Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-11-29

dreams or making the rich territory OF
Louisiana the brightest star in his
royal diadem. said: "If few negroes
In faroff Santo Domingo can destroy
my legiOns, cannot hold Louisiana In
case Of war. must sell right away"
| Once more the scene changes. En-
rope was again in arms against the
tyrant. Napoleon must have money,
and have It right away. Napoleon
cannot hold his American possessions
and still fight his European foes. Thus
| when Robert Livingston comes to him
and says, First consul will you sell
us for two millions Of dollars the land
on the east side Of the Mississippi, that
we may have entrance for our com
merce up the OhloT Napoleon an
swers, "For S15,O00,OOO I will sell you
all of Louisiana" Thus all of Indian
Territory, all Of Kansas and Nebraska
and Iowa and Wyoming and Montana
and the Dakotas and most Of Colorado
and Minnesota and all of Washington
and Oregon states came to us as the
Indirect work Of desplsed negro
Praise, If you will, the work of n Rob-
ert Livingston or Jefferson, but to-
day let us not forget our debt to Tous-
saint rOuverture, who was indirectly
the means of Americas expansion by
the Louisiana purchase Of 1903. Do not
| from now on tell me that the negro
of the south or of the north has no
claim to Americas citizenship. Tous-
saint rOuverture has forever won for
the negro that token of the gratitude
Of our nation.
But, alas, now, with flushed cheek of
humiliation and downcast eyes of
shame, we must recall orr national
dealings with the poor. helpless, strug.
Cling republic OF Mexico in reference
to the Texan annexation of 1915 and
the Mexican cession of 1913, and the
more we study this sad epoch Of our
national history the more we feel that
our government not only acted unjust
ly, but she acted dishonesty.
Texan Annexation.
In the first place, to understand the
chief cause of this geographical expan.
sion you must enter the United States
senate at Washington and stand for
a little while there amid the slavery
agitatons of the antebelum time of the
early forties. The north was arrayng
it's congressional forces on the one
hand and the south was arraying its
congressional forces on the Other hand
The great center of this forensic strrg
gle was in the United States senate
1--WE must have more men to represent
Then, as speedily as possible, they
; rushed the settlers west to fill NJ the
prairies beyond the Mississippi and
carve out new states to send theil
. senators to the national capital to hell
, them in the slavery fight. I'VE must
have more men in the United State.
senate TO help us in the struggle tC
perpetuate slavery cried the south
But where were they to get the new
states from which to select the new
senator's?
There was no unsettled land and nc
, possible new states south of the Ma
son and Dixon line. So the south turn
ed its eyes toward Texas part of the
Mexican republic. 1t practically said
. IF the Mexican republic will not sci
Texas we will send the settlers of the
United States into 1t, and we will get
, up revolution there and then we vii
, annex Texas to the United States, ant
out of Texas can be carved ten new
states" In other words, the souti
overran Texas with It's people as tn,
, north rushed its settlers into Kansn.
tayt 4, l..,
it an abolition state. Then, after Texas
was admitted into the Union. the
United States government, hguratiyely
speaking, rs II hghwayman put tn,
. pistol to MeXico's forehead and said
Surrender to me all OF California, al
of Nevada. all of Arizona and most OF
New Mexico for a paltry $4,000, 900
, or l will blow your brains out anC
gobble up Sour whole country" o.
course l am telling this transaction il
, n coarse way, bat | am truthfully
:. though bluntly telling you what thu
United States government did. | an
recounting bare historical facts.
Kindly Climate.
O But, as England acted unjustly II
g absorbing the Transvaal and the Or
Z ange Free State, yet, after all, tn,
: greatest blessing which could come t,
= those African lands is the British flag
! Where the British ila- goes there &,
/. British capital and British men an(
. Anglo-Saxon enterprise. Because tn,
/ British flag NOW waves over all thu
G southern territory of Africa there il
q going to grow up n great African gov
=. eminent which shall rival the Austria
, liam government and make those hill
: TEEN with enterprise and with virll
, life. Because the stars and stripe
4 wave over Texas and New Mexico an,
n Arizona and Nevada and Californi;
+, those lands have been developed o.
they never could or would have beer
y. under Mexican rule. With all the ad
Il vantages of climate which these state
have and with their great mineral ant
agricultural possibilities, Texas ant
% Arizona and New Mexico and Nevad
J. and California would not be support
Il ing the vast numbers Of prosperou
a homes were it not for American rul
and the protection of the United State
!. flag.
> In pralsing the climatic condition
IS of the great southwest, and especiall
N Of southern California we may use III