The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1903-11-12
HOW THE GREAT WEST WAS BOUGHT

In the November Scribner is a his
tory of the Louisiana purchase by n.
Brooks. 1t reads like a strange ro-
nance now. For SIS, 100000 Messrs.
Livingston and Monroe bought from
the agent of Napoleon a tract of coun-
try including the mouths and sources
OF both the Mississippi and Missouri
and so much land that by the pur-
chase the area of the republic was
doubled. Still when the news came a
month later President Jefferson while
exultant over it, feared that the pur-
chase was unconstitutional and a
storm of protest rose over half the re-
public against it. Then the question
arose as to 10Y it was to be governed
and then. too, the cry of Imperialism
was raised and jefferson was called
King Ton"
That history ought to make all Am
orleans thoughtful. 1t was the NOV
ing of the finger of Destiny, but the
nations eyes were blinded, they could
not see the purpose, they had no con-
ception of how momentous was to be
the outcome of the transaction. 1t was
in a little way as it is when the waters
are called up from the breast of the
ocean, carried on the winds to the
mountain tops ana precipitated in
snow and ice, there to remain through
uncounted years, to receive other de-
posts of snow and ice until a glacier
is builded up, and then, when the
time is ripe the beating of the sun
beams and the earth's rotation starts
the frozen mass to flow, back to the
sea, and the mountain tops are ground
into soil out of which is to grow food
to support millions of mortals which
at the time the snow fell and for mill
lions of years thereafter, existed only
in the mind and the plans of God. A
mighty wilderness was bought and a
provincial people, unconscious of the
majesty and promise of the vast ad-
dition, derided the purchase, sought
to impeaeh the motives behind the
purchase and stormed because of the
immense sum to be paid u of their
taxes for it.. Still the Father of Wat
ers was rolling down before their
eyes; they knew something of the
wealth of the valleys of the Rhine,
the Danube and Don; they were IA
~-sTsA- -rs-L a. hFz4A-Vr AF Tho rra1lnnvg
OF Asia and of the Nile. but they could
no comprehend that the purchase
included a valley of the old world is
worth mentioning. Still the fathers
were intelligent men and brave and
rue men, but their horizons were mar
row. their visions limited.
That was but a hundred ears ago.
Many of the grandchildren of that old
race are still living, but how mar
velous the change.
The valley supplies half of Europe
with food now; it supplies the mills
of the old world with textiles; the
gold and silver and lead of Montana,
Wyoming, half of Colorado, the Da-
kotas, Missouri and Iowa, all from
that purchase, make a mighty factor
in the worlds commerce and finances
it is an empire stretching out bless
ings to all the world, making a home
now for twice as many people as at
the time of the purchase inhabited
the whole republic, and still it has
just begun its expansion.
The lesson behind the history is
that the wisest cannot see far into the
future and that often Fate will have
its way despite mems protests.
Our land had been eonsecrated TO
Liberty and with the conservation
was a declaration for the equal rights
OF men under the law and we were
TO have a fair trial and space enough
on which to make the august expert
ment.
Ii our people ever lose that mighty
inheritance it will be because they
will have become unworthy to pos
sess it.-Goodwin's Weekly.