Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-30

THE TERRITORIAL GROWTH OF TfiR
UNITED STATES. BY William a. NOW
~ A. NJ Phi. d.. member OF various
American historical societies and author
Of several books on American history
and civil government Silver, Burdett d
Co. New York, Boston, and Chicago.
vo.. PIP 2S7.
This IS in many respects very eA-
cclcnt book and will be welcomed by not
a s,rsll circle OF intelligent readers AS
tcrse compendium OF the history OF
the territorial acquisitions of the United
states it Will be a valuable handbook TO
historical and political students In obviat-
Ing the necessity OF freoGent reference to
cyclopaedias and 10 larger volumes OF
American history.
The first two chapters Of this book on
The Original Thirteen States and the
Northwest Territory are really predatory.
In no sense whatever can the NORTHWEST
Territory be spoken Of or treatco as
territorial acquisition OF the oniteo
States It was recognized part OF the':
original domain when the treaty with
Great Britain was consummated IN l.eo,
acknowledging American independence.
Before the Revolution the colonies mao
claimed its proprietorship under grants
from, the crown of England. and when the
adverse contentious Of France were
uuieted in the treaty Of 1853. they CLAIMED
that the British title thus acquired was
merely a vindication of their own char
tered rights.
But the whole interior basin OF AMER
ca between the Alleghanies on the east
and the Mississippi on the westward the
great chain of lakes on the north, and
the Gulf Of Mexico on the south had been
practically in possession OF Indian tribes.
Spain held secure possession of the mouth
and farther shore of the Mississippi. and
SO long as France retained her hold upon
Canada .hc waterway communication
through the lakes. and her adroit manlp-
ulation of the Indians supplemented by
not q few aggressive Catholic m!ssiona-
RES gave to France, to no inconslderable
extent vantage ground over England
and her colonies in access to the Us
Mississippi end trans-h1ountaint interior
But all this was changed when Wolfe cap
tured Quebec and the lilies Of France
gave place to the ST. Andrews Cross OF
Britain. The battle Of Quebec was one
of the decisive victories of history and
settled for all coming time for the destiny
secured for England and her children do
main over the whole interior basin. Inc
claim of her colonies to it was never, how
ever fully recognized b. the mother
country Indeed most of her publicists al
ways reckoned it as u part OF Canada
successfully rescued from France by the
Quebec campaign. If, therefore, when the
American colonies asserted their lndepen-
dence, in l776, Great Britain had been
10 IN n.
would have been difficult for American
statesmen to have made any very piausi-
bic demand for the concession to them
of any part of the western territory nortn
and west Of the Ohio river. And when
after the surrender OF CORVALLIS at \ ork-
town Great Britain consented to treat tor
peace on the basis of recognizing our IN
dependence. the western boundary line
protected itself in the most formidable
aspect The American commissioners
were uphappily handicapped by instruc-
tons from the Continental Congress to
net in concert with France. But the
French negotiatoIs very soon disclosed
the cloven foot and it became ahundantlE
apparent that they were pertidious allies
looking TO the acquisition Tor Spain OF
Cts Mississippi addition to her province
of Louisiana, and intent by dwariing our
western boundaries on shutting us in be-
MES. or at farthest the Ohio river. Their
purpose was to recover for the Latin
races what they had lost by the fall OF
Quebec, and as Spain held the mouth and
me farther shore Of the mississippi, 20
obtain in the negotiations with Greta Brit
ain secure control of the eastern shore.
This developments required heroic action
and the American commissioners had to
assume the responsibility Of disregarding
,cfr
boundary negotiations alone with Great
Britain The British commissioners were
wise enough TO see that with the mouth
Of the Mississippi and its western shore
in the control of Spain and no access
for her from the Cts Mississippi territory
to the sea except through the lakes ana
the ST. Lawrence; that all the results of
Wolfe's victory at Quebec III eXpell!ng
France from the Continent were at haz-
ard. and the diplomacy of the American
commissioners to the great confusion and
modification of her treacherouS ally Sc
cured the recognition OF the Mississippi
as our western boundary. The author
comedies that this success was due TO the
conquest of the northwestern and south
western territory by Virginia and her
Southern sisters. He says that Jay
clearly saw the value of that territory
to the United States. but how should it
be secured. 1t rightfuly belonged 10 us
because we had conquered it through the
expedition of George Rogers Clarke in
ITS. The territory south Of the Ohio we
We're entitled to through the bravery and
patriotism of John Sewer. James Rob-
ertson and Isaac Shelby" But his author
Is not frank enough to say who were
the we and the us whose conquest of this
territory extorted the recognition of the
Mississippi as our western boundary.
George Rogers Clark was officer of
the State of Virginia. commissioned by
Patrick Henry, as her Governor His
troops were Virginia troops, and his ro-
mantle conquest of haskaskia and Nir-
cennes was he. unaded contribution to
the cause of American independence He
took possession of that country in the
name of Virginia He eXacted from all
the people then resident therein the rec
ognition Of Virgina's sovereignty, and
they Loyalty continued thereafter that rec
ignition. When Great Britain concluded
her treaty of peace she did not recognize
the independence Of the United States as
unit. but she did recognize the indepen-
dence of each and every one of her afore-
time colonies as an independent State.
Upon the principle Of ut; posseditis the
then proprictcrship of Virginia eXtorted
the recognition of the Mississippi MS her
western boundary. AT that time the re-
Iuctant and long-deiayed assent Of
MARYLAND had contaminated a union I'M
der the articles Of confederation, but those