The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-30

ANEfNA BElOEt DdQ inc WOllu seen Tie
kind of national expansion which gave
our people all that part Of the American
continent lying west of the thirteen or
iginal states. the greatest landmark in
which was the Louisiana purchase. Our
triumph IN this process OF expansion
was indissolubly bound up with the sue
cess Of our peculiar kind Of federal gov
eminent; and this success has been so
complete that because of its very COM
pieteness we now sometimes fail 10 APP
preciate not only the all Importance but
the tremendous difficulty of the problem
with which our nation was originally
faced.
When our forefathers Joined to call
into being this nation, they undertook
task for which there was but little en-
couraging precedent. The development
of civilization from the earliest period
seemed to show the truth of two pro-
positions: In the first place, it had al
ways proved exceedingly difficult to
secure both freedom and strength in
any government. and in the second
place. it had always proved well-nigh
impossible for a nation to expand with
out either breaking up or becoming a
centralized tyranny. With the success
of our effort to combine q strong and
efficient national union. able to put
down disorder at home and to main
tain our honor and interest abroad, I
have not now to deal. This success Was
signal and all-important but it was by
no means unprecedented in the same
sense that our type of expansion was
unprecedented. The history of Rome
and of Greece illustrates very we'll the
two types of expansion which had Ia
ken place in ancient time and which
had been universally accepted as the
only possible types up to the period
when as a nation we ourselves began to
take possession of this continent. The
Grecian states performed remarkable
feats of colonization, but each colony
as soon as created became entirely IN
dependent of the mother state, and in
after years was almost as apt TO prove
its enemy as its friend. Local self-gov-
eminent local independence, was secur-
ed. hut only by the absolute sacrifice Of
anything resembling national unity. IN
consequence, the Greek world, for all its
wonderful brilliancy and the eXtraor-
binary artistic, literary, and ph1loso-
phical development which has made all
mankind its debtors for the ages. was
vet wholly unable to Withstand forml-
dable foreign foe. save spasmOdlcally.
As soon as powerful permanent emf
pires arose on its outskirts. the Greek
states in the neigh borhOOd OF Such en-
pires fell under their sway. National
power and greatness were completely
sacrificed to local liberty
With Rome the exact opposite oc-
Cured. The imperial city rose to abso-
lutte dominion over all the peoples of
Italy and then expanded her rule over
the entire civilized world by a process
which kept the nation strong and united
but gave no room whatever Tor TO-
cal liberty and self-government All
other cities and countries were subject
ia Rome. In consequence this great and
masterful race of warriors. rulers road
builders and administrators stamped
their indelible impress upon all the al
ter life of our race. and yet let an over
centralizat ton eat out the Vltals OF their
empire until it became an empty sneh'
so that when the barbarians came they
destroyed only what had already pc
come worthless to the world
The underlying NlclOuSness OF eacll
txne of EXPANSION was plain enough ana
the remedy now seems simple enough
But when the fathers of the repuplc
first formulated the constitution uhues
which we live this remedy was uhlfleG
and no one could foretel how 1t would
work They themselves began the ex-
periment almost Immediately by aodlhS
new states to the original thirteen TX
celleut people in the east viewed TINS
initial EXPANSION Of the country Win
ereat alarm. Exactly as during the col
oniaI period many good people IN the
mother country thought 1T hlgnly nm
portant that settlers should be kept OUT
of the Ohio valley in the interest OF the
I fur companies, so after we had become
+ a nation many good people on the Al
lantfc coast felt grave apprehension lest
they might somehow be huft Dy inc
westward growth OF the nation. 4nesS
I good people SlOOk lNtlI HSeAu9 CN0A -
formation CT states in the fertlle ONO
valley which now forms part o. the
heart of our nation; and they declared
that the destruction Of the republic had
+ been accomplished when through tue
Louisiana purchase we acquired nearly
half Of what is now that same repup-
lies present territory. Nor was their
feeling unnatural Only the adNentur-
Gus and the far-seeing can be expected
heartily to welcome the process OF eN-
pansion, for the nation that expands IS
4 nation which is entering upon a great
/ career. and with greatness there must
/ of necessity come perlls whch dauhl al
save the most stout hearted.
We expanded by carving the wilder
4 ness into territories and out OF these
( territories building new states when
/ once they had received as permanent
/ settlers sufficient number OF our own
4 people. Being a practical nation we
have never tried to force on any section
of our new territory an unsuitable form
/ Of government merely because IL waS
suitable for another section under uli-
ferent conditions. OF the territory COW
cred by the Louisiana purchase pot
ton was given statehood within rev
years. Another portion has not oeeh
| admitted to statehood. although a cen
fury has apsed-aIthough doubtless II
soon viii be. In each case we showed
the practical governmental genius OF
( our race by devlsing methoGS Suilao
I to meet the actual existing needs NOT
/ by insisting upon the apptttdlioii %
some abstract shibboleth to all our new
possessions alike, no matter how lncon-
gruous this application might some
times be.
over by far the major part of the
territory, however. our people spread
in such numbers during the course OF
the nineteenth century that we were
able to build up state after state eacA
with eactiy the same complete local IN
dependence in all matters aGfectins
purely its own domestic interests as III
any of the original thirteen states-each
owing the same absolute fealty to tbs
union of all the states which each of the
original thirteen states also owes-ane
finally each having the same proper
tional right to its share in shaping ana
directing the common policy Of the
union which is possessed by any other
OF NOT.
This process now seems to us part OF
the natural nLaar Of thlngs. LnL Il wa.