The times., 1898-07-04

once asked DR. johnson to do But
the remarks which they make suggest
reflections.
In the first place, all life-even the best
of good works-must be more or less a
compromise There was prince once
in a fairy tale, who started to go in
perfectly straight line across his own
kingdom; and he took mapmaker
along to show how well he succeed ded.
When the journey was finished the first
quarter Of an inch of the princes
course On the map was straight; the
rest looked like snarl Of string. AMI
that journey typifies the course of hu-
man life. War by itself. is not by any
means the noblest employment of man,
but there came a time in the history of
this nation when it was infinitely no.
bier to go TO war than to stagnate in
dishonorable peace. The taking OF the
Philippines was a measure of war. The
thing now to be considered is not what
would have been coed for them had
We not taken them, but what will be
best for them now. 1t is certain that
they cannot remain for even the brief
est period free and Independent. Leav-
ing out of the question their ability to
govern themselves. they are certainly
not able to defend themselves, and
would at once become a bone of con-
tention in the Orient. To return them
to Spain would mean. not only all the
horrible outrages and crueities which
they formerly suffered under her rule,
but increased oppression from their
tigerish masters, who would compel
them 10 pay the expenses of this war.
1t is not only the right course, but
the only course for us. to keep th
Philippines and govern them with such
wisdom that their people will bless the
day when Dewey's guns brought down
the yellow flag and caused the Stars
and Stripes TO float over Manila. 1t
may also be we'll for these would-be
authorities on ethics to remember that
were ii our duty to return the Philip
pines, we ought also, in defiance of all
pledges and all justice, to assist Spai
10 regain control of Cuba.
The plain, straightforward solution
Of the situation is, of course, TO follow
the Ieadings of destiny, and make our
nation the great commercial power Of
the world. If we believe that our ideal
of government is the best yet evolved
by any nation. if We believe in liberty,
and justice. and the rights of man. il
is our business TO aid in the establish
ment of this ideal in preference to me-
dieval sayagery and ignorance.
If we DO not believe in our own ma
tional ideal, il may with justice be ask
! ed, what in the world is the use Of for
! eign missions? Why should we spend
mGHey to establish schools and
| churches in countries where ignorance.
barbarism and cruelty are the rule, if
| We do not believe that the influence OF
our own civilization will do away with
| these things And when we have the
| opportunity to remove whole colonies
at one stroke. from the dark and tor
turing influence of nation about on
the moral level of an Iroquois Indian
a nation which has nothing in common
with the helpless subjects from whom
ii EFFORTS its revenues-why should We
not embrace the opportunity with joy
fuI speed? This war is not Crusade
and is open TO none of the objections tC
a Crusade.
The people of the Spanish colonie:
are not Spaniards; they are of races
alien to the Spaniard. and for centu.
ries oppressed and tortured by him
They are struggling to be free. Spair
has absolutely no right to control them
She has given them nothing; they hav,
paid many times over for freedom from
her rule, and for the right of choosing
their own protectors. 1t might be sell
sacrificing for a little band Of mission,
aries TO go into the Philippines 90 giNl
the poor natives spiritual consolation
and mental enlightenment; but thert
is considerably more common sense il
getting the islands into our own hand.
so that the work of enlightenment viii
not be quite so much up hill. A wa
Of conquest may be also a war of hu
manity.