The Lunarian Professor and His Remarkable Revelations Concerning the Earth, the Moon and Mars / Together with An Account of the Cruise of the Sally Ann

by James B. Alexander

“Professor, in my day there was a great war between Russia and Japan, which you have not mentioned. Was it not a factor in the settlement of the Asiatic questions?”

“No, it did not assist in making a settlement, for none was made, its only effect was to postpone a settlement. The events I have narrated were greatly to the advantage of the United States. The destruction of England’s commerce largely involved her manufacturers also, and in like degree made room for and stimulated those of the United States. Her trade with all the British Colonies soon eclipsed that of the mother country herself. As the tremendous natural resources of the United States became more and more developed under the energy and skill of the most enlightened methods, the contrast between America and England enforced itself on the attention of all.

“Treaties looking to the abolition of war, and the settlement of all international questions by arbitration had already been adopted between the United States and Great Britain and her Colonies, and there had been a strong feeling and agitation for a closer political union of all the English speaking people. The aggressive foreign policy of England stood in the way of this. But to her, this aggressive policy appeared essential. She had held India, Birmah and large territories in Africa, by conquest, and her trade to these countries depended on her continued military control over them.

“After the war with Russia and France in which she lost India, her commerce, and her prestige, England still felt her only chance for retaining her importance as an influential factor in the politics of the world, to be in cultivating her interests in Birmah and Africa. She could colonize neither of these countries to any great extent. All she could do was to conquer and rule them and compel them to trade with her on terms that turned all their surplus wealth into her coffers—as she had done in India. Her misfortunes had soured her temper and made her more truculent and bulldozing than ever. Her manner towards her colonies changed. They had been of little or no assistance to her in her struggle with Russia, and had but little sympathy with her foreign policy and the truculent and aggressive bearing towards weaker nations that had made her to be thoroughly unpopular in some parts of the world. England now began to resent the cold attitude of the colonies toward her, and to talk of the duty of the daughters towards the mother. She began to be sorely pinched for money. The war had doubled her already enormous debt, and halved her resources. The number of her unemployed at home had greatly increased by reason of the diminution of her trade and the foreign demand for her manufacturers. Taxation enormously increased and the rich were reduced to poverty in providing for the poor. Millions emigrated to America and to the colonies, generally people of the thrifty and productive classes, thereby reducing the resources of the country without diminishing her liabilities. She now proposed to the colonies to tax themselves for her benefit. This they were not inclined to do. They were all comparatively poor. They needed all the money they could raise for public improvements in their own settlements. Most of them were heavily in debt. Canada was hopelessly so, practically bankrupt in fact. Finally the colonies all declined to be taxed for the benefit of the mother country. The condition of affairs in the British empire gave a great impulse to the idea of confederation with the United States. The plan gained favor rapidly with the colonies. No nation on earth was so prosperous then, or possessed of such vast resources as the United States. The country was out of debt and enormously wealthy.

“Her army was small, but she had a powerful navy. She was respected by all the world and had great influence, as much from her fairness and justice to other nations as from her known reserved power and ability to enforce justice to herself. The British felt the need of an alliance that would place them in the front rank of nations again, and all the branches of the empire appeared anxious for the consolidation with the United States. This country was desirous of obtaining Canada, and this made it the more ready to adopt the union, because it was supposed it must be with all or none. As this country was by far the most populous number of the proposed union, it was conceded that Washington should be the capital of the new empire. The constitution of the United States was taken as the basis of the new government with certain modifications. The President and Vice President were to be elected by direct vote of the people, a plurality to elect. They were to serve six years only. They could not both be from the same continent or state. The President was not to have the veto power. The Representatives were to be 600 in number apportioned among the states according to population. The senate was to consist of 100 members elected by the people. The term of office for both houses was to be two years. Each natural division as a continent or island or group of islands was to be divided into senatorial districts following state boundaries when practicable, but throwing together small states or fractions of large ones when necessary to give the proper quota of population. All bills were to originate in the House of Representatives, but were also to pass the senate before becoming laws; but that body could not alter or amend—only veto or approve, and the House could pass any bill in spite of the senate by a two thirds vote. The President was to appoint his cabinet with the approval of the senate, but all or any one was to be required to resign upon a vote of “want of confidence” by the House of Representatives. Both the President and Vice President could be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of both House and senate and a new election ordered to fill the unexpired term.

“There was to be free trade amongst all the states under this constitution and also between these states and foreign nations except that a tariff on importations might be imposed when ordered by a three-fourths vote of the Congress. The general revenue was to be collected by the County Commissioners and Treasurers of the counties of the several states, such officers being for such purpose, officers of the general government, and levying such rate of tax as ordered by the law of Congress in addition to the taxes ordered by the state, county, city, ward, or school district authorities.

“Suffrage was to be restricted to men and women who could read and write the English language. Foreign immigrants were not to be permitted to settle in colonies in any of the states or to maintain public schools—except high schools—in which any other than the English language is used.

“No state could engage in aggressive foreign war, but might repel invasion. Only the general government could engage in war.

“This scheme of government was prepared by a joint commission appointed for the purpose, and submitted to the people of the several countries interested, the British Colonies, each separately, England, Ireland, the United States and Scotland. All the colonies, the United States and Ireland voted for the plan; England and Scotland voted against it. They were dissatisfied with the provision prohibiting them from going to war. They had always enjoyed this luxury and were loth to be deprived of it. They had hoped the plan of union would allow them to pursue their schemes of settlement and annexation as before with the right to call on the confederation for succor in case they were hard pressed by foreign enemies. They argued indeed that actual active assistance would never in any probable event be required, because with the mere moral support of such formidable backing they felt sure that almost any nation would put up with any amount of insult and injury rather than resent it against such odds.

“It was supposed by many that the failure of Great Britain to ratify the general constitution would defeat the whole scheme. But the colonies and Ireland had become very much in favor of it, and hated to be balked by what they termed the selfish action of the mother country; and they demanded her consent to the union, of as many as might choose to join it without her. She was in no condition to resist their demands if they should choose to enforce them. But it would have been folly to have come to blows or even to words over such a question. The colonies had never been a source of profit to England, but rather a bill of expense. She traded with them, but did not possess a monopoly of their trade, and paid their tariff dues the same as other people. The United States enjoyed a larger trade with Canada than she, and had almost driven her out of the trade with several of her own West India Islands. Whatever the position might be that she held with reference to this commerce, it would not be made worse by this proposed union, but rather better, for free trade would take the place of tariffs. She would also enjoy free trade with the United States, which alone was worth to her a dozen colonies. The union of England with her colonies was chiefly one of sentiment. They governed themselves according to their own ideas, and were practically so many independent nations, which she was in sentiment bound to protect when they got into trouble, but which had little or nothing to give her in return for her maternal solicitude and worry. Their relationship to her tended to make them impertinent and presumptuous in their intercourse with other nations. Canada in particular by her bumptiousness had more than once come very nearly involving her in ruinous war with the United States, in which her loss would have been the destruction of her commerce, and her only gain, the loss of her pert colony. All these points were discussed by the English. It was urged that if Britain tried to keep the Colonies against their will, the time would surely come when she would have to give them up against hers. They recalled the Controversy with the United States and reflected how much better it would have been for England if she had permitted them to go off as friends rather than enemies. And they averred that if she should give her cordial approbation to the new union and send off the colonies with the maternal blessing to join their big brother Jonathan, it would go far toward curing the unfilial, but not entirely causeless feeling of bitterness he had entertained for her since 1776 and 1812.