The Portland daily press., 1901-01-04
Ex.PREsIDENr HARRISON ON Elk.

EA.RhESlDEN1 hAhRloON ON EA-
PANSIUN.
(Concius,on of his North American Re.
view Article.
But we are now having it dinned Into
our ears that expansion Is the law Of life,
and that expansion is not practicable II
ths constitution 10 to go with the flag.
Lord Salisbury, some years ago, stated
this supposed law Of national life. In q
recent address, james Bryce says. by way
or comment:
tie thinks it like bicycle, which
must fall when 1t comes TO standstIll.
IL is an awkward result of this doctrine
that when there is no more room for ex-
pansion, and time must come, perhaps
soon, wnen there will be no more room,
the empire will begin to decline.
If Great Britain, with her accepted
methods of territorial growth finds the
problem OF growt by expansion increas-
ingIy hard, tt will be harder for us, for
we are fettered by our traditions as to
popular rights, al least--if not by our
co onstitution.
But expan sion is not necessarily OF a
healthy sort; 1t may be dropsicai. IL
Judgment is passed now, the attempted
conquest of the Boer republics has not
strengthened Great Britain, She has not
gained esteem. She has not increased her
loyal population. She has created need
for more outlying garrisons-already too
numerous. She has strained her military
anu financial resources, and has had a
revelation OF the need OF larger armies
and stronger coast defences nt homo.
The recent appeal of Lord Salisbury at
plete island defenoes Is most significant
did the South African war furnish a
truer measure OF the empires land
strength than the familiar campaigning
against half-savage peoples had done?
The old coach, with It's power TO stand
as we'll as to move, may after all be q
safer carriage for the hopes and interests
OF great people than the bicycle.
Some one Will say increasing years
and retirement and iEtrospeoticn have
broken your touch with practical affairs
and left you out OF sympathy with the
glowing prospeot Of territorial expansion
that now opsns before us; that IL has al
ways been SO; the Louisiana and ths
Alnskan purchases were opposed by some
fearful souls. But l have Deem making
no argument AGAINST exp lnslsn. The Ie-
cent acquisitions from epiin must pre-
sent widsly different conditions from all
previous acquisitions of territory, since 1t
seems TO De Aum1tt0u GnAb tneY cannot
be allowed to become a part OF the United
StRteJ without loss tnat ovsrbalances
the gain; that we can only safely acquire
them upon the condition that we can
govern them without any constitutional
restraint.
One who has retired from the service
but not from the love of his country
must be pardoned If he finds himself
unable TO rejoice in the acquisition of
lands and forests and mines and COM
merce, at the cost of the Abandonment
Of the old American idea that a govern
ment of absolute power is an intolerable
thing, and, under the constitution of the
United States, an impossible thing. The
view of the constitution have suggested
will not permit the power of territorial
expansions; but 1t will lead us to limit
the use Of that power to regions that may
safely become a part of the United
States, and to peoples whose American
citizenship may be allowed. 1t has been
said that the fash of Dewey's guns in
Manila Bay revealed to the American
people new mission. | like rather to
think of them as revealing the same old
mission that we read in the flash of
Washington's guns at Yorktown.
God forbid that the day should ever
come when, in the American mind. the
thought OF man as consumer" shall
submcrge the old American thought of
man as n creature of God, endowed with
''inaienable rights"