14
THE BATTALION.
Look at her India possessions. The rare, costly, oriental
goods she gets from that country enrich her more than any
possession she has. And look at the immense revenue she
derives from the exportation of wool from Australia. What
would England be without these possessions? A mere non
entity, a paltry principality with empty coflers and one which
some nation could overcome with an exceedingly small force
of soldiers; but it is her possessions \yHerein lie her strength.
The United Slates government, by its acquisition of ter
ritory has placed herself in such a position of strength as
would render an invasion of her territory by a foreign foe
almost impossible. In the event of a war with any other
nation, save Great Britian on the north and Mexico on the
south, an invading army would have to land its force at some
point on our coast in order to gain anything like a foothold
and before an army could be landed and any preparations for
entrenchments or fortifications be erected, we could throw
such a force of soldiery against them as would make them
wish they had never seen this side of the Atlantic.
While the little island of Cuba is struggling for its inde
pendence and endeavoring to throw off the yoke of Spain, the
interf osition of the United States, if it went no further than
to acknowledge its beliggerent rights, would be equal to a vic
tory on the part of the insurgents, and on the other side of the
water I believe it would be good policy for the United States
government to take under her protecting aegis the island of
Hawaii and so extend her territory that all the smaller prin
cipalities between California and Australia will recognize her
as protector and defender. And while the United States has
not been aggressive in the acquisition of territory for the last
fifty years, I am bold to express the hope that the time will
come when the Artie ocean will be her northern boundary
and the Isthmus of Panama her southern boundary, thus
throwing her protection and influence for Christianity, civili
zation and enlightenment over the entire North American
Continent. W. A. Harrison.