The American claim is by right of our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and our democratic government entrusted to us. It is a right such as that of the tree to the space of air and earth suitable for the full expansion of its principle and destiny of growth. It is in our future far more than in our past or in the past history of Spanish exploration…that our true title is found."" - John O’Sullivan – reporter for the Morning News What does O’Sullivan suggest Americans should be able to possess by right of Manifest Destiny?

The whole of the American continent

Explanation:

In the same way (European) kings and clergyman used to reason that their absolute power was a divine right, O´Sullivan makes a similar statement that the (divine) destiny of Americans - meaning those who happen to live in the U.S., therefore, ignoring large parts of the American population - is to own the entire continent.

I remember a little guy in Germany with a moustache who expressed the same thoughts some 80 years ago...

the passage can be best described as: "the british legislature extended an unwarranted jurisdiction".

we can say that because the text clearly states how the people of the colonies warned the british about their excessive desire to rule over them, without taking into consideration the difficulties their brothers had experienced in america: they struggled to establish the colonies, to adapt to new types of weather, fight with the natives, etc., and how they now see (or then saw) the only way out was to cut all ties with the british, since they ignored the people's petitions.