The age-herald., 1898-12-20
IN ALL THE TRYING TIMES The United Stat las Shown a Capacity feS~ @ernment. DECLARED E z CONSTITUTIONAL
 C.-
 To Annex Ter :: and Quoted Author. ities to Sustain HIs Position.
HoAR OPPOSED THE POLICY
The Nicaragua Canal Was Called Up and Senator Morgan Again Took the Center of the
 Stage.

Wash'ngton December 19.-The senate had busy day and there were several im- portant speeches. MT. Platt, of Connecti- cut spoke against the Vest resolution. whicIf declares that the United States has no power to acquire territory. "I shall maintain" said MT. Platt, "that the United States has shown great capacity for gov- ernment in all trying times and among many trying conditions and that 1t is capa- ble to meet any emergency likely to arise. I propose to confine myself to the question of the right or power denied by the resolu- tion I shall contend that the United States is a nation and that as such 1t possesses sovereign power not reserved by the con- stitution to the people themselves; the right to acquire is an inherent right-a sovereign right. right to which there is no limi- tation. shall show also, that in certain , instances this inherent sovereign right is to be inferred from specific clauses of the constitution itself"
 MT. Platt then launched into constitu- tional argument quoting extensively rom authorities treating of the question. In the maintenance of his position of the right of the United States to acquire foreign territory he quoted from the opinion of Jus tice Gray in the Chinese exclusion case. He declared that in the discussion of the an- nexation of Hawaii the entire question tf this governments right to acquire foreign territory was considered thoroughly and that the senate had settled it satisfactorily and rightly. Not as a State
 "We did not annex the Hawaiian islands as a state," said MT. Platt, "or with any declaration that the territory should become state. We took 1t by cession. Our title to the territory is perfect and important and constitutional"
 He maintained that our right to Florida l did not rest alone upon the quit claim from | Spain, but upon deeper and broader right. l He held that the United States "has the l right to acquire territory in all ways that | are conceded to othef sovereign nations of l the world
 Further along, MT. Platt suggested that 1 it might become necessary in the interests l of commerce or some other interest for the United States to acquire territory in Africa. Shall we be bound by the constitution to organize state from such acquired terri- tory and admit its inhabitants to citizens ship"
 Suppose" he continued, "that the sena- tor from Alabama (Morgan) secures the passage of his bill for the construction of the Nicaraguan canal, and pray he may, and suppose in this connection 1t should ba deemed necessary for the United States to acquire a strip of land along the route of the canal of 2,500,000 acres-l think that is the amount-can we not take 1t? If we take it what clause of the constitution di- rectly or impliedly says we must organize a state of the acquired territory or confer citizenship upon the people who inhabit it?s Dred Scott Decision Referring to Mr. Vests reliance upon cer. tain of Q Mr
 Platt declared that in the light of years Chief Justice Taney's opinion became a mere dictum," and that 1t was too late in these days to resurrect the Dred Scott de- cision basis of constitutional action on the part of the United States. Continuing, MT. Platt contended that the doctrine he was presenting was not new, but it was the doctrine of the fathers He quoted Governor Morris as advancing the theory that acquired territory might be governed as province, but not as state. The remark of the governor applied to the possibility of the acduirement of Louisiana and Canada.
 In response to a question from Mr. Allen. Mir. Platt said he did not think there was any limitation in the power of the United States to. acquire territory. "As complete as the power of Russia, for instance, in such matters?' asked Mir Allen.
 "Yes; the right to acquire territory is an element of nationality, and don't believe E that there is any obligation to give to the people of an acquired territory the right of sef-government until such time as they are fit to exercise that right If we believe the people of a country acquired are not fitted for the government of themselves 1t is our duty to give the most liberal government they are capable of accepting and to edu- cate them up as best we may to the point where they will be capable of self government. The constitution does not cone fer the right of suffrage
 Not . Menace to Existence
 MT. Platt said he could not agree with those who contended that the requirement 
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