New-York tribune., 1903-05-01
PRESIDENTS SPEECH.
Hoo the Policy Of Expansion Has
Built Up a Great Nation.

St. Louis. April 30-The dedicatory address
delivered by President Roosevelt follows:
Mr- President. Ladies and Gentlemen: At
the outset of my address let me recall to
the minds of my hearers that the soil upon
which we stand, before it was ours, was sue
cessively the possession of two mighty empires,
SPAN ana france whose SONS lHdue d NSt mess
record of heroism in the early annals OF the New
World No history of the Western country can
be written without paying heed TO the wonderful
part played therein in the early days by the
soldiers missionaries. explorers and traders.
who did their work for the honor of the proud
banners of France and CASTLE While the set
tiers of English speaking stock and those OF
Dutch. German and Scandinavian origin who
were associated with them were still clinging
close TO the Eastern sea board, the pioneers OF
Spain and of France had penetrated deep into
the hitherto unknown wilderness of the West,
and had wandered far and wide within the boun-
dares of what is mighty country The
Very cities themselVes-St. Louis, New Orleans,
Santa Fe-bear witness by their titles to
the nationalties of their founders It was
not until the Revolution had begun that the
English speaking settlers pushed west across
the Alleshanies, and not until q century ago
that they entered in TO possess the land upon
which we now stand.
We have met here to-day to commemorate the
hundredth anniversary Of the event which more
than any other, after the foundation of the gov
ernment and always excepting its preserve p.a1
Undetermined that we should be a great ex-
panding nation instead of relatively a small and
stationary one.
THE BEGINNINGS OF EXPANSION.
OF course it was not with the Louisiana Pur-
chase that career OF expansion began IN
the middle of the Revolutionary War the 1lli-
nois region including the present States of Hi
nois and Indiana, added to our domain by
force of arms. a a sequel to the adventurous
expedition of George Rogers Clarke and his from
tier ri1emen. Later the treaties of Jay ana
Pinckney materially extended our real boun-
dares to the west. But none of these events
of so striking a character as TO nX the
popular Imagination. The old thirteen colonies
had always claimed that their rights stretched
westward TO the Mississippi, and vague ana un-
real though these claims were until MADE good
by conquest settlement and diplomacy, they
still served to give the impression that the ear
uest westward movements of our people were
little more than the filing IN of already existing
national boundaries.
But there could be no illusion about the
acquisition of the vast territory beyond the Mis-
sissippi. stretching westward to the Paclhc.
which in that day known as Louisiana.
This immense region was admittedly the terri
tory of a foreign power, of a European KING
dom. None of people had ever lald claim
a foot of il. lis acquisition could In no sense
be treated as rounding out any existing Claims
When we acquired II we made evident once lot
ell that consciously and Of set purpose we had
embarked on a career of expansion. that we hai
AIKEN our place among those daring ana marcy
nations who risk much, with the hope ana oe-
sire of winning high position among the great
mowers of the earth. AS is so OFTEN the case IN
nature the law of development or living or