The San Francisco call., 1898-12-14
REPUBLIC FACES A DANGER
CANNOT ENDURE HALF FREE
 AND HALF NASSAU.
The Very Foundation on Which It Rests Is Assaulted When It Is Sought to Subjugate
 Alien Races.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAVANNAH, Dec. 13.-Colonel Will liam J. Bryan, upon leaving his com mand to-day, the Third Nebraska. gave out the following interview:
 My reason for leaving the army was set forth in my letter to the adjutant general rendering my resignation. Now that the treaty of peace has been concluded l be- lieve that 1 can be more useful to my country as a civilian than as a soldier.
 Colonel Bryan then proceeded to the discussion of public questions saying:
 The people of the United States, having rescued Cuba from foreign control, may TOW resume the discussion of the domes- tic problems which confront this nation and to the consideration of the new ques- tions arising out of the war.
 I may be in error, but in my Judgment our nation is in greater danger just now than Cuba. Our people defended Cuba against foreign arms; now they must de- fend themselves and their country against a foreign idea-the colonial idea of Euro pean nations. Heretofore greed has per verted the Government and used US m strumental interference for private gain: but now the very Ioundation principles or our Government are aSSailed.
 The imperialistic idea is directly antag- onistic to the idea and ideals which have been cherished by the American people since the signing of the Declaration Of Independence. Our nation must give up any intention of entering upon colonial
  pean countries) or it must abandon the doctrine that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the gov erned.
 We may believe that governments come up from the people, or we may believe that governments come down to the peo- pie from those who possess the heaviest cannons and the largest ships, but we cannot advocate both doctrines.
 To borrow a Bible quotation, "A house divided against itself cannot stand; paraphrasing Lincolns declaration I may add that this nation cannot endure half republic and half colony-half free and half vassal. Our form of government, even traditions, our present interests and our future welfare, all forbid our enter ing upon a career of conquest.
 Jefferson has bAen quoted in support of imperialism, but our opponents must dis tinguish between expansion in the West ern Hemisphere and an expansion that involves us in the quarrel of Europe and the Orient They must still further dis tinguish between expansion which secures contiguous territory for future settlement and expansion which secures us alien races for futpre subjugation.
 Jefferson favored the annexation of ne cessary contiguous territory on the North American continent, but he was opposed to wars of conquest and expressly con- demned the acquiring of remote terri tory.
 When asked how the colonial policy could be prevented, Colonel Bryan said:
 oOILe llliIlh that the USnC SnOulQ De made against ratification of the treaty, but I would prefer another plan. If the treaty is rejected negotiations must be renewed and instead of settling the ques- ton according to our ideas. we must set tie It by diplomacy, with the possibility of international complications. It will be easier, 1 think, to end the war at once by ratifying the treaty, and then deal with the subject in our own way. The issue can be presented directly by a reso- lutton of Congress declaring the policy of Tl,1 k, dent in his message says that our only purpose in taking possession of Cuba is to establish a stable government and then turn that government over to the people of Cuba. Congress could reaffirm this pur- pose in regard to Cuba and assert the same purpose in regard to the Philippines and Porto Rico. Such a resolution would make a clearcut issue between the doc Urine of Self-Eovernment and the doctrine of imperialism. We should reserve a har- Dor and coaling station In Porto Eico and dered, and I think we would be justified in asking the same concession from Cuba.
 In the case of Porto Rico. where the people have as yet expressed no desire for an independent government, we might with propriety declare our willingness to annex the island if the citizens desire an- nexation; but the Philippine islands are too far away and their people too differ ent from ours to be annexed to the United States, even if they desired 1t.
 Colonel Bryan leaves Savannah to- night for Washington, and will arrive there Wednesday evening" He intends to enter actively into the fight against the colonial policy