CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1900-09-27

AcVuiTeu Dy treaty auu purcndse uuucf
President Jefferson exactly and pre-
cfsely as the Philippines have been nc
quired by treaty and purchase under
President Mckinley. The doctrine OF
the consent of the governed" the doc
| trine previously enunciated by Jeffer-
son In the Declaration of Indepen-
| dence, was not held by him or by any
| other sane man 10 apply to the Indian
| tribes in The Louisiana territory no
| vote taken even of the white inhab-
itants. not to speak of the negroes and
Indians. as to whether they were will
| ing that their territory should be an
nexed. The great majority Of the In
habitants, white and colored alike.
We're bitterly opposed 10 the transfer.
An armed force of United States sol
diers had TO be hastily sent into the
| territory to prevent insurrectiOn, Pres
| ident jefferson sending these troops to
Louisiana for exactly the same reasons
| and with exactly the same purpose
that President Mckinley has sent
troops 10 the Philippines. Jefferson
distinctly stated that the LouisianiaDs
were mot fit or ready for self-govern-
ment." and years elapsed before they
were given seIf-goyernment. Jefferson
| appointing the Governor and other ofii-
cials without any consultation with the
Inhabitants Of the newly-acquired ter
ritory. The doctrine that the ''consti-
| tuition follows the nag was not then
even considered either by Jefferson or
| by any other serious party leader FOR
| II never entered their heads that a new
territory should be governed other than
In the way in which the territories of
Ohio and Illinois had already been gov
| erned under Washington and the elder
Adams: the theory known by this ut
only struck out in political controversy
at much later date. for the sole pur-
pose of justifying the extension Of
slavery into the territories
The parallel between what jefferson
did with Louisiana and what is now
being done In the Philippines Is exact.
jefferson. the author OF the Deciarn-
| ton of Independence. aud of the con
/ sent of the governed" doctrine. saw no
incongruity between this and the es-
| tablishment of government on com
mon sense grounds in the new territory !;
and he rallied at the sticklers for an
impossible application OF his principle
saying IN language which at the present
day applies 10 the situation In the
| Philippines without the change of n
word though II is acknowledged that
our new fellow-cifizens are as yet as
incapable of self-4overnment as chill
dren. yet some can not bring fhcn-
selves to suspend its principles for
single moment He intended that
ultimately self-govcrnmcnt should be
| Introduced throughout the territory.
but only as the different parts became
| ut for II. and no sooner. This is just
the policy that has been pursued In
no Part OF the Louisiana purchase was
complete self-government introduced
| for a number Of years: in one part of
II. the Indian Territory. II has not yet
been introduced. although nearly a cen
tury has elapsed. Over enormous
tracts OF II. including the various
Indian reservations. with a territory In
| the aggregate ns large nv that OF the
| Philippines. the constitution has never
yet followed the flag; the army officer
/ and the civilian agent still exercise
authority. without asking the consent
| Of the governed" We must proceed
In the Philippines with the same wise
caution. taking each successive step a~
IL becomes desirable. and accommodate
ing the details Of our policy to the
peculiar needs Of the situation. but
as soon as the present revolt is put
down and order established. II viii un-
tiouh,edly he possible to give to the
islands q larger measure OF self-goy-
crument than jefferson originally gave
| Louisiana
The next great step In expansion was
| the acquisition OF Florida This was
partly ccqulrcd by conquest and partly
| by purchase. Andrew Jackson being
the most prominent figure In the ac-
qui~ition. IL was taken under Presi-
dent Monroe. the sftertime President
John Quincy Adams being active in
securing the purchase. As In the case
OF the Philippines. Florida was acquir-
ell by purchase from Spain. and In
Florida the Seminoles. who had not
been consulted in the sale, rebelied and
| wnrci war exactly as some % the
| Tagals have rebclled and waged war
| in the Philippines. The Seminole war
lasted for many years. but Presidents
| Monroe Adams and Jackson declined
| for moment to consider the question
OF abandoning Florida to the Semi
noles. or to treat their non-consent to
bc Government OF the United States as
| n valid reason for turning over the ter
ri;ory TO them.
Our next acquisition OF territory was
that OF Texas. secured by treaty after
II had been wrcsted 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 Gadsdcn purchase.
The next acquisition was that OF
Alaska, secured from Russia by treaty
and purchase. Alaska was full of ma
tives, some OF whom had advanced
well beyond the stage Of savagery and
were Christians. They were not CON
suited about the purchase nor was
their acauicscencc required. The pur-
chase was made by the men who had
just put through n triumphant war to
restore the Union and free the slave;
but none of them deemed II necessary
TO push the doctrine OF the consent OF
the governed" to conclusion so fan
tnstic as to neccssitatc the turning over
OF Alaska to Its original owners, the
Indian and the Aleut. For thirty
years the United States authorities.