New-York tribune., 1898-10-17
THE TERRITORY OF Porto RfCO.


! Tomorrow our possession of Porto Rico will
be formally complete. The Spanish nag VIII
disoppear from the last official place and the
Stars and Stripes will 60 up in its stead frop-
ably the last Of the Spanish garrison will en-
bark for Spain. AT any rate. the last remains
Of Spanish sovereignty will be surrendered into
American hands. Thcnceforh that island. one
Of thc largest and most valuable in the Western
| Hemisphere. Will be no more possession ol
| Spain. hut of the United States. II will he no
moro European colony, but an American TERRI
| tory-our Territory Of Porto Rico
The change Of status is n momcntous one
for the island and for The United States itself.
II is more radical change than was enected
the other day in Hawaii and more important;
because Porto Rico is by far the more popnl"ns
of the two and has hitherto been far less under
American influence. In one sense il is an cA-
pcriment But it is an experiment which may
. be made with confidence by the sons OF those
who colonized and civilized the North American
Continent There are really no new problems
involved. none thai were not worked oul in
Louisiana and Florida and California. And our
mems of working them out to-day are far more
effective than they were two or three genera
tuns ago
~
possession is already pretty we'll known. The
cordial feeling of the people toward this country
and their readiness and cagerness TO he annexed
to this Republic were strikingly manifested
two months ago There IS no reason to suppose
there has been any change in them, unless in
,ho direction of strengthening and deepening
Them The conduct of the people of all classes
toward the American officers and troops has
of the Spanish merchants and others show no
intention of returning to Spain. bat rather salts
faction at coming under the American flag and
eniovng the increased prosperity and security
II will assure them. There will probably he
not "A single adverse reluctant force for the
American administrators To deal with.
The "claSscs" in Porto Rico that is the people
of education and property. are the more ready
10 accept American authority because they nave
long felt themselves aggricved against Spain
They have been treated as an inferior caste. al
though in every element they are fully the peers
Of the best Peninsulars The masses are
trihe less desirable citizens, because they have
not taken Spanish misgoveinment so philo-
sophically They have met it with disorder and
misdemcanor. declining to respect laws which
were not worthy of respect or which were I'M
Justly administered We shall probably find
among them somewhat lax code Of civic
morals, almost as lax. indeed. as prevails in
some parts of the United States, even in New
York City itself. What Is needed. Of course Is
q Just enforcement of just laws. which will soon
persuade those easy going and adaptable peo
ple TO respect authority.
Tomorrow. then Porto Rico becomes Terri
tory of the United States-since the titles OF
Province and Colony seem not TO strike the
fancy-for all time. for better or for worse
The occasion is not to be regarded with flip
pancy. nor yet with foreboding. but with
minglng of seriousness and confidence our
title to it is unchallenged and unimpeachable
Our opportunity for benefcent achievement is
unspeakably great. our responsibility is by no
means light. Our ability to perform the duties
laid upon us IS unquestionable. people that
has made an empire Of forty-fve States out of
a wilderness need not hesitate 10 make pros
porous territory out of that fair island.