New-York tribune., 1903-05-01


that interviewed between the adoption OF the
Constitution and the outbreak OF the civil war:
There were other questions OF real monleht ana ~,
Importance. and there were many which at the
time seemed such to those engaged IN answer
ing them; but the greatest feat OF our Iore-
fathers OF those generations was the oeeo OF me
men who with pack train wagon train, on
horseback foot or by boat upon the waters.
pushed the frontier ever westward across ehe
continent
Never before had the world the kind of
national expansion which gave our people ali
that part of the American continent lying west
of the thirteen original States, the greatest
landmark in which was the Louisiana Purcnase
Our triumph in this process OF expansion was
indissolubly bound up with the success of our
peculiar kind Of federal government; ana tnis
success has been complete that because OF
fits very completeness we now sonne1lres Iaii 70
appreciate not only the all Importance but tne
tremendous difficulty of the problem with which
our nation was originally faced.
When our forefathers Joined TO call INTO pelns
this nation they undertook a TASK 1or "Ihcn
there but little encouraging precedent
The DEVELOPMENT of civilization from the ear
lest period seemed to show the truth or TWO
propositions: In theifirst place. II had always
dom and strength in any government: and in
the second place, it had always proved Well
nigh impossible for a nation 10 expand without
either breaking up or becoming centrahzeo
tyranny.
THE LESSONS OF HISTORY.
With the success of our effort 90 combine a
strong and efficient national union, able TO put
down disorder at home and to maintain our
deal. This success was signal and all-impor-
fant, but il by means unprecedented IN
the same sense that our type of expansion was
unprecedented. The history of Rome and OF
Greece illustrates very well the two types OF ex-
pansion which had taken place in ancient time
and which had been universally accepted as the
onlv possible types up TO the period when as q
nation ourselves began to take possession
of this continent. The Grecian states performed
remarkable feats of colonization, but each
colony. as created became entirely in
dependent of the mother state, and in after
aS
its friend. Local sef-government, local in
dependence. was secured. but only by the alb
solute sacrifice of anything resembling national
unity. In consequence. the Greek world, for all
SITS wonderful brilliancy and the extraordinary
artistic. literary anG philosophical Development
which has made all mankind its debtor for the
ages. yet wholly unable to Withstand for
midable foreign foe, save spasmoalcany: lily as
its outskirts the Greek States in the neighbor-
hood OF such empires fell under their sway
National power and greatness were completely
sacrificed to local liberty.
With Rome the exact opposite occurred The
Imperial city rose to absolute dominion all
the peoples OF Italy and then expanded her rule
the entire civilized world by process
which kept the nation strong and united but
gave no room whatever for local liberty and
government All other cities and countries
were subject to Rome In consequence this
great and fnasterful race OF warriors rulers,
road builders and administrators stamped their
indeIible impress upon all the after life OF our
race, and yet let an oVercentralizaton eat our
the vitals Of their empire until II became an !
empty shell; so that when the barbarians came
they destroyed only what had already become
worthless the world.
THE AMERICAN KIND OF EXPANSION. |
The underlying viciousness of each type of
expansion was plain enough and the remedy
now seems simple enough. But when the fathers
of the republic first formulated the Consti-
tuition unC-- which live this remedy was
untried and III one could foretell how IL would
work They themselves began the experiment
almost Immediately by adding new States 10
the original thirteen Excellent people IN lle
East viewed this initial expansion OF the couh-
Try with great alarm. Exactly as during the
Colonial period many good people IN the hloIheF
country thought il highly important that set
tiers should be kept out Of the Ohio valley IN
the interest of the fur companies, so, aIler We
had become a nation many good people on the
Atlantic Coast felt grave apprehension lest theyy
might somehow be hurt by the westward grown
of the nation These good people shook their
heads over the formation Of states IL the leTule
Ohio Valley, which now forms part OF the heaIt
Of our nation and they declared that the De
struction of the republic had been accomplished
when. through the Louisiana Purchase. we ac
uyiired nearly half Of what is now that same re-
public's present territory. Nor was ther Ieel!ilg
unnatural Only the adventurous ana TIE tdI
seeing can be expected hearuly 10 Nelc4ine @ o,re
process Of expansion, for the aaIoh e- til't
rards is nation which is entering upon a gIeae
career and with greatness there must OF heces-
sjtv come perils which daunt all save the most
stout hearted. ,,z -. -.
we expanded by carving the wilderness into
Territories and out of these Territories build
.np new States when once they had received
as permanent settlers SuEnclert nlIIlpeI O1 cu
own people. Being practical nation, we nave
never tried 10 force on any section Of our new
territory an unsuitable form or government
merely because il was suitable Tor anoIher sec
zion under different conditions OF the territory
covered b, the Louisiana Purchase portion
was given statehood within few years. An
other portion has not been admitted TO state
hood although a century has elapsed-although
\ doubtless it soon will be- In each case we
showed the practical governmental genius OF our
race by devising methods suitable TO meet me
actual existing needs; not by insisting upon the
sDDiication of some abstract shibbOleth to all
our new possessions alike. no matter how in
congruous this application might sometimes be-
BUILDING UP NEW STATES
over by far the major part Of the territory.
however. people spread in such numbers
during the course of the nineteenth century that
we were able 10 build up State after State each
with exactly the same complete local lndepen-
dence in all matters affecting purely its own do
mestic interests in any OF the original thirteen
States-each owing the same absolute feaIty TO
The Union of all the States which each Of the
original thirteen States also oWeS-an0 nnalIy
each having the same proportional right to Its
share in shaping and directing the common pol !
scv of the Union which is possessed by any other
State. whether of the original thirteen or not
This process now seems TO US part of the /
natural order of things, but il wholly un- !
known until our own people devised il. Il seems /
mere matter of course, matter Of ele- /
anentary right and justice that in the delibera-
tioRs Of the national representative bodies the i
representatives of a State which came into the !
Union but yesterday stand d footing of exact |
and entire equality with those OF the common /
wealths whose once signed the Declaration /
of Independence. But this way OF looking at /
the matter Is purely moaerf, ana IN its origin /
purely American. When Washington. during his /
Presidency, saw new states come into the Union /
on q footing Of complete equality with the old, |
every European nation which had colonies still /
administered them dependencies, and every |
other ether country treated the colonist not |
u self governing equal but a subject.
The process which we began has since been