Oakfield High School - Oak Leaves Yearbook (Oakfield, WI)

Page 11 text:

THE ROMANCE OF CONQUEST The pages of history are filled with romances as entrancing and captivating as are contained in the best tales of love and adventure. There are many different phases of this historical romance, but none is more interesting than the Romance of Conquest, and to us in particular, the Romance of American conquest. Between the ideas of discovery and those of conquest there is a close connection. Every nation, in acquiring new territory, assumes the role of a discoverer, a claimant, a conqueror, and an organizer. If we will look back in History’s volume, to the early eighteenth century, we will find that not all nations have succeeded in carrying out these successive roles. The North American continent, tho discovered and claimed by Spanish, French, Portuguese, and English, was left, by the year 1763, almost entirely in the hands of the last who had conquered and colonized it. The years came and went. British rule continued and became oppressive. At last there dawned a day when the transplanted Englishmen, living in English colonies could no longer endure the rule of the mother country. As a result they created a new nation, giving to mankind a new name to place in the gallery of the worldpowers. The formal creation of this new nation took place on July fourth, 1776, in the form of a Declaration of Independence, by which the thirteen dependent colonies became the thirteen independent States of America. But tho this great event brings thrills of gladness to our hearts, tho we think of it with a swelling pride we must also call to remembrance the eight long years of gloomy war which followed it, in order that that Declaration might not have proven in vain, but might be instead, a glorious reality. And, when the war was ended and the independence of the little nation secured, a new and distinct race of people had been born, to us, prouder than all others,—the Americans. From that time on, this people has been making conquests of its own, and forming a Romance than which there is none more thrilling. After the United States became an independent nation, there were several years of distress and misery. The idea of a Federal government was laughed to scorn by Europeans, and the first attempt of the United States in that direction, the Confederation, prov ed a failure. But failure has never been able to discourage Americans, and a new Constitution was formed, which has ruled the people successfully ever since. Soon after the wheels of the national government had been set in revolution, the nation, obeying the true instinct of development, began to expand toward the west, crossing the hitherto impenetrable wall of the Alleghanies. There were two streams, one of New England Yankees, and one of Pennsylvanians. They met beyond the mountains and pushed on untiringly thru the great, unknown, western wilderness, lead by the desire for homesteads, and, perhaps, by the love of adventure. Another parallel procession in the South headed by Daniel Boone, crossed Kentucky and Tennessee. Soon in the valleys of the Ohio and the Cumberland, log cabins, churches, and school-houses arose showing the promise of the

Page 10 text:

'Phe motto of every citizen should he, “The best means to promote the greatest good to the greatest number.” If all practice this it will bring the greatest general happiness to the country. There is something seriously wrong with the government of a nation if a large portion of its population is discontented. The true citizen will try to find the cause of this trouble and then use all of his influence to correct this defect. Many of the corruptions in our government exist not by the desire of our citizens but because of their ignorance of the presence of such evils. This brings out the great need for the purification of the ballot-box. This can l e best carried out by having a strict educational qualification for the voters. They should be able to read and write and at least have been a resident of the United States for ten years. A voter, not having these qualifications, can not be expected to understand the laws, customs and needs of our country; without these qualifications, such consequently become inefficient voters and citizens. The true citizen promotes this progress of civilization in the world by striving for measures which will bring more comforts to mankind and lessen their needs. The real man has the power of turning his inward thoughts upon himself and can judge his own strength with a view of putting it to the best uses. He will know for what he is best fitted and thus will not waste his time and energy in some occupation for which he is not adopted. If this simple practice were taken up by all, it would lessen the dissatisfaction and discouragements of mankind and each one’s natural talent could be extended to its fullest capacities; thereby doing the most good. Everywhere we see evidences of the good which is accomplished by our noble and true citizens. Abraham Lincoln has been endeared to the American people by his kindliness, honesty and lowliness of manner. He was undazzled by power or place and his moral courage which supported him against adverse politicians and hostile criticism, made him a citizen of the highest degree. Emerson always considerate and respectful of the rights of others, showed, not only by his books, but by many little acts of kindness and courtesy that he constantly bettered the condition of mankind. Gladstone is another good example of true citizenship in his labors for England and Ireland. Among the women are Francis Willard, Florence Nightingale and Harriet Stowe each of whom labored faithfully for the enlightenment of their fellow beings. Why is it, that in spite of the flight of time the reputation of these people grows larger? It is notso much the great works which they have accomplished as it is their pure, noble characters that have impressed their many admirers. What powerful illustrations these are of the fact that character is the greatest force in the world. With like characters we all become citizens of the highest order. We may not have the world renown that these people have but we can imitate them by keeping a clear record and tho we may find ourselves in just such a small circle, we can still practice kindness, affection, helpfulness, humility and true courtesy to our associates and thus in our small sphere we can still be true citizens. Eva Paynter

Page 12 text:

nation’s sure expansion. In this way began the great American Exodus, properly following the Genesis of the Constitution. While this western movement was going on. President Jefferson and some of the leading statesmen were busy in the East, laying the foundations of a broader, a greater, a nobler domain. Napoleon Bonaparte, the French ruler and dictator, surprised the Americans by offering them the large territory of Lousiana, then in his hands, for the sum of fifteen million dollars. This great tract included the grandest river valley in the world, and was one million square miles in area. President .Jefferson realized its value, and, stretching his Constitutional powers “'til they cracked,” as he himself said, he bought Louisiana, at the rate of two and one-half cents an acre. Thus the American flag, then glistening with seventeen stars, was made to float proudly over the wide west, doubling our national domain. The United States, being a progressive country, did not for long call Louisiana its latest possession. A new territory, Florida, was soon ceded to us by Spain, for the sum of five million dollars. This new land rectified our southern frontier and added sixty thousand square miles of territory to the United States. On July 10, 1820, the red and yellow flag of Spain was hauled down, and the “red, white, and blue,” with thirteen stripes and twenty-four stars, was hoisted. Our country was growing strong and powerful now, and was justly beginning to feel itself one of the national powers. Everything heretofore added to our domain had been gained by diplomacy and purchase, but a new strip of territory soon presented itself to the ambitious government as a very desirable addition to our country. Texas, then a part of Mexico, had been settled partly by westward-forging Americans, who rose in arms against Mexican anarchy, wrested the reins of government from the oppressor, founded an independent Republic, and soon applied for admission into the Union. The request, seeming very favorable, was granted, and and a state five time the size of England was soon represented on the flag. But, as was to be expected, Texas and Mexico became at once involved in serious boundary difficulties which resulted in war between the United States and Mexico. At its close the former had secured, whether fairly or unfairly, all the disputed territory and a strip of land composing New Mexico and California besides. Before the end of the Mexican affair, this ever progressing, ever-energetic country of ours was busy obtaining new territory in the far West. The great region of the North-West, between the Rockies and the Pacific, and between Russian America on the North and Mexican America on the South, lay an almost unknown region. But it was known that there were splendid mountains, rivers, and fertile lands there. In 17i 2 the foundation of the American title to Oregon was secured by the entry of Captain Gray into the Columbia river valley. American trading posts were established and in 1818 the United States and Great Britian, who also claimed the region, made a treaty for its joint occupation. American missionaries and settlers were soon pouring over the rugged mountains until the British began to be jealous of American supremacy. Happily, negotiations with Great Britian settled the disputes and brought within