New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-15
THE NEW IMPERIALISM

Imperialism is a word now often heard In dis
cussions Of our National policy. 1t has not
hitherto had an ovcrpleasant sound to American
ears Ii has been held Synonymous with Caesar
ism and reminiscent of the usurpation and taw
dry despotlsm Of Louis Napoleon; and against
anything resembling these latter no resistance
could be roo strenuous. But such are not the
OILY nor the truest definitions Of the term
There Is another imperialism. the imperialism
Of the nation, not Of It's ruler That Is the new
Imperialism OF the day and Of the future. by no
n ears rcpugEant but rather welcome TO the
thoughtful American mind Tncountcd times
Ncv-York has been called an Imperial city"
For a century this has been known as the En-
pre State" In such sense, in Us full and Logical
expansion, we may well have on imperial Ma
ton. Indeed. John Marshall, nearly eighty years
ago, called this the "Amercan Empire" The
time has come 10 face the fact and get accts-
toned 10 II. We are not going into land grab
bipg fof the mere sake OF greedy acquisition.
We are not going TO make u big empire Just for
the sake Of being big But the solated. re-
stricted continental idea never well sanctioned
and never approved by reason. must hencef0rth
I've a thing Of the past. There Ia more reason
why material possessions should be confined
within certain limits than why our commerce,
our travels, Our culture and observation, our
human sympathies, should be thus confined
There are strong reasons why we should take
and hold two classes Of lands, In whatsoever
quarter Of the world they may be found One
class consists OF such lands as lie near these
States as TO belong naturally to our system and
10 involve in their administration our peace and
Welfare. Hawaii Is such territory. Porto
Rico may so be reckOncd, md Cuba ass,irediy
will be- unless as IL 10 be hoped-she shall de-
velop sufficient ability for selfgovernment TO
make her an acceptable independent neighbor.
The ether class consists of such lands, however
remote, as may through the exlgencies OF war
or otherwise be practically and morally forced
upon US. Such are the Philippines, Of which
this Nation Is now taking possession. and which
1t will administer according TO Its Judgment and
ablllty.~We had to take them as a war measure
against n hostile Power, and having taken
them, responsibility for their future rests un-
avodaby upon us.
The curious statement Is put forward that the
possession Of a colonial empire IL Incompatible
with true rcpublcanism. Nothing could be
much wider OF the mark. The fact u.s. as every
disappearing schOolboy knows, that republ
canism and this form, Of Imperialism so hand in
hand The greatest and most lasting empires"
have been built by republics. The example Of
Athens springs readily to mind a republic, yet
the founder OF q colonial empire before which
that Of Alexander seems petty. Or Rome,
whose world-cmbracing empire was acquired
under the Republic. Great Britain may be
cited, too; a monarchy IN form, but democracy
In fact, whose empire In all quarters Of the
oil I'm boon huilt IN since tho limited Kim
dom became for all practical purposes n repub-
lie. So. too, the colonial domain Of France II
an outgrowth Of the Third Republic. These en-
pires are greater and far more enduring than
the monarchical domains Of Philip II and Of