Year: 1867

fda accompH not doubling that the House Of
Representatives will vote the money TO pay
for II, as the Senate has ratified the treaty by
an overwhelming vote, and a. popular senti-
ment is in favor Of It No nation ever made
such progress as the United States in terri
torial growth. Rome, with all her vast con-
quests, did not Nor has the colonial empire
Of Great Britain, extensive as that Il, been 50
largely and rapidly expanded. The American re-
public has existed but eighty years, short time
in the life Of nation; yet within that period
the extent Of our dominion has been quad
rupled. The thirteen original States constituted
q magnificent empire In area, eight hundred
and twenty thousand six hundred and eighty
square miles, which from its productiveness
and climate was capable Of sustaining popu-
lation Of eighty to hundred millions. Now
we have an area Of about three million five
hundred thousand square miles and room
enough for afee or four hundred millions Of
people.


The causes which have led to this wonder
full growth, and the effects upon the politics Of
the country and our institutions ed national
life, may very properly be con1 red at this
particular time. The first anhVl lon Of ter
ritory, that of Louisiana in 1903, which more
than doubled the area Of the United States,
was made under very favorable and accidental
circumstances. Napoleon, who was then First
Consul, had just acquired 1t from Spain. With
his far seeing and sagacious mind he saw this
territory was immensely valuable, though he
could hardly have foreseen what 1t would be-
come, and he would not have parted with it,
probably, had he been able to hold it. War
was about to commence between France
and England, and he had no doubt
that one Of the first acts of hostility on the
part of his enemy would be to send feet to
New Orleans and seize Louisiana. The United
States had been negotiating with France for
certain privileges, the need of which was
urgently felt, with regard to deposting mer-
chandise at New Orleans and the navigation Of
the Mississippi. But the American govern
ment had not thought of purchasing the colony.
When, therefore, Napoleon proposed to sell
for sixty millions Of francs an occupation, to
use his own words, that would not perhaps,





Ministers in Paris were surprised. The nego-
tiation, however, was hurried through, even
without sufficient authority on the part Of these
Ministers, and was finally ratified at Washing
ton. "This accession Of territory" Napoleon
said to Marbois, after the bargain had been
made, Strengthens forever the power Of the
United States; and have just given to Eng
land maritime rival that will sooner or later
humble her PRIDE" The treaty of cession was
opposed by tho federal party generally, be-
cause, as they said, the United States had
abundantly sufficient territory for one govern
ment Of q republican character, and because
the purchase was unconstitutional; but it was
ratified in the Senate by twenty-four votes to
seven. The vote Of the House to carry it into
effect was ninety to twenty-five.


The political consequences Of this acquisi-
tion were not felt to any great extent till
some time afterwards. The lower portion,
the sugar and cotton lands were adapted to
slave labor, but it was not till some years after
wards, when that labor became more valuable
and the slavery question became an exciting
one in the politics Of the country, that the
purchase was the cause Of agitation
and sectional difficulty. When new States be-
gan to be carved out Of this territory and the
struggle for sectional ascendency commenced
then was seen what fruitful source Of discord
the acquisition had become. Sill in material
advantages and wealth and in the aggrandze-
ment Of the republic it was immensely valua-
BILE.


The annexation of Florida, by purchase
from Spain for FIVE millions of dollars,
in 1919, was the next step in territorial
expansion. This was an addition of sixty-six
thousand and nine hundred square miles to the
United States. The difficulties between Spain
and this country arising from the Indians in
Florida, and the decline Of Spanish power in
America, led chiefly to the treaty Of cession.
Florida had never been valuable to Spain, and
has not been very valuable to the United
States since in material point Of view, but
the annexation relieved us Of international
difficulty with Spain, enabled us to subjugate
the Indians, who had been troublesome along
our border, and rounded of the republic on
the Gulf Of Mexico. Less opposition was
made to this purchase than to that Of
Louisiana, though some of the old nom
expansion party opposed it Nor have
the political consequences been very
serious or marked. 1t added one more slave
State to the South, 1t is true, but not one Of
much weight Besides, it was the extreme
Southern point Of the republic, and did not
enter into the sectional controversy, as the
Northern portion Of Louisiana did.


BY the Oregon treaty with Great Britain we
became undisputed possessors Of the north
west territory known in general terms as
Columbia and Oregon. The area Of this terri
tory was three hundred and eight thousand
and ffty-two square miles. But this would
hardly be called an acquisition or annexation,