The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-12-13
and stripes there. But westward still


Of liEht a'nalat Lass it NHaiDa
yer beams with the golden giories OF tie
sunset coast. Then it swept on to the
Pacific by New Mexico to Califoryia.
then its quivering folds and beaming
light bridged the chasm taking in Alas
ka and reaching so far to the Orient
that San Francisco is $50 miles cast of
the central meridian of our longitude.
Expansion indeed! I see it multiplying
its stars three fold, its population more
than twenty fold in century; increas-
ing in its riches till their increase and
their absolute bulk are far beyond that
of any other people or nation, on the
face Of the earth. And even now it does
not stand still, but is with noisless tread
steadily marching westward in its course.
1t was not until war clouds had dark
ened our national sky that it was seen
that the star Of the west was beaming
above Pacific archipelago. AS nation
we are the creatures of that star, and
we can do nothing less than recognize
it's leadership; for some day it will belt
the earth with it's bands of light, and
the star of liberty will illumine the ma.
tions of the world, and lead them into
the portals Of our Heavenly King where
liberty and light and truth shall reign
in a realm of endless possession.
At every step Of this august, this un-
avoidable expansion, the prophets of
pessimism have stood aghast with
coward terrors. They protested against
Florida. They roared in wrath against
the inevitable possession of the Louis
anas. Texas was certain obstruction to
the Republic. New Mexico and Cali
fornia would so stretch by limitless dist
ances our unities that they would be
bound to break across the ridge of the
Rockies. But the Republic stands to-
day stronger than ever before.
Expansion is not necessarily imperial
ism; great responsibilities develop great
power and foster loftier ideals. Our
duty to the world is to proclaim liberty,
to give to all the inhabitants thereof
| our gospel of freedom; to teach men to
govern themselves.
One man, neither small company Of
men, cannot make this government an
imperial government. The constitution
debars them from this privilege. So
with this clear understanding, and a
keen sense Of sacred responsibility to
God, and our duty to our fellow men.
we were compelled by a, providential
necessity, to enter into struggle parti-
cularly taken in tho interests of man.
kind. 1t was the solitary war Of all the
ages undertaken with an unselfsh, an
altruistic purpose. What followed
need not be rehearsed here, hand un.
seen shielded and directed us, till at last
proud Spain implored of us peace.
Above all I believe stands the reali
zation that God has opened to us an op
portunity and laid upon usa mission un
exampled in the worlds history, for q
benefcent career of Christian civiliza
| ton on a vast scale on both sides of the
globe. The Cuban and PHILIPPINE Is
landers are to be impressed with the
immense contrast between the spirit O
Spain and the free spirit Of Christian
America. They must learn the vita
temper of the Occident in contrast will
the slumberous Orient. 1t is our bust
ness to infuse something OF our cool ant
level l-headed temperament into the flor
id and passionate tropical nature; ant
something Of restless Anglo o-saxol
energy into tropical and an orienta
somnolence and Incidence; to. brace
their laxity of morals with the sturdie
fibre of the temperate zones; to Civ
them the Christian marriage and home
to establish them in forms of govern
ment which are the ripest, richest frui
of observation and experience of all age
to give and to establish among them ;
complete system of education; and t.
crown all, to give them the open Bibl
and the gospel which make men free be
cause fiji for liberty. And when the.
shall be thus fitted for self governmen
our America shall surprise the graspins
nations of the world by the magnani
nous treatment of her temporary colo
nists."
Il look forward, however, with glowing
optimism, that in the near future W.
shall see brave mon pressing nobly fo
WARD for the solution OF every problem
that may threaten our national growth