erior to anything else on earth. Those who have a
different language or a different color are referred to as "inferior
peoples." The people of Panama cannot dig a canal, the people of Cuba
cannot drive out yellow fever, the people of the Philippines cannot run
a successful educational system, but the people of the United States can
do all of these things,--therefore they are justified in interfering in
the internal affairs of Panama, Cuba and the Philippines. When there is
a threat of trouble with Mexico, the papers refer to "cleaning up
Mexico" very much as a mother might refer to cleaning up a dirty child.

Patriotism, preparedness and a sense of general superiority lead to
that type of international snobbery that says, "Our flag is on the seven
seas"; or "The sun never sets on our possessions"; or "Our navy can lick
anything on earth." The preliminary work of "Education" has now been
done; the way has been prepared.

One more step must be taken, and the process of imperializing public
opinion is complete. The people are told that the imperialism to which
they have been called is the work of "manifest destiny."

7. _Manifest Destiny_

The argument of "manifest destiny" is employed by the strong as a
blanket justification for acts of aggression against the weak. Each time
that the United States has come face to face with the necessity of
adding to its territory at the expense of some weak neighbor, the
advocates of expansion have plied this argument with vigor and with
uniform success.

The American nation began its work of territorial expansion with the
purchase of Louisiana. Jefferson, who had been elected on a platform of
strict construction of the Constitution, hesitated at an act which he
regarded as "beyond the Constitution." (Jefferson's "Works," Vol. IV, p.
198.) Quite different was the language of his more imperialistic
contemporaries. Gouverneur Morris said, "France will not sell this
territory. If we want it, we must adopt the Spartan policy and obtain it
by steel, not by gold."[51] During February, 1803, the United States
Senate debated the closing of the Mississippi to American commerce. "To
the free navigation of the Mississippi we had an undoubted right from
nature and from the position of the Western country,"[52] said Senator
Ross (Pennsylvania) on February 14. On February 23rd Senator White
(Delaware) went a step farther: "You had as well pretend to dam up the
mouth of the Mississippi, and say