Graham guardian., 1900-07-20
Stafford

and that the people Of such new
states would be admitted to all
the privileges of American citizen
ship. 1t was clearly seen that the
states to be carved out of such ter
ritory would add strength, dignity
and glory to the government. It'll
drove no independent people into
the mountains and devested
their homes. In doing what the
patriotic Jefferson did, there was
at war with the design
and purpose of the founders of. the
government, nothing Obstructive of
free representative government.
1t was not only expansion by an
nexing contiguous territory, but it,
was an expansion of our cherished
political system and institutions.
1t carried with it an enlightened
and self-governing people with the
grandest' opportunities on earth to
expand their fortunes. 1t was legit-
innate expansion with harmonious
growth. 1t subverted none of our
institutions. 1t destroyed none of
our political ideals. And it has
since demonstrated that so long as
our political institutions, systems
and principles are adhered to our
ideals of personal, civil and politi-
cal liberty will be perpetuated.
So far as Louisiana and Florida
were concerned, they were possess
ed by European nations whose
institutions were avese to ours.
They afforded a place where a
foreign enemy could annoy the
commerce of the Mississippi river
and furnish basis for military
operations against us. They were
acquired for the purpose of ex.
tending our domain over contigu.
Gus territory and make a greater
Union and population on the
American continent and of freeing
America from such close proximity
to monarchy and governments
which did not in any way resemble
or sympathize with republican in
stitutions. Never before have we
thought of annexing territory not
contiguous or so near as to bt
equivalent thereto.
But what must be said Of an ex
pansion which annexes territory
10000 miles away and which does
not carry with it an extention o.
our political system, which gives
no opportunity for the betterment
of our race and where it is not in
tended that the millions of people
who occupy such territory shall
ever enjoy the right to statehood
and where the people are never tc
participate in making the laws 0.
the general government. 1t is
certain that these two modes 0.
expansion are as wide apart as tht
poles, one being an expansion and
extension of free government; tht
other obstruction of free institu
tions and the birth and growth o.
imperial rule.
1t is indeed sad spectacle, one
to be both lamented and wondered
at, that the very falsity of Repub
lican positions compels them to
abandon as false the civic instruc
tions of the past hundred years
and fall back upon the ancient poll
teal philosophy of kings. Why
should Republican leaders have
been engaged in re-interpreting
the Declaration of Independence
Was it notfor the purpose of at
tempting to justify their contra
dictions, inconsistencies and absur
dities2 Was it not for the purpose
of justifying sympathy with Eng
land in their criminal attack up
on the Beers to justify the es
tablishment by us of government
over people in other lands without
their consent and to tax them
without representation and to even
Justify discrimination against
/ portions of our own people?
We defined what we pretended
that honor demanded in the name
of liberty in the case of the Cubans
| Does honor demand one thing in
Cuba and the opposite in the
Philippines? When we went to
the relief, of the Cuban people they
were in insurrection against the
tyrany of Spain the same as the
Filippinos were, each having or
ganized armies, that of the Fill
pinos being the most capable and
the best armed and equipped of th,
two. They were both struggling
for liberty for the same cause and
with the same justification. i
not liberty as dear to one as tn,
otherg
/ To see so strong a nation as ourt