MANIFEST DESTINY. 265 



my belief they'd be very glad to stay, when they got 

 into the enclosure. The principles that have kept the 

 State s together thus far ; that holds the thirty-one 

 States under a common government, are strong 

 enough, and broad enough, to keep a hundred States 

 together and that if our form of government will 

 answer for the territory we've got now, it'll answer for 

 all Worth America, and may be for South America, 

 too." 



" Why," said I, " Tucker, you're a ' manifest des- 

 tiny' man, and go with the ' Young America' party." 



:< I ain't a politician," he replied, " and don't be- 

 long to any party. I make it a pint always to vote, if 

 it's only to keep me in mind that I'm a free man, and 

 entitled to a voice in makin' the officers, and laws by 

 which I'm to be ruled. I've hearn a good many peo- 

 ple talk about the country bein' in danger, and the 

 Union unsafe. I never believed a word of it. I've 

 hearn them talk larnedly about the trouble, that 

 might be looked for, from spreadin' out so fast. I 

 never believed a word of that. This country has 

 been spreadin' out, from the time the white man's axe 

 hewed down its first forest tree, and every acre that's 



been added to it, has made it stronger. So I say the 



12 



