Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-07
a WORLD WIDE EVENT.

Burlington Hawk Eye.-The opening
of the Louisiana Purchase exposition
at st. Louis tomorrow Is a world wide
event. So great an event has this pur-
chase proven to be in it's historical con-
sequences, that it seems well-nigh use
less to try to lend impressiveess to it,
by comparing it to other historical
liberty and for union no historical
event stands forth with such interest
as this acquisition, memorial Of
which is to be opened tomorrow. And
when the impartial historian shall
write up the great men and the great
measures of our country, he will place
at the top of the rolls Of history the
names: Thomas Jefferson and Louisi-
ana Purchase Three questions of great
Importance grew out Of the purchase
First, the constitutionality of the
measure. Second, the area and limit
Of Louisiana. Third, the effect Of the
purchase upon the development of the
United States. Immediately the pur..
chase argued for nationality by dem
onstrating the impracticability Of con-
struction. Strict construction was a
fundamental principle in the creed of
Jefferson's party; but he and his party
consciously violated it because it stood
in the way of a great national interest.
Not only this, but it was all done with
out asking the states whose future re-
lations to the union were SO funda-
mentally touched. BY no conceivable
Interpretation could the broadcast con-
structionist have found the power to
acquire territory even implied in any
grant OF power to the constitution. The
president declared that it was IAN act
beyond the constitution" and that an
amendment would be necessary. On re-
Election this was seen to be impossible.
Many things might happen before an
amendment could be adopted; Napoleon
might change his mind or the British
seize Louisiana. Thus the treaty was
ratified as 1t stood. and Jefferson con-
soled hinnself with the thought that he
was Carrying out the will Of the peo-
pie"
This broad Interpretation Of the
treaty making power by the strict con-
structionists and state right party it
self paved the way for an imperial ex-
pansion Of the United States. Not only
that-it laid the foundations for a re-
adjustment of sectional power within
the union. There was added to our ma
tional domain s75,025 square miles,
or 560,016,000 acres This seemed to
offer unlimited opportunity for the eX-
pansion of population, and the creation
of new states. This with the states
from the old northwest, which were
to bear the same relation to the union,
profoundly affected the national senti-
ment and even changed the nature Of
the union; the new states being the
creatures of the nation, while the old
thirteen were it's creators. BY this
purchase the area Of the United States
was nearly doubled. 1t added territory
equal to the combined area of Great
Britain, Germany. France. Spain, Por-
tugal and Italy Into this region have
poured the descendants of the Ameri-
cans of that day and great tide of
immigration, until its population now
numbers thirteen million souls. The
wheat, corn and oats alone of this re-
gion have a value of over $345,000, 900,
annually. The land which Napoleon
wished to be the granary Of San Do
mingo, is the granary of Europe. This
possession of land beyond the Missis-
sippi gave added weight to arguments
for system and internal improvement
and no doubt Influenced the construc
ton of the great national road where
eventual western terminus was near
ST. Louis. The whole project of in
ternal improvement, both proposed and
accomplished, did much toward knit
ting the parts of the nation together.
The possession of the Mississippi with
it's tributaries, gave an unlimited OPP
portunity to Fulton's invention which