Willmar tribune., 1900-10-20
EMPIRE 1He ARMY"
Articles From the Pen Of William jennings Bryaneferson
Not an lmperialist--Dangers Of Large Standing
Army to Republican Government.
"when solicited by herself" To him

Cuba was desirable only because of
the islands close proximity to the
United States. Thinking that someone
might use the annexation of Cuba as
precedent for indefinite expansion,
he said in letter to President Madi-
son, dated April p, 1909:
SIT will be objected to our receiving
Cuba that no limit can then be drawn
to our future acquis itions,' but he
added ,"Cuba can be defended by us
without a navy, and this develops the
principle which ought to. limit our
views. Nothing should ever be ac-
cepted which would require a navy to
defend it. -
In the same letter, speaking of the
acquisition of that island, he said:
81 would Immediately erect column
on the southe1nmost limit Of Cuba, and
| inscribe on it ne plus ultra as to US
in that direction.''
1t may be argued that Jefferson was
wrong in asserting that we should con-
fine our possessions to the North
American continent, but certainly no
one can truthfully quote him as an au-
thority for excursions into the eastern
hemisphere. If he was unwilling to
go farther south than Cuba, even in
the western hemisphere, would he be
likely to look with favor upon colonies
in the Orient?
II the authority of Jefferson cannot
be invoked to support the acquisition
Of remote territory. much less can his
great name be used to excuse colonial
policy which denies to the people the
right to govern themselves. When he
suggested en- inscription for his monu-
ment he did not enumerate the honors
which he had received, though no
American had been more highly honor
ed, he only asked to be remembered
for what he he'd done and he named the
writing Of the Declaration of lndepen-
dence as the greatest of his deeds. In
that memorable document he declared
it. "a self-evident truth that governments
derive their just powers from the con-
sent 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 crown
ed it with benedictions in his old age.
Who will say that, if living, he would
jeopardize it to-day by engrafting
upon it the doctrine of government by
external force.
Upon the fourth proposition Jetfer-
son is no less explicit. Now, when
some are suggesting the wisdom of a
military government in the Philippines
or a 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 1917 French society
was formed for the purpose Of settling
upon tract of land near the Tombig-
bee River. Jefferson was invited to
formulate laws and regulations for the
society. On the 18th of January OF
that year he wrote from Monticello ex.
pressing his high appreciation of the
confidence expressed in him, but de-
clining to undertake the task. The
reasons he gave are we'll worth con-
sidering at this time. After wishing
them great happiness in their under
taking he said:
1.-The laws, however, which must ef-
feet this must flow from their own hab-
it's, 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 particular
habits, ways Of thinking, manners; etc.,
which have grown up with them from
infancy, are become part of their
nature, and to which the regulations
which are to make them happy must
be accommodated. No member Of a
foreign country can have sufficient
sympathy with these: The institutions
of Lycurgus, for example would not
have suited Athens, nor those of Solon,
Lacedemon. The organizations of
Locke were impracticle for Carolina,
and those of Rosseau for Poland.
Turning inwardly on myself from
these eminent illustrations Of the truth
of my observation, 1 feel all the pre-
sumption it would manifest should
undertake to do what this respectable
society is alone qualified to do suit
ably for itself.'l'
The alien may possess greater INTEL
ligence and greater strength but he
lacks the sympathy for, and the iden-
titication with, the people. we have
only to recall the grievances .e11unler-
ated in the Declaration of Independ-
ence to learn how an ocean may di-
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