The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-08-14
Title by Purchase.

Mr.. Bryan SAYS: at r. impossible 70 Sc
cure title 10 a people by force or by 7ur-
chase" Impossible" means that which
cannot be done We assume that BY 1T
tie 10 a people" Mr. Bryan means soyer-
eighty over a people. That f. not owner
ship. as in the case OF slaves, but II IL the
right TO govern. In our case SOW reignty
implies the right to govern according 70
cur Constitution. That Is The Posts con-
tcntion and the Democratic contention
Our fathers secured the sovereignty OF
this country by force. And while they did
not except IN a few instances, claim OF
assert absolute ownership OF the aborigi-
nails as II they were cattle. they subju-
gated them and took possession OF tneiT
lands. That has been going on all 5ver
the world since the dawn OF history. The
Israelites took their title TO the land OF
Canaan by a war OF determination, n
which neither age nor sex was spared
As Mr.. Bryan frequently displays famil-
isrity with the Old Testament. he Will re-
member that the campaigns which result
ed in the conquest Of the promised land
and the slaughter Of its inhabitants were
directed by the Goo Of Israel.
But we need not go into ancient history
nor need We leave our own country FOL
one Of the proudest boasts Of the greatest
Of Mr.. Bryans three parties that II has
added vast areas 10 our more than I'm
periai domains. In achieving Those grand
results the ilIustrious Democrats Of the
glorious past did not ask consent Of the
peoples whom they annexed by purchase
In 1898 Thomas Jefferson acquired the
Louisiana Territory and its varied aAort.
ment OF inhabitants for s15000.0)l Who
asked or cared for the consent OF the
governed" in that transaction? Is not our
title TO that vast transit Mississippi regicr
valid?
II is cheerfuliy admitted that. in some
important respects, there are material
sion and that which was accomplished by
the adoption of the treaty Of Paris. But
in this matter of the validity Of title by
purchase geography Is of no account. The
theory that Mr.. Bryan enunciates is ap.
plicable everywhere If anywhere.
In 1919 this republic purchased Florida
and the right to control its heterogeneous
population, paying for the title 5000 600
We did not ask their consent, and the ad.
ministration sent Gen. Jackson with an
imposing, sOnorous title TO govern them
And he did govern them In about as I'm
periar' fashion as anything in that line
that our national history records.
In 1s4S we had another and very consid.
cradle transaction in real estate, whereby
in consideration of s1S,250,OO0, we acquired
title 10 the lands and peoples of New
Mexico and California. James X. Polk
was President, and James Buchanan was
Secretary of State. No consent of tbs
people was asked, and they were govern
ed-well and honorably governsd-foI
years under the authority vested in the
President as COmmander-in-chief of the
army.
Under the administration of Franklin
Pierce, whose Secretary of State was
William L. Marcy, We secured, in 1858
for 100000, a valid title TO Southern
Arizona and its population Of various
colOrs. Again no consent was asked II
1861. President Andrew Johnson and Sec.
rotary of State William H. Seward paid
200 600 for Alaska, the inhabitants going
with the land, as usual, and no consent
asked or cared for. Each of these trans,
actions was precisely like that which
placed the Filipinos under our cover.
eighty. Each was a purchase Of sover.
eighty. and all that the term implies
And neither the United States nor any
other power has a more lawful title t.
any part of its domain than we have tC
the Philippines.