The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-15
WARRIOR BRYAN TALKS.
He Is Opposed to Retaining the Phil
ippines, Cuba or Porto Rico.

OMAHA, Neb., June 1.-THE Nebraska
building at the exposition was dedicated to-
day with appropriate ceremony amid the
plaudits of thousands of the States citizens.
Governor Holcomb and his staff took part
in the exercises, along with many of the
States most distinguished residents. The
speakers of the day were Hon. Constantine
]. Smith, Hon. VIM. F. Gurley and Hon.
Vim. j. Bryan. Mr. Bryans Grafton was
notable for one thing, his first public dec
laration on the war issue. He said, in part:
War is harsh it is attended by hard
ships and suffering. 1t means vast ex-
penditure of men and money. We may well
pray for the coming of the time, promised
in Holy Writ when the spears shall be
beaten into pruning hooks and the swords
into pillow shares, but universal peace can
not come until justice is enthroned through
out the world Jehovah deals with nations
as he deals with men, and for both he de-
crees that the wages of sin is death. Until
the right is triumphant in every land and
love. reigns In every heart governments
long as the oppressor is deaf to the voice
of reason, so long must the citizen accus-
tom his shoulder to the musket and his
hand to the saber
Our Nation exhausted diplomacy in it's
efforts to secure peaceable solution of the
when 1t was compelled to choose between
war and servile acQuiescence in cruelties
which would have been disgrace to bar
barism. History will vindicate the position
taken by the United States in the war with
Spain. In saying this l assume that the
principles which were invoked at the open
ing of the war will be observed in its prose-
cution and its conclusion. IL a contest I'M
dertaken for the sake of humanity degen-
crates into a war for conquest we shall find
it difficult to meet the charge of having
added hypocrisy to greed. Is our national
character weak that we cannot with
stand the temptation 10 appropriate the first
piece of land that comes within our reach?
ITO nfiict upon the enemy what possible
harm is legitimate warfare. but shall we
contemplate scheme for the colonization
Of the Orient merely because our feet won
a remarkable victory in the harbor of Ma
Mia? Our guns destroyed a Spanish fleet.
but can they destroy the self-evident truth
that governments derive their just powers,
not from superior forces but from the con-
sent of the governed? Shall we abandon a
just resistance TO European encroachment
upon the western hemisphere in order to
mingle in the controversies of Europe and
Asia?
If others turn to thoughts of aggrandize-
ment and yield allegiance 10 those who
clothe land covetousness in the attractive
garb of national destiny, the people of Ne
braska will, If | mistake not their senti-
ments place themselves upon the disclaimer
entered by Congress, and expect that good
faith shall characterize the making of peace
as IL did in the beginning of the war If
some dream of the spendor of heterogen-
eous empire encircling the globe, we shall
be content 10 aid in bringing enduring hap
piness to a heterogeneous people. conse-
Grated to the purpose Of maintaining "a