The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-17

world The history of the Nation is In large
part the history of the Nations expansion.
When the first Continental Congress met
In Liberty Hall and the thirteen original
States declared themselves a nation the
westward limit OF the country was marked
by the Allegheny mountains. Even during
the revolutionary war the work of expan
sion went on. Kentucky, Tennessee and the
great Northwest, then known as the Illinois
country. were conquered from our white
and Indian foes during the revolutionary
struggle and We're confirmed to US by the
treaty or peace in l7S3. Yet the land thus
confirmed was not then given 10 us. II
was held by an alien foe until the army
under Gen Anthony Wayne freed Ohio
from the red man. while the treaties of
jay and Pinckney secured from the Span
ish and British Natchez and Detroit
In 1903. under President Jefferson, the
greatest single stride In expansion that we
ever took was taken by the purchase of the
Louisiana territory. This so-called Louis
lana, which included what are now the
states or Arkansas. Missouri. louisiana
Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas Nebraska. North
and South Dakota. Idaho, Montana and a
large part or Colorado and Utah. was ac-
CURED by treaty and purchase under Presi-
dent Jefferson exactly and precisely as the
Philippines have been acquired by treaty
and purchase under President Mckinley
The doctrine of the consent of the gov
erned, the doctrine previously enuncfated
by Jefferson in the Declaration of indie
pendenoe. was not held by him or by any
other sane man 10 apply TO the Indian
tribes In the Louisiana territory which he
thus acquired. and there was no vote taken
even or the white inhabitants not 10 SNEAK
OF the negroes and Indians as ia whether
they were willing that their territory should
be annexed The great majority OF The in
haoitants, white and colored alike were
bitterly opposed TO the transfer An armed
force of United States soldiers had to be
hastily sent into the territory 10 prevent
insurrection, President Jefferson sending
these troops to Louisiana for exactly the
same reasons. and with exactly the same
purpose that President Mckinley has sent
troops TO the Philippines. Jefferson dis
tinctly stated that the Louisianians were
not fit or ready for self-government'
and years elapsed before they were given
ssslf-government. Jefferson appointing
out any consultation with the Inhabitants
of the newly acquired territory The doc
trine that the Constitution follows the
nag was not then even considered. either
by Jefferson or any other serious party
leader, for 1t never entered their heads
that a new territory should be governed
other than In the way in which the Terri
tories of Ohio and Illinois had already been
governed under Washington and the elder
Adams; the theory known by this utterly
false and misleading phrase was only
struck out in political controversy at
much later date, for the sole purpose of
1ustifyfng the extension of slavery into the
territories.
SAME IN THE PHILIPPINES.
The parallel between what Jefferson did
with Louisiana and what is now being done
In the Philippines is exact. Jefferson, the
author of the Declaration of Independence.
and OF the consent of the governed doc
trfne, saw no incongruity between this
and the establishment of a government
on common sense grounds in the new terri
tory; and he rallied at the sticklers for an
impossible application of his principle, say
ing in language which at the present day
applies TO the situation i'm the Philippines
without the change of word, though ii
= N IOfC hot f1l1~ .fr
zens are as yet as incapable of self-govern-
ment as children, yet some cannot bring
themselves to suspend its principles for a
single moment. He intended that ultimate
ly self-government should he introduced
throughout the territory, but only the
different parts became fit for IL, and no
sooner. This is just the policy that has
been pursued In no part of the Louisiana
purchase was complete self-g0vernment
introduced for a number of years: in one
part of 1T, the Indian Territory, il has not
yet been introduced. although nearly a
century has elapsed. Over enormous tracts
of IL, including the various Indian reserva-
tons, with territory in the aggregate
as large as that of the Philippines. the
Constitution has never yet followed the
flag; the army officer and the civilian
agent still exercise authority, without ask
ing the consent of the governed. We
must proceed in the Philippines with the
same wise caution, taxing each successive
step as it becomes desirable, and accom-
modating the details of policy to the
ptculldr uetuS Oh the II. but DIS
soon as the present revolt is put down and
order established, IL will undoubtedly be
possible to give to the islands a larger
measure of self-government than Jefferson
originally gave Louisiana.
1.-THE next step in expansion the
acquisition of Florida. This was partly
acquired by consent and partly by pur-
chase, Andrew Jackson being the most
prominent figure in the acquisition. 1t was
taken under President Monroe. the after
time President John Quincy Adams being
active in securing the purchase. AS In
the case of the Philippines. Florida was
acquired by purchase from Spain, and in
Florida the Seminoles, who had not been
consulted in the sale, rebelled and waged
war exactly as some of the Tagals have
rebelled and waged war in the Philip
pines The Seminole lasted for sew
eral years, but Presidents Monroe, Adams
and Jackson declined for a moment to
consider the question OF abandoning Florida
to the Seminoles, or to treat their nom
consent to the government of the United
States as valid reason for turning over
the territory to them.
Our next acquisition of territory was
that of Texas, secured by treaty after it
had been wrested from the Mexicans by
the Texans themselves. Then came the
acquisition of California. New Mexico.
Arizona, Nevada and parts of Colorado
and Utah as the result of the Mexican
war, supplemented five years later by the
Gadsden purchase.
ACQUISITION OF ALASKA.
he next was lldl VI <aidSho,
secured from Russia by treaty and pur-
chase. Alaska was full of natives, some
of whom had advanced well beyond the
stage of savagery and were Christians.
| They were not consulted about the pur-
| chase. nor was their acquiescence required.
| The purchase was made by the men who
had just put through a triumphant war
to restore the Union and free the
| slave; but none of them deemed
| il necessary to push the doctrine
| of the consent of the governed to be con-
| clusion so fantastic - -ecessitate the
turning over of Alas tn j :, original OWN
| ers. the Indian and the 4Ieut. For thirty
years the United States authorities, mil
| tary and civil, exercised the supreme
| thority in tract OF land many times
| larger than the Philippines. in which Ii did
| not seem likely that there would ever be
| any considerable body of white inhabi-
tants.
Nearly thirty years passed before the
next instance of expansion occurred. which
was over the island of Hawaii. An eff
| fort was made, at the end of President
| Harrisons administration. TO secure the
! annexation of Hawaii. The effort was un-
| successful In a debate in Congress, on
| Feb 3 1894. one of the leaders in oppos-
| ing the annexation of the islands. stated.
| These islands are more than two thousand
miles distant from our extreme Western
boundary. We have serious race prob
| lem now in our country, and / am not in
| favor of adding TO our domestic fabric
| n mOngrel DopuiatiOn (Of this characterl