New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-04
PARKER ON EXPANSION.
Il Record of BIumders and Misstate-
ments of Facts
rFRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU

Washington Nov 3.-There really seems to ne
need for daily postscript to the long record OF
ex-Judge Parker's Measurements. now that ne
has taken to making daily speeches. FOR he
makes TO speech without an error. Most of his
talk in Newark the other night was devoted to
the subject of expansion, and upon that he
showed his INSTRUMENTATION to be as compre-
hensive, or his capacity for Misrepresentation
to be as ample as upon any other OF the theuneS
which he has muddled.
Speaking of the expansion of the American
people from a narrow Atlantic Coast strip to
n continental domain, he described them as
battling only with savages and with those
forces OF nature which were almost as pitt
less No armies" he continued, "have ae-
companied this great moving mass of popuia-
tiOn" and he contrasted this expansion. natu-
raj inevitable almost as silent as the tides OF
the ocean" with the wicked expansion which
other countries have effected through forcible
CONQUEST Can 1t be that Mr.. Parker is igno-
rant of his country's history? Does he not
know that almost every step Of that expan-
sion which he now praises was effected either
through war or through the threat OF war!
The Northwest and Southwest territories were
won through war with France and the North
west was won again through war with Great
Britain But that was before the Constitution
Well then. Louisiana, the first annexation I'M
der the CONSTITUTION, WIS puLCHuSSNt, II 10 AuOF
but it was purchased at a time when this coun-
try was building navy and enllstlng an army
Of 10000 men for the express purpose of tax
ING if by force if France refused to sell 1t. Flor
ida the second acquisition, was taken by fOrci-
BILE and ruthless military conquest, and pur-
chased afterward as an afterthought Texas
was annexed in circumstances shreWdly ana
deliberately arranged by this country so as 10
provoke a war; and that wanton war was tne
means of c0nquering and forctbly graphing
New-MexiCo. Arizona and California Even III
the case of Oregon there was lot OK Demo
cratic talk about "Fifty-four Forty or FightF
which was finally hushed chiefly because the
Democratic administration of that time old not
rent1lre 10 run the risk of getting into the war
with England which it had so blusterlhsly chal
Ienged at the same time that 1t was ehsdseu
in a war of spolatiOn against Mexico. 80 lar
as can be recalled, the little GadsdeD furch"Se
was the only act in all that process OF expah-
sion which answers to Mr.. Parkers descrip-
ton. and it was made to atone for an error III
not grabbing enough as the spolls OF war
Again Mr. Parker said that in those carrier
DAYS from wherever drawn. or wherever he
sat+Iad the man became at once citizen ana
free partaker in the benefits that had al
roodv accrued TO generations formed by intel
Ifgent self-government He became entitled,
under the same local State or national law
+o the same protection accorded the repre-
sentative of the oldest family" The fact Is
thar in louisiana for years after the purchase
of II under the rule of the statesman who
coined that phrase about the consent of the
c,o,,o,,ed ,, the inhabitants of and the settlers
in fiat country had no part in 1.-The benefits
+ho+ nod aIrendv accrued to the United States.
,rbov wore governed arbitrarily without their
consent They had no lot or part in their
government Their right To trial by jury was
restricted They were outside the Constitution
and outside the pale of the national laws. The
same was true of Florida. Andrew Jackson.
good Democrat as he was. was practically leg
islature executive and Judiciary of that Terri
tory all III one He denied the right of the
writ of habeas corpus and was sustained by
the President in so doing; and if one turns from
the Democratic Governor and President to the
great WhIg "expounder Of the Constitution"
Webster is found declaring that Congress might
have governed Florida it pleased, denying it
trial by Jury and refusing il a legislature
once more Mr.. Parker cited Jeffersons ad-
monitlon, Peace commerce and honest friend
ship with all nations. entanglng alliances with
none" with earnest approval, and deplOred what
he described strange reports of alliances
with those governments IN which the strength
of their armies and navies is more in evidence
than their devotion 10 popular rule" No such al
liances had been heard of. But a strong almost
imperative, suggestion that the United States
should form an offensive and defensive alliance
with European monarchy for the express pur-
pose of wagng war of spollatOn against n
sister republic is distinctly remembered and
Always .RemsInber che Fun Name
axative Promo ENuinino