eat Britain hated its
assumptions she was content with its practical workings. What the
United States gained was immunity from the settlement of Latin America
by powerful military nations; what England gained was a profitable
trade (denied her by Spain) together with opportunities for investing
capital. The immediate force behind the Monroe Doctrine was the
self-interest and naval power of a nation, which did not recognise the
doctrine.

Our westward expansion, which obliterated boundaries and overran the
possessions of other powers, also failed to bring war with Europe.
Doubtless this expansion was not {40} entirely welcome to France,
England and Spain. But just as Napoleon, though dreaming of a French
Empire on our western border, had been compelled to sell us Louisiana
to prevent its falling into British hands, so later England resigned
herself to our almost instinctive growth. It was believed in the
forties that England not only wished to prevent our acquiring
California but desired the territory for herself, and it was known that
her interests in Oregon were in the sharpest conflict with American
claims. England would also have preferred that Texas remain
politically independent of the United States and commercially dependent
upon herself. Fortunately for us, however, an aggressive colonial
policy, such as that which during the last forty years has partitioned
Africa, was not yet popular in Europe. England was thinking in terms
of free trade and commercial expansion, of a world rather than a
colonial market. At bottom, moreover, this American expansion was to
the relative advantage of Europe. When Spain was cajoled and worried
into selling Florida; when Texas, and later California, Arizona and New
Mexico were taken from a nation too weak almost to feel resentment, the
result was a better use of the territory and a greater production of
the things which Europe needed. If Europe was not to control these
regions, it was at least better for her to have them pass to us rather
than remain with Mexico. So long as we held politically aloof, sold
Europe cotton and wheat, bought from her manufactured products and gave
her the chance to invest in our railroads, so long as we did not
compete on the sea or in the world markets, Europe, though she envied
us our easy expansion, had no interest in opposing it by war. England
would possibly have fought us had we taken Nicaragua and almost
certainly had we taken Canada,