The herald., 1898-12-14
Associated Press Special Wire


SAVANNAH, Ga, Dec. l3.-Colonel Will
liam j. Bryan, upon leaving his command
today, the Third Nebraska, gave out the
following interview:
"My reason for leaving the army was set
forth in my letter to the adjutant general,
rendering my resignation. Now that the
treaty of peace has been concluded, be-
lieve that | can be more useful to my coun-
try as a civilian than as a soldier"
Colonel Bryan then proceeds to the dis
oussion of public questions, saying:
"The people of the United States having
rescued Cuba from foreign control, may now
resume the discussion of domestic problems
which confront this nation, and to the con-
sideration of the new questions arising
out of the war.
THE NATION IN DANGER
'I may be i'll error, but in my judgment
our nation is in greater danger just now than
Cuba. Our people defended Cuba against
foreign arms; now they must defend them
selves and their country against foreign
idea--the colonial idea of European nations
Heretofore greed has perverted the govern
ment and used Its instrumental interference
for private gain; but now the very founda
JiOu VI OuI government dlc as
saulted.
"The imperalistic idea is directly antag-
| onistic to the idea and ideals which have
been cherished by the American people since
the signing of the Declaration of Iidepen-
dence. Our nation must give up any inten.
| ton of entering upon a colonial policy (such
as is now pursued by European countres)
or it must abandon the doctrine that gov.
ernments derive their just powers from the
consent Of the governed.
THE CHOICE OFFERED
"We may believe that governments come
up from the people, or we may believe that
governments come down to the people from
those who possess the heaviest cannons and
| the largest ships, but we cannot advocate
both doctrines.
'To borrow Bible quotation, "A house
divided against itself cannot stand;' para
phrasing Lincoln's declaration, | may add
that this nation cannot endure half repub-
lie and half colony-half free and half vas
sal. Our form of government, our tradi-
tions, our present interests and our future
welfare, all forbid our entering upon a ca
reer of conquest.
Jefferson has been quoted in support of
|
gush between expansion in the western
hemisphere and an expansion that involves
us in the quarrels of Europe and the Orient.
They must still further distinguish between
expansion which secures contiguous terri.
tory for future settlement and expansion,
and that which secures us alien races for fu.
ture subjugation.
Jefferson favored the annexation of nee
essary contiguous territory on the North
American continent, but he was opposed to
wars of conquest and expressly condemned
the acquiring of remote territory"
MEANS OF PREVENTION
When asked how the colonial policy could
be prevented, Colonel Bryan said:
"Some think the fight should he made
against the ratification of the treaty, but
would prefer another plan. If the treaty
is rejected, negotiations must be renewed,
and instead of settling the question accord
ing to our ideas, we must settle it by di-
plomacy, with the possibility of interna-
tional complications. 1t will be easier,
think, to end the war at once by ratfying
| the treaty and then deal with the subject
in our own way. The issue can be presented
directly by a resolution of congress decar-
irg the policy of the nation upon this sub
ject. The president in his message says that
our only purpose in taking possession OF
Cuba is to establish stable government
and then turn that government over to the
people of Cuba. Congress could reaffirm
this purpose in regard to Cuba and assert
the same purpose in regard to the Philip.
pines and Porto Rico Such resolution
would make a clear-cut issue between the
doctrine of sef-government and the doctrine
of imperialism. We should reserve harbol
and coaling station in Porto Rico and the
Philippines in return for services rendered
and | think we would be justified in asking
the same concessions from Cuba
"In the case of Porto Rico, where the
people have as yet expressed no desire for ar
independent government we might with
proprety declare our willingness to annex
the island if the citizens desire annexation;
but the Philippines are too far away and
their people too different from ours to be
annexed to the United States, even if they
desired it,"
Colonel Bryan leaves Savannah tonight
for Washington and will arrive there on
Wednesday evening. He intends to ente,
actively into the fight against the colona
| policy