Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-06-01

expressly disclaimed any desire for
land outside of the North American
continent. That he looked forward
to the annexation of Cuba is we'll
known but in letter to President
Monroe, dated June 90, 1928, he sug-
gested that we hould be in readiness
to receive Cuba when solicited by
herself" To him Cuba was desirable
only because of the islands close
proximity to the United States.
Thinking that some one might use the
annexation Of Cuba as q precedent for
indefinite expansion he said in a letter
to President Madison, dated April 81,
1909:
1t will be objected to our receiving
that no limit can then be drawn to
our future acquisitions" but, he
added, "Cuba can be defended by us
without navy, and this develops the
principle which ought to limit our
views. Nothing should ever lie ac-
cepted which would require a navy to
defend it,"
In the same letter, speaking of the
possible acquisition of that island, he
said:
al would Immediately erect a
column on the southernmost limit of
Cuba and inscribe on il ne plus ultra
as to us in that direction"
1t may be argued that jefferson was
wrong in asserting that we should
cOnfine our possessions to the North
American continent, but certainly no
one can truthiully quote him as an
authority for excursions into the
eastern hemisphere. If he was un-
willing to go farther south than Cuba,
even in the western hemisphere,
would he be likely to look with favor
upon colonies in the Orient?
If the authority of Jefferson cannot
be invoked to support the acquisition
of remote territory, much less can his
great name be used to excuse colon
ial policy which denies to the people
the right to govern themselves. When
he suggested an inscription for his
monument he did not enumerate the
honors which he had received, though
no American had been more highly
honored; he only asked to be remem-
bered for what he had done, and he
named the writing of the Declaration
of Independence as the greatest OF his
deeds. In that memorable document
he declared it self-evident truth that
governments derive their just powers
from the consent OF the governed.
The defense and development of that
doctrine was his special care. His
writings abound with expressions
showing his devotion to that doctrine
and his solicitude for it. He preached
it in the enthusiasm of his youth; he
reiterated it when he reached the age
of maturity; he crowned it with bene-
dictions in his old aye. Who will say
that, if living, he would jeopardize it
it to-day by engrafting upon it the doc
trine of government by external force?
Upon the fourth proposition Jeffer-
son is no less explicit. Now, when
some are suggesting the wisdom of
military government for the Philip
pines, or colonial system such as
England administers in India, it will
not be out of place to refer to the
manner in which Jefferson viewed the
inability of aliens to prescribe laws and
administer government. In 1877 a
French society was formed for the pur-
pose of settling upon tract of land near
the Tombigbee river. Jefferson was
invited to formulate laws and regula.
tions for the society. On the 10Th of
January of that year he wrote from
Monticello expressing his high appre-
citation OF the confidence expressed in
him, but declining to undertake the
task. The reasons he gave are we'll
worth considering at this time. After
wishing them great happiness in their
undertaking he said:
"The laws, however, which must ef.
feet this must flow from their own
habits, their own feelings, and the re.
sources OF their own minds. No
stranger to these could possibly pro-
pose regulations adapted to them.
Every people have their own particu-
lar habits, ways of thinking, manners,
ETC., which have grown up with them
from their infancy, are become part
OF their nature, and to which the reg
ulations which are to make them
happy must be accommodated. No
member of a foreign country can have
a sufficient sympathy with these. The
institutions of Lycurgus, for example,
would not have suited Athens nor
those of Solon, Lacedaemon. The Or
carnations of Locke we're impractical
BILE for Carolina, and those of Rosseau
for Poland. Turning inwardly on my
self from these eminent illustrations
of the truth of my observation, l feel
all the presumption it would manifest
should undertake to do what this re-
spectacle society is alone qualified to
do suitably for ITSELF"
The alien may possess greater in
telligence and greater strength, but he
lacks sympathy for, and the identified
ton with, the people. We have only
90 rocoJl the grievances enumerated in