The San Francisco call., 1898-12-07
THE PERILS OF VICTORY.


 of our Spanish One of these addresses was by Chauncey M. Depew, Patriotism and Jingosm. It was intended as criticism of President Cleveands Venezuelan message but in 1t vein of profound philosophy. Sketching the downfall of Roman lib- erty he said:
 "A craze for conquest had created armies, wonder ful victories had made famous generals and triumpha processons had inf1amed and intoxicated the people Cicero what other statesman of his period did, that beside the captive chained to the chariot of the conqueror as it proudly rolled along the Appian way with the acclaim of the multitude staked also in chains the figure of Roman liberty. x When Cicero's throat was cut upon the highway by the soldiers of Antony, the body of the Roman law, which protected life and property and judicialy decided rights and remedied wrongs, and which had been five hundred years in slow and laborous construction, buried with his blood. The falling temple of liberty car red down in its ruins civilization law learning art, humanity and religion"
 MT. Depew continued with argument for the ar btration of all international disputes and differences to the end that might be averted and the sleep ing tiger in the breasts of might not be reused by lust of conquest and the glitter of Describ ing our relations to surrounding countries he said: To the south of us Is Mexico, with only twelve mil lions of people, of whom ten millions Indians,
 
 Mexico, nor do want her That population incor- porated into political system would corrupt our suffrage. The Presidency of the United States and the political control of the republic might be decided by the Indians of Mexico"
 It does not destroy the strength of his protest against militarism and imperialism that Depew has changed and is expansioniSt of high degree. It rather enforces his classic analogy from the history of Rome. Cicero overawed by the steady advance of Caesars power, abated his high opposition to inn perialism, though his death brought about by Antonys lack of faith in the sincerity of his abandon ment of former opinions
 The other address at the same meeting was deIiv- cred by Hon. Moorfield Storey, president of the American Bar Association. He expressed the satis- faction with which he had listened to MT. Depew, and said:
 I fear for country successful war more than any other calamity Wecan survive defeat but it will be very difficult to preserve institutions against victory. The triumph of Rome in the second Punic paved the way for the downfall of the Roman re- public. We must be certain that we are different from every other nation before expose ourselves reck lessy the evil influences which they have failed to resist. It is at least clear that we do not want foot of foreign territory There no neigh boring people that clearly able to govern themselves honestly and we'll that we can afford to let IL to you for to undertake the labor of instructing Senators from Hawaii or Cuba in the principles of sound currency, when cannot teach them to the Senators from States, even to those from Pennsylvania? Is not idle for attempt to gov ern Cuba when we find 1t difficult to govern the city of New York? Reformers all over the country are continually claiming that the great difficulty which we have in the administration of this government comes from the presence, in the midst of us, of for eigners. Those foreigners are here under our sys- tenn, subject to police, educated in our schools and by our press, and taking part in the solution of problems with which we are called upon to deal If we cannot control them what, do you think, would be the result of adding to body polite whole states of foreigners not sub ject to police unfamiliar with our institutions or with language and not subject to any of the influences of education or association to which our natonazed citizens now exposed? The best war that ever fought the War of the Re belion, but 1t left behind legacy of party spirit of extravaganza, of taxation, of corruption which has stood between and good government for thirty years. We finding it impossible to decide what our dollar is now thirty years after that war closed Can we afford to let rulers, for no cause that concerns us, expose only to the material con- sequences of another in the loss of life and prop crty increased taxation and fresh pensions but to the |
 It will be noticed in what we have quoted of these addresses that neither of these eminent lawyers con- ceded that foreign territory and people could be added to our system for any other purpose than in- corporation into our body politic Neither they nor any other Americans, as recently as I8o6 conceived such thing possible stretching our system to either the military or civil control of distant provinces imperial colonies, to be held subject to our power but not to the laws by which the republic Is governed
 Depew and Storey expressing the traditions and utterng the spirit of the laws of the republic only two years ago. and the fact that what they considered so foreign to both to be mentioned as part of our national policy is supported as legitimate and proper national concern illustrates the wide de- parture we have taken and gives sharp edge to Mr. Storeys belief that our institutions would hardly sur vive victory in foreign war
 THE ACT RODE OE THE cu uEDtrEC