Evening star., 1924-02-04
The Magnificent Adventure
Stirring Story of the Northwest.
BY EMERSON HOUGH.
Copyright by D. Appleton &
BY EMERSON, HOUGH.
Continued from Yesterdays Starr

The face of Aaron Burr grew pale.
The faces of the foreign ministers
showed sudden CONSERVATION. Theo-
dosia Alston turned, her own eyes
fixed upon the grave face of the
young man sitting at her side, who
made no sign of the strong emotion
possessing his soul
Il have given you my news" the
voice of Mr.. jefferson went on. riS-
ing now, vibrant and maSterful, fear
less. compelling. There you have il,
this little message. large as any ever
written in the world. The title to
that western land has passed to us.
We set our seal on it now! Cost
what 1t may, we shall hold II so
long as we can claim flag or
country on this continent. The price
is nothing. Fifteen millions means
no more than the wine or water left
in Il half empty glass. 1t might be
fifty times fifteen millions. and yet
not be one-fiftieth enough. These
things are not to be measured by
known signs or marks of values. 1t
is not in human comprehension to
know what we have gained. Hence
we have no human right to boast.
The hand of Almighty God is in this
affair. 1t was He who guided the
fingers of those who signed this ces-
sion to the United States of America.
My friends, now l am content.
What remains is but detail. Our duty
is plain. Between us and this pur-
pose, l shall hold all intervention of
whatever nature, friendly or hostile,
as no more than details to he ignored.
londer lies and has always lain the
scene of my own ambition. Always
l have hungered to know that vast
new land beyond all maps, as yet
ignorant of human meteS and bounds.
Always / have coveted it for this
republic, knowing that without room
for expansion we must fail. that with
it we shall triumph to the edge of our
ultimate dream of human destiny
triumph and flourish while govern
ments shall remain known among
men.
Il offer that faith to the eyes of
the world today and of all the days
TO come. believing in every humility
that God guided the hands of those
who signed this title deed of great
empire, and that God long ago inn
planted in my unworthy bosom the
strong belief that one day this might
be which now has come to pass. 1t
is no time for boasting, no time for
any man to claim glory or credit for
himself. We are in the face of events
so vast that their margins leave our
vision. We cannot see to the end Of
all this, cannot read all the purpose
of it, because we are but men.
Gentlemen, you Americans, men of
heart, OF courage! You also, ladies'
who care most for gentlemen of heart
and courage. whose pulses beat even
with our own to the stimulus of our
deeds! / say to you all that l would
gladly lay aside my office and it's
honors-I would lay aside all my
other ambitions, all my desires to be
remembered as man who at least
endeavored to think and to act-if
thereby might lead this expedition
of our volunteers for the discovery
of the west. That may not be. These
slackened sinews. these shrinking
limbs, these fading eyes do not
suffice for such a task. 1t is in my
heart, yes, but the heart for this
magnificent adventure needs stronger
pulses than my own.
My heart-did ] say that I had
need of another. a better? Did 1 say
that l had need of eyes and brains
of thews and sinews. of calm nerves
and steady bloodo Did l say l had
need of courage and resolution-all
these things combined? 1 have them,
Ihat providence who has given US all
needful instruments and agents to
this point in our career as a republic
has given us yet another, and the last
one needful. Tomorrow my friend,
my special messenger, Capt. Meri-
wether Lewis, starts with his expe-
dition. He will explore the country
between the Missouri and the Pacific
the country of my dream and his.
1t is no longer the country of any
other power--it is our own,
Gentlemen, 1 give you a toast
capt. Meriwether Lewis"