The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1903-05-01
St LOUIS FAIR DEDICATED
Continued nom page one ,

entire equality with those In the COM
inoawealths whose sons once signed
the Declaration of Independence. But
this way Of looking at the matter Is
purely modern and in its origin purely
American. When Washington during
his presidency saw new states come
into the union on footing Of complete
equality with the old, every European
nation which had colonies still admin-
isterea them as dependencies, and ev-
cry mother-country treated the col
onist not as a self-governing equal but
as a subject,
The process which We began has
since been followed by all the great
peoples who We're capable both OF ex-
pansion and self-government. and now
the world accepts it as the natural pyo-
cess. as the rule; but century and
a quarter ago il was not merely exeep-
tional; II was unknown,
This, then, Is the great historic sig
niiicance of the movement OF continent
tai expansion in which the Louisiana
purchase was the most striking single
achievement. II stands out in marked
relief among the feats of nation of
pioneers. a nation whose people have
from the beginning been picked out by
a process Of natural selection from
among the most enterprising individu-
ais OF the nations of western Europe.
The acquisition, Of the territory is a
credit TO the broad and far-sighted
craftsmanship Of the great statesmen
to whom 1t was Immediately due. and
above all to the aggressive and MASTER
ful character OF the hardy pioneer folk
to whose restless energy these states
men gave expression and direction,
whom they followed rather than led.
The history Of the land comprised
within the limits OF the purchase Is
an epitome of the entire history OF our
people. Within these limits we have
gradually built up state after state
until now they many times over sur
pass in wealth, population, and In
many-sided development, the original
1s states as they were when their del
egates met in the continental congress.
The people of these states have shown
themselves mighty in war with their
fellow-man. and mighty in strength to
tame the rugged wilderness. They
could not have thus conquered the for
est and the prairie the mountain and
the desert, had they not possessed the
great fighting virtues, the qualities
which enable a people TO overcome ths
forces of hostile men and hostile ma
ture. On the other hand. they could |
not have used Alright their conquest |
had they not in addition possessed the |
qualities OF self-mastery and self-re-
straint, the power of acting in combl- !
nation with their fellows, the power |
Of yelling obedience to the law and OF |
building up an orderly civilization.
Courage and hardihood/ are indispens-
able virtues in a people, but the peo-
pie which possesses no others can never
rise high in the scale of power or cul-
ture. Great peoples must have in adj
1ition the governmental capacity which
comes only when individuals fully re-
cognize their duties to one another and
to the whole body polite, and are able
TO join together in feats of construe-
tive craftsmanship and an honest and
efficient administration.
The old pioneer days are gone, with
their roughness and their hardship,
their incredible toll and their wild half
savage romance But the need of the
pioneer virtue remains the same as
ever. The peculiar frontier conditions
have vanished; but the manliness and
stalwart hardihood Of the frontiersmen
can be given even freer scope under
the conditions surrounding the COM
plex industrialism of the present day.
In this great region acquired for our
people under the presidency of Jeffer-
son, this region stretching from the
gulf to the Canadian border, from the
to the Rockies the material
L