The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-05-05

CltIHenS OF those states have seen flock
ing th;ther new brethren TO partake Of
the blessings of freedom and self-govern-
ment in multitudes greater than even
Jefferson would have dared to foretell.
i shall not enter the field Of statistics
Tor the purpose Of giving details of the
development Of the territory acquired IN
der the treaty We commemorate. | have
referred TO such development in some Of
Us general features, by way of suggest
ing how distinctly the century just ended
gives assurance OF a startling and super
abundant final fulfllment of the prophe-
cles OF its beginning.
all know that long before the
negotiations OF the treaty of 1903, our
government had a keen appreciation of
the Importance to American settlers in
the Valley Of the Mississippi of an ar
rangement permitting their products to
be deposited and exported at the en-
trance of that river TO the sea. 1t will
be remembered that this need OF our
settlers had been met in a limited and
not altogether secure manner by a
treaty with Spain, allowing such de-
posts and export to be made, at the
city Of New Orleans. This privilege was
entirely withdrawn in October, 1902. the
territory appurtenant to such privilege
having been in the meantime transfer
red to France. The situation thus Great
ed was extremely delicate. There
was presented to the govern
ment. on the one hand the injury
to Western settlers through the loss of
their trading outlet, and on the other
the perpleXing question of affording them
relief by means of diplomatic agreement,
CT in some other method. The aban-
dominant of on, Co+,lor- II MT: a.
heartening fate was of course not con
templated.
1T cannot be denied that the condi-
lions plainly pointed to cautious and de-
liberate negotiations as the way Of pru-
dence and safety. 1t very soon became
apparent, however, that delay and too
much 'deliberitioI, did not suit the
temper and spirit of sturdy Americans
chatting under a sense Of wrong and CON
WINGED that they were entitled to prompt
assistance. The inhabitants of our ter
ritory bounding On the east side Of the
MISSISSIPPI, in a memorial addressed to
the President, Senate and Houe of Rep
resentatives, after r%eciting their dis
couraging condition and expressing their
faith in the governments disposition to
extend the necessary aid, closed their
memorial with these significant words:
And SO far as may depend On ourselves,
we tender to our country, our lives and
fortunes in support of such measures as
Congress may deem necessary to vindi-
cate the honor and protect the inter
ests of the United States : = (
president Jefferson wrote to a friend
On the first of February, 1903: Our cir
cumstances are SO imperious as to ad-
nit of 10 delay; as to our course, and
tho l1co of the MjSSiSSjnni co in6iCnpnCa-
BILE, that we cannot hesitate one mo-
ment to hazard our existence for its
maintenance He appointed an addi-
tiCnal Envoy to cooperate with our
Representative already at the French
capital, in an attempt to obtain q con-
cession that would cure the difficulty and
If a communication to him, after refer
ring to the excitement caused by the
withdrawal of the right of deposit, he
thus characterized the condition which
he believed confronted the nation: on
the event of this mission depend the flu
ture destinies of this Republic. II we
cannot by a purchase of the country,
insure to ourselves q course of perpet-
ual peace and friendship with all ma
tons, then as war cannot be distant, it
behooves us Immediately to be prepar-
ing for that course-though not hasten
inc it *
Another incident which it seems to
me we may recall today with profit and
satisfaction, grew out Of the conduct of
the President when the treaty of 1903
had been formulated and was returned
to him for ratification and final com
%pletion. lie was, as is Well known, orr
ginally quite firm in his belief that the
Constitution as it stood did not author
iZe such an extension of our limits by
! purchase as the treaty for the acqulSi-
ton of the Louisiana territory contem-
plated. Holding this% opinion and at the
same time confronted With the clear
conviction that the treaty with all its
~stupendous advantages, could not be al
! lowed to fail without positive peril, il
| not to our national life at least to its
most vital object and aspirations, his
rerplexity was increased by the receipt
Of an authoritative intimatlon that any
delay in final action on the Urea r
might open the way to a recession on the
, part of France. In these circumstances
i not daring to risk the delay OF an
! amendment to the Constitution
prior to such final action
he proposed reconciling consistency with
| duty by procuring a confirmation of the
, treaty by the Senate and comprising its
unquestionable valuation by a subse-
| uuent constitutional amendment. : =
''While in this day and generation we
may wonder at the doubts which so per
| picked Jefferson in 1903, and at his esti-
mate Of the limitations of our funda-
mental law, and may be startled when
we reflect that if they had been allowed
to control his action we might have
lost the greatest national opportunity
which has been presented to our people
since the adoption Of the Constitution,
we cannot fail at the same time to be
profoundly grateful that these doubts and
this estimate were those of a man sin
cere enough and patriotic enough to
listen to wise and able, counsellors and
to give his country the benefit OF MS
admission of the fallibility of his judg-
ment.
Thomas Jefferson never furnished bet
ter evidence of his greatness than when
lust before the submission of the treaty
to the Senate, he wrote to a distinguish
ed Senator who differed with him on this
question:: I. confess that | think it i'm
~portant in the present case to set an