The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-21


Of Oregon. our olaIn 70 the territory was reooe-
nlze1 a. vol founded. AMI ito Federal uoVsrn-
ment was supported by the country " Iargo
IN its lnslstenoe upon a reasonable BOUNDARY
There was. however. = widcsproad ana u-ep-
rooted conviction that II would pr0Ve nh"'Ae
20 extend our terrtory and soverelHlty ue-
yond the Rocky Mountains 'hf. JEFFERSON
even after he fully oomI rchenled the IMPORT
ancs u the louisiana PurcnSe' deemed F"
ertremoly doubtful whether II "oud DO POS
sible 20 MAINTAIN one Government over 80 great
an expan-e OF country. and spoke rnt'er cheer
fully ~ the contingency Of an Atlantic ana =
Misc OIL II Republic oosIlstns IN tHohn'y
rivaIf As 70 Oregon. he was s4tsnel that
II would he lmpraotoable to shtend our u'oV-
eminent over that far distant region III a
letter W ittsn IN 1872 r. John jacob hsor'
who had given him an account OF the dirnc'u-
ties encountered In establishing a mr-tr"hlhg
colony at Astoria. no snid thAt he looked for
ward TO tho time when the descendants OF the
present sett sn- at that point would HAYES read
Themselves through tbs whole 'engih oil lAo
Parno Coast OF America, as free and lnde-
p,nIsnt Americans. unconnected win us but by
the to, Of b pui and interest, ard employing. Ike
us, tho rgIt. NJ sei. governments II S'ems
that a similir vi"w was Expressed at the saIGe
period by N.b.t G1l,atin, who was. Il ALL Os
replcn.bnrrd. Secretay Of the Treasury In
Jeners1n's Administration Viewed ~ an
abstract proposition, MI, JeIerson's opinion
appears correct. that II will be bt~t To- both the
Atlantic and Padnc nations Wills cnt"Ts
taining the most frlendl relations, 70 remain
Independent. rather than to be unled nnfsr
the same government Mr Foster pr'cNsd'
/, show that svcn senator BentDn " MISSOURI,
although he was the most ardent champion
OF Western interests during the second quarter
OF the present century. failed 10 realize at tho
beginning OF his career the great destiny which
awaited hs country beyond the Rocky Noun
tains In discussing a bill oefore the senate
10 1925 for the occupation OF tho Co!nHpa
River, which he favored because II would be-
como the nucleus of a new American republic
ID the Pacific, and result In the frustrauon
Of the hostile sohem"s ~ Great Britain, he
said This republic should have limits Tho
present occasion does not require me 10 cay
where these limits should oe found on tho
north and south. but westward we can SPEAK
without reserve, and the ridges Of ths Rocky
Mountains msy hs named without oNenca
a. presenting a convenient. natural and sver-
lasting boundary. Or the back Of this ridge
the western limit Of this republic should
10 drawn. and the statue Of the god
Terminus should be raised upon its highest
peak, never To be thrown Own II IL pointed
out however, by orr author. that Benton lived
to change his vlsws upon tho suhiect ana In hs
Of the debates ~ Congrsss this
portion OF his speech OF 1898 was omitted Yet
a. lately as 1894. Robert c. Winthrop. then
Speaker OF the House Of Representatives,
read the extract just given from Benton.
speech and fully lndorssi his views During
the debate on the oregon question. similar
opinions were frequently expressed ov members
from van pus part. OF the country, Even
Daniel Webster, when discussing the snrexa-
ton OF Texas In lsIS, expressed tho opinion
tina, the Federal Government was likely TO be
endangered by a further enlargement o. tsrrt-
tory already so vast, and said Perhaps
the tine was not isr distant whom thsro would
be established beyond tbs Rocky Mountains
and on the shores Of the Western sea a sres,
Pacific republic OF which San Francisco would
be the capital Thess statesn, on. as Mr.
Foster remind. us. could not. IN their times.
anticipate the influence y two physical factors
which have since changed the whole aspect
OF the question Of territorial expansion, 70 wit:
steam and electricity
After duly scknov ledRing on page 1s the
singllarly msritorious conduct OF tie State
Department by Mr. Hamilton Fish. the author
COlCIlueN III ItNlNN VI Jul Whf'NllhNA' NV I
tory, which he thinks may properly be brought
TO an end with the close u Grants Admins
.trstion, because subsequent events may be
looked upon as constituting In a certain sense
a part OF the current affairs OF the day. The
century. since i77o, has been active in mould
ing the oode Of international law. and this
review has shown what an important part ~
this work has been wrought ny the nation
which had its birth In that year The chief
actor. In the work done by the United States
OF America have been the Secretaries Of State
and our diplomatic representatives abroad ,
has been soan hat our foreign relations
have been usually In the hands 81 the albeit
mon whom our country has produced But
they have had worthy ~coadJutors in giving
shape and pormauence 70 this intenAtioUal
code. The exposition OF the law % nations, !
as set forth In the decisions Of the Supreme
Court Of the United ststos, has had a great
influence In moulding that law. rnd ia opiniono
are recognized as Of the highest authority by
foreign plblicists. Among authors In tbs
department Of law, nome carry greater weight
throu ghout the world than Story. Kent.
Woolsey. Wharton snd other
writer's. When we recall the scr
vices Of these diplomatic. judicial and
,chola site representatives OF the United States, .
II is no vain boast to say that no body NJ men In
any country have exercised a more sanitary
on the affairs Of the globe. OF done
a. much 20 improve and enlarge tho principles
Of International law