The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-04-28
GRANTSBIRIHDAYE EVENTS
Secretary Leslie N. Shaw Proclaimed
an Imperial Republic.
CLAIMED SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PACIFIC
Predicted the AegrsndiEement Of the
United States and Advocated the
Haniltonian Theory.

Plttsburg, Pa, April 26.--The sixteenth
annual dinner Of the American Republic
club OF this city in commemoration of the
birthday Of General U. s. Grant was held
at the Hotel Henry tonight Hon. z. e.
Knox, attorney general OF the United
States, WAS tue tonstmastcr, and seated
e0out him were Hon. L. Al. Shaw. secre-
tary o! the treasury; Hon. H. G.. PAYNE.
postmaster general Congressman Charles
Il. Littleheld OF Maine and others. Ctrers
were laid for 600 ard all the chairs were
occupied
secretary Leslie NJ. Shaw traced the set.
tlcmcnt of the country from scattered eel.
onies, each independent OF the other and
not infrequently antagouistic to its present
c9hiihnhdlng position AS unihed siSterhood
OF states
The trend Of thought" he said. 'has
Leeh ever toward central government. -
lie referred to the conJending and antugu-
nlsuc schools of political thought that dur
ing seventy years of the National existence
ST. uggled for supremacy He did moi in
innate Justification OF the attempt on the
part ot eleven States to establish IA Con
iederAcy, but mentioned AZ he passed that
II mad not then been determined that a
state did not possess the right to Withdraw
at pleasure. he said 1t was by no means
certain that the supreme court of the
United states would have unanimously held,
4
question been properly brought before It,
that state might seCcde. Thomas Jeffcr-
son usually, II not always, referred TO the
United states in the plural number but 3"
said he, tho court of last resort rendered
its eternal decree at AppomattoX that the
United states are not diytslblc, but are one
ana inscparahle.'
lie then went on to show that following
this war came the period OF international
Improvement and the trend of events was
toward Il stronger central government, and
D In
we achieved commercial Independence and
became at once the greatest. the richest.
| the Wisest, the best housed, the best fed.
the hest clothed aud the most cuntented
people on the earth.
Adverting to the war with Spain the sec
rntUry said the United states had become
| the undOubtcd owner Of Porto Rico aud
! the Philippine archipelago aud the yolun'
/ tary guardian IT Cuba.
| The trend Gf thought and Of events had
! been toward Il stronger central government
! II the door set ajar in the sprug Of 1875
! by the unanimous vote OF both houses OF
/ congress ever swings wide on the hinges
the United states win police not only the
] street on which " lives. but the entire
! Western hemisphere. and with it all couu
/ tries and all islands washed by the Pa
cihc ! give not audience 10 the thought
! without misgiyings. aud ! mention It oulS
| as the logical sequence Of the trend Of oul
National equipment.
As after the civil war the nation On
! tered upon an extensive policy Of tnterna
| Improvement. said Mr. Shaw. substituting
! SO long as necessary trauscontinenta lines
! Of railroad and permanently continuing tht
| euhsidl8ing Of rivers and harbors SO afteI
| this last war we appear TO he euterlns
upon an equally progressive policy Of eT
| terna Improvements
Concluding be said Gentlemen, We must
have the largest merchant Gept ever kissed
10y ocean breezes. and these carriers II in
ternational commerce must he built Oi
American material In American yards / y
American labor rhcy are To he manned
by American sailors hred by American Goa
and more probably TeNas oil. and they are
Ia hoat the stars and Stripes. Whether
this viii be accomplished through govern
mcnt aid ~ nv American patriotism and
American capital and American energy
| can not predict. American wealth, Ameui
can energy. Mus Hawaii. which Is ours, plus
the Philippine islands, when arc ours
plus the isthmnn canal, which we will sure
| iv construct, pus "a merchant marine which
we shall surely build, transfers the sover
eighty Of tho Pacific ocean from the JnioI
Jack II the stars aud Stripes.