ld receive equal
care and consideration. "Our country, our whole country, and
nothing but our country" has been the watchword and creed of my
public life. It was the opposite doctrine of "states' rights,"
allegiance to a state, that led to the Civil War. It was settled
by this war that we have a country limited in its powers by the
constitution of the United States fairly construed. Since that
time our progress and development have been more rapid than any
other country's.

The events of the future are beyond the vision of mankind, but I
hope our people will be content with internal growth, and avoid
the complications of foreign acquisitions. Our family of states
is already large enough to create embarrassment in the Senate, and
a republic should not hold dependent provinces or possessions.
Every new acquisition will create embarrassments. Canada and Mexico
as independent republics will be more valuable to the United States
than if carved into additional states. The Union already embraces
discordant elements enough without adding others. If my life is
prolonged I will do all I can to add to the strength and prosperity
of the United States, but nothing to extend its limits or to add
new dangers by acquisition of foreign territory.

INDEX
[omitted]

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House, Senate and Cabinet, by John Sherman

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