Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-21

hesitate to assume others weightler sun.
70 an undeveloped empire they seized me
occasion to add another still wider anu
more remote. To their half-inished TASK
they undauntedly superimposed nnothef
Luu OF e2acting and perilous posslD!lties.
IN their robust faith in the future-thelr
fearless confidence in the force OF the new
democracy-difiicul were not considered
anu the impossible did not exist. 10 men
OF tnat strain. in an enterprise which prom
ised usefulness and glory. toll ana aah
ger We're only irresistible attractions.
Providence Guided Pioneers.
While we should give due credit to the
individual Observation-Disclosures by which ms
great transaction was brought about. we
should not forget the overwhelming iniln-
ence eXerted by the unseen Director or
Tue Drama. Whether we call II the spirit
| or tue age, or historic necessity, or the
balance of power, or whether we rever.
entiy recognize in the matter the hand OF
mat Providence which watched over our
infancy as a people. we can not but admit
that the acquisition of this vast territory
was. IN one way or another. sure to come.
wise diplomacy FASTENED it: timid con-
servatism might have delayed it: but 1t
was written in our horoscope. The surcst
| PROOF oil this lies in the eminent PERSONAL
ties by Whom the purchase and sale We're
made. Jefferson was the last man in Amer
lea of whom we could have expected this
departure on the field of illimitable eNpan-
sion, and Napoleon was. of all the SOW
ereigns of Europe, the least likely to give
up so vast an extent of empire.
Bonaparte's Dream of Empire.
One Of the most brilliant and tenacious
dreams of Bonaparte was to establish on
the right bank of the Mississippi Latin
empire reaching from the Gulf to the Pa
cite ocean. extending in future ages the
! Glorles of France to the sunset seas. The
principle dearest to the heart of jefferson
was that of a strict construction of the
constitution. which in his view forbade the
exercise by the general government of any
thing but expressly delegated powers. 1t
would have seemed like n contradiction in
terms to expect either of these statesmen
to agree uponaa proposition which radically
| contravened the inmOst convictions of each
! Of them. But the nature of things was
more powerful than either a Bonapnrte OF
a Jefferson. No human influence could
have controlled either of them, but the
stars In their courses were still stronger
and they gladly obeyed the mandate OF
| fate. which was in each case the mandate
of an enlightened patriotism. France, dl
vesting herself of this rich incumbrance
was the better fitted for the supreme gladi
atorial effort that awaited her, and Jeffer
son gained an immortal fame by prefer
ring an immense benefit to his country tc
1 consistency in narrow construction OF
/ the written law.
Spirit of the Age.
| No man, no party, can fig-.t with any
chance of final success against cosmit
/ tendency; no clevcrness. no popularity
avails against the spirit of the age. Ii
obeying that invincible tendency, against
all his political convictions, Jefferson Sc
cured a conspicuous place in history: while
the federalist politicians. who should have
welcomed this signal illustration and proof
of the truth of their theory of the power
Of the government they had framed
| through the influence of party spirit fal
| tered in their faith and brought upon theil
party a lasting eclipse through their fail
IRE to discern the signs of the times
President Roosevelt. in the memorable ad
dress with which he dedicated last veal
| this exhibition. used. in relation to this
subject, these striking words:
las is so often the case in nature, tho
law of development Of a living organism
showed itself in its actual workings to BIZ
( wiser than the wisdom of the wisest.'