The Washington herald., 1914-08-26
HISTORY BUILDERS.
iew.rd'. view. on Territ0iaI *
written Expressly for The HsraidJ
Nv fyR. z. J.. EDWARDS,


Early in the public career of William
H. Seward he began a friendship with
Gen. James Watson Webb, which was
probably the most intimate personal rela-
tion which he established with any one,
even closer than was his association with
Thurlow Weed II was due to Mr.. Sew
ards influence tha; Gen Webb was
nominated Minister to Brazil. Had he
been willing to accept other appointive
office after his term in Brazil had ex-
pired, Webb could have secured anything
he wanted which was within the power
of Mr.. Seward as United States Senator
or Secretary of State 10 obtain for him
Gen. Webb highly priced his friendship
with Gov. Seward. partly because>t the lat
ter represented Webbs views upon the
tariff and upon the slavery question and
partly because in their frequent exchange
OF visits each learned from the other
many things which were, OF the highest
Importance.
II was Gen. Webb who was one Of the
first to learn what Gov. Stewards views
were respecting the particular course OF
empire which would distinguish the
United States as soon as railroad COM
munications west OF the Mississippi were
established.
Gov. Seward once told Gen. Webb that
he was persuaded that the little village
of Minneapolis, as il was at the time OF
this conversation, would become before
the end of the nineteenth century one of
the great commercial and financial CEN
ters of the United States.
Gov. Seward was inclined TO think at
that time that the influence Of Minneap-
oils and the growth Of that city and of
its suburbs might be greater than the
influence and growth even of Chicago"
said Gen. Webb.
Gov. Seward was always greatly in
terested in the study OF the future de-
velopment OF our two neighboring ma
tions. Canada on the north and Mexico
on the south. He believed that had we
secured the entire Pacific coast line from
Lower California to Alaska, Canada
would ultimately have been compelled to
seek close political alliance with the
United States.
Gov. Seward once said, when speaking
OF :hese two neighbors, that there can be
only one great nation built upon one con-
tinent at one time. So far as Canada
is concerned. her climate and her general
features. as well as her natural resources,
are, he said, of kin to the United States.
He did not believe that Canada would
ever become politically assimilated with
the United States, although he said that
no one could predict what conditions
might be developed by the middle Of the
twentieth century. But he did believe
that there would be established recipro-
cal relations. which in time would be-
come so close that there wuAld he in
evitably a sort OF commercial, Industrial
and even financial kinship between the
United States and Canada.
'On the other hand, Gov. Seward. at
least after the failure of the attempt to
establish a European dynasty in Mexico
was convinced that ultimately. and in a
future not distant. Mexico would be
brought within the so-called sphere Of
influence of the United States. Only in
that way. he asserted. could the great
possibilities and opportunities which Mex
leo offers for development be realized.
These were the views Of a statesman"
said Gen. Webb, but they were at the