. Tho gravcst issues we're here at
stake. issues as important as any which ever
Ianected human progress or human destiny.
BY our forebcars liberty was held dear
ana rather than part with our freedom OF
thought and speech and action we would
die. But there was involved something more
even than liberty. or at least II was a higher
la holier. purer liberty than any which
the mind OF man had hitherto encountered.
! The Keynote OF tho American revolution was
indeed liberty, but material rather than
an altruistic liberty. liberty which indeed
1 made FREQ the body and mind OF man. and
limited the ROVER OF kings: but It was left
! TO us OF this An do steele civilization to
conceive. and carry into practice and estab
lish In our National tcnets, and carry into
International ethics n liberty OF humanity, a
liberty OF love and kindness for our fellow
men which In feeling and sentiment has
never before found expression on fields OF
battle and amidst the roar OF naval ar
tilory, 1t was us II the essence OF sacred
ideals had been Incorporated In tho constitu-
tons Of the commemorative. and made part
OF the fundamental principle OF progress.
~
Human development Is not a calm unruffled
flow OF placid waters. but turbulent stream
with surging rapids and intricate eddies be-
tween tho deeper pools of rest and reflection
Issues were brought home 10 us for quick
solution during the year of 9S which the
great American mind had never had occasion
before seriously TO consider We wero quite
sure what we would do II our National honor
were touched or our Nag insulted but in our
political consciousness we had never ciphered
out how far II was wise and polite to 10.
or how far our sympathies and sense OF right
should permit us TO go. in matter OF purely
international sentiment. But without think
ing too long or too deeply upon the subject.
we finally gave way TO n natural Impulse.
to find In the end that We were not altogether
wrong
In weaving a fitting fabric OF the times.
Mr.. Bancroft has taken for his theme the
very suitable and attractive one. the Pacific
ocean, and tho late Industrial development
upon its shores and islands Here Is the
largest OF seas. full of history and romance.
and trimmed with illimtable wealth and po-
tentialities, Its great magnitude. and Its
peculiar position between the old and the
new, the old. alien countries md civilizations
OF the East. and the rare intellectual and
material unfoldings of the more powerful
West have held it up to this time Isolate,
cut off from the world on both sides. or
rather never having been Joined to either. 1t
has remained thus far the border region OF
both worlds, the world of tho Prophet and
the Kbans. and the world OF Christian civil
ization,
But the days of Pacific isolation arc past
This great ocean 10 at last emerging from
its primeval mists. In the evolution of things
both great and small tho al-fructitying sun
has smiled upon these waters. and behold IN
them new life and now destiny Tho Amer
80 FAR at least as the Anglo Saxon race is
concerned are certain TO become the seats
OF n higher culture than tho world has ever
witnessed, Tho future Of the Latin race with
It's New World intormixtures, it is more
difficult to forecast. 1t seems to be making |
little or no advance. either in the Old World |
or In the Now.
Mr. Baucrofts new volume opens with a
OF the present with the past, He
points to lines OF steamships and fleets Of !
sail where II solitary ship at long intervals |
formerly appeared. He calls attention to tho
railway and telegraph lines. the birth and |
growth OF towns and cities and the over.
spreading OF settlements in regions not long |
since wholly unknown to the white man
Thus have sprung up as II by magic in these
so lately savage wilds. on the American side
Vancouver and other towns Of British Column
bia and Alaska. and on the Asiatic side
such places as Vladiyostock. Russia's Pacific
and Transsiberian railway ter
minus and which ID at once the Petersburg.
Gibraltar and Odessa OF the far East. Besides
he ports opened to commerce all along the
static coast places have grown into promi-
hence like Hong Kong. gnglapd's peerless
,ity and colony and In Australia. in place
~ the huts of the black bushmon. there are
titles like Melbourne and sydney. with their
hundreds of thousands of population.
~
The year OF 1898 was one OF bewildering
changes for the United States. and the events
II that year will ever stand forth conspicu-
GUS In the annals OF tho nation. Following
he Weyler infamies and the Maine tragedy, :
N swift succession came the declaration OF
war tho brilliant naval victories IN Mania
bay and of Santiago, tho capture OF the Two
,ities. the race pride and friendship OF En-
gland and the race hatred and Jealousy OF
The continental powers, the protocol, the
Paris peace commission, the sudden rise to
prominence and power OF the United Statos
"a a nation OF the first rank, the equal OF any
,f the old monarchies Of Europe and the
superior OF most OF them--these and other
ike momentous issues thence arising. many
II them now and strange 10 US and to the
rest Of the world. had to be met, aud were
net with promputude and wisdom, ana win
for upa IRA EuTODean