Year: 1869

Mr.. Caleb Gushing is supposed to have
left the country upon some one of Secre.
tary Stewards mysterious missions Of buy.
ing land, The area Of tie tTrited States
Is 50 small AMI 50 harmonious, that the
secretary seems to be Of opinion that we
want few hundreds of thousands of fresh
inhabitants; and if they are Esquimaux,
Spaniards, African slaves, people bred
under the worst monarchy and aliens in
every way to our national system and spir.
it. so much the better. Il is also suggest
ed that Mr. Gushing Is TO act as associate
Minister with Mr. Rcyerdy johnson. But
we imagine the State Department will net
undertake to mend that matter at present:
and it is so curiously ike Mr.. Seward to
think that the Spanish revolution and the
trouble in Cuba offer a proper opportunity
for buying that island at bargain, that
the presumption is in favor Of Mr.. Cush.
lngs employment in some such service.


But is this the fortunate moment for
great Increase Of our territory and popu-
lation in any direction? Certainly the
present population is not crowded upon
our present domain, and there is, with
equal certainty, not that patriotic unity of
feeling which is desirable in a great coun-
try. 1t is, in fact, the very worst moment
that could be selected for the policy of
territorial expansion with which Seward
is fascinated. What we most need now is
to consolidate the population, 10 make it
properly homogeneous, and to develop to
the utmost our scarcely known resources.
What we need least is an immense addi-
tion of foreign traditions and ignorance to
the ignorance and disafection already ex-
isting.


In fact, Mr.. Stewards policy is that of
theorist merely. His feeling probably is,
that if we do not obtain the West India
Islands some other Power win, and then
we shall have d foreigner, possibly an en-
emy, seated at our very doors. But those
islands have always been in European pos.
session, and have they been very dangerous
or even threatening to us7. And if thev
changed owners now, if either England.
c5dES2 e dES22?aa ffqaae h cags 5f Wgf @ ftRaes t te g g
of those countries and the United States,
would the necessity of protecting the faith
ful island be striking advantage ? Mr..
Stewards foreign policy is that Of mer-
chant who should be constantly turning
aside from his regular and prosperous bus
mess to speculations of dazzling promise in
fancy stocks. Experience and good sense
plead against the tempting dissipation.


What do we want Of Cuba? What do
we want of Alaska? Have We not immi-
grants enough now in what may be called
the natural order of events, and from the
West as well as from the East, from Chi
ma as well as from Europe, that we should
multiply them suddenly and enormously?
Is not the feeling Of the late rebel States
sufficiently bitter alienated that We should





reinforce it with the disconteht Of q class
of Spanish SHAREHOLDERS Is not the ig-
norance with which we must contend dense
enough already that we should deepen it
viii that of West Indian slavesP Is it
rot better that we should turn our minds
TO the necessity 81 becoming a great ma
tion as well as big nation! Indeed, the
policy which Mr.. Seward favoIs is legar
cy from the dark days of the old rule in
this country when expansion was a neces-
sitp of slavery. But it is not necessity
of liberty Instead of an advantage it is
now distinct peril. There was never
one good reason given for the Alaska pur-.
chase IF that of Cuba is serious ly at.
tempted there will still less be any plaus-
ibe argument for it.