Graham guardian., 1898-12-23

, ''"D L Sau ue more uSeIul JC
: my country as civilian than as
soldier"
, Colonel Bryan then proceeds to
, the discussion ofpublc questions,
: saying:
"The people of the United
states having rescued Cuba from
foreign control, may now resume
the discussion Of domestic prob
lens which confront this nation,
and to the consideration of the
new questions arising out of the
war.
THE NATION IN DANGER
81 may be in error, but in my
Judgement 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 foreign idea--the colonial
idea Of European nations. Here.
totore greed has perverted the
government and used its instru-
mental interference for private
gain; but now the very foundation
principles of our government are
assaulted.
"The lmperialistic idea is direct
ly antagonistic to the idea and
ideals which have been cherished
oy the American people since the
signing of the Declaration of In.
dependence. Our nation must
give up any intention of entering
upon a colonial policy (such as is |
now pursued by European coun.
trles) or it must abandon the
doctrine that governments derive
their just powers from the consent
of the governed.
THE CHOICE OFFERED
eve may believe that govern.
ments come up from the people, or
we may believe that governments
come down to the people from
those who possess the heaviest
and the largest ships, but
we cannot advocate both doc
rines. II
"To borrow Bible quotation,
A house divided against itself
'annot stand;' paraphrasing Lin
,oln's declaration, l may add that
his nation cannot endure half re,
public and half oolony-half free I
md half yassal. Our form of
government, our traditions, our
present interests and our future {
Welfare, all forbid our entering i
lpon a career ofconquest. Il
Jefferson has been quoted in |
support of imperialism, but our g
must distinguish be- {
ween expansion in the western
hemisphere and an expansion that !
involves US in the quarrels of
Europe and the Orient. They |
must further distinguish between a
which secures contigu- {
,us territory for future settlement S
md expansion, and that which /
ecures US alien races for future |
ubJugation. +
Jefferson favored the annexa- t
ion of necessary contiguous terri Y
ory on the North American con- /
inent, but he was opposed to wars
If conquest and expressly con-
lemned the acquiring of remote
erritory."
MEANS Of PREVENTION.
When asked how the colonial S
policy could be prevented, Colonel
Bryan said:
"Some think the fight should
,e made against the ratification of {
he treaty, but | would prefer
another plan. If the treaty is rel !
ected, negotiations must be re-
newed, and instead of settling the S
question according to our ideas,
We must settle it by diplomacy, G
with the possibility of information s
Il complications, II will be easier,
think, to end the war at once by e
'atifying the treaty ard then deal t
With the subject in our own way.
The issue can be presented directly C
)y resolution Of congress declar- S
ng the policy of the nation upon
his subject. The president in his /
Message says that our only purpose c
n taking possession of Cuba is to
establish stable government and d
hen turn that government over to f
he people of Cuba. Congress
Gould reaffirm this purpose in re, s
,ard to the Philippines aud Porto h
Rico. Such a resolution would
make II elear-cut issue between the {
loctrint of self-government and !
loctrine of Imperialism. We !
hould reserve n harbor and coal v