The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-12-09
WHILE WE WERE SLEEPING

history cannot fail to realize that i IS
merely a succession of narratives OF the
rise and fall of great nations, which,
like men. are born weak and help ess,
but generally grow stronger anu more
powerful until they recognize no super
ior earthly power. This has been the
history of mankind heretofore, ana
many of us, no doubt. while peruslng
the stories of Assyria, Egypt, Carthage,
Greece and Rome have wondered II the
comrleted history of our Republic is TO
be but another chapter in the record OF
great nations which persisted because
the liberty of their people was swallow
ed up il the grasping ambition anu
greed of men of wealth and power, but
probably not one of us ever dreamed
thatin our own time the change should
be accomplished, almost even before
we were aware that it was being at
tempted.
For with the popular idea OF kings
and conquerors, gathered from what
we had read of Pharoah, Darius, Han
nibal, Alexander, Caesar and Napoleon,
we imagined that the assault upon our
constitutional form of government
would. if made at all, be led boldly by
some man of military renown, with
purpose openly disclosed and with
banners upheld and flying. Instead,
we find that while we were vigilantlN
watching for the enemy to come such
apparent guise, a Delilah-like power
has shorn US of most of our strength
and placed us almost beyond the point
of resistance. For the true enemy OF
the American Republic to-day is the
power of wealth and monopoly behind
the Administration, which has appar-
emily launched fully into the troubled
sea of imperialism, and which, without
explanation of its policy, simply replies
to the protests of those who wish to
stand in the old ways with the shout
of Manifest Destiny"
As school-boys, we learned that this
country was formed by the federation
of a number of weak settlements for
mutual defense; when able to construe
the constitution, we saw that the whole
theory of our political fabric rests upon
the theory that government is by con,
sent of the governed. By deduction
from ancient history, we determined
that if ever the attempt was made to
subvert this rule and make govern
ment depend upon the will of the gov
ernor the resort of the oppressed would
be to force. We have seen the issue
made, we have seen the reply and the
result. The disciples of Hamilton con-
uuered and it is now settled that we
are Nation.
And now, within the lifetime of many
of those who took part in the struggle
for States Rights, comes the begin
ming of the change from Nation to
Empire. Truly, we are advancing
with dizzy speed. But the manage
ment of the master minds is so perfect
that, like the motion of swift express
train under the management of skill
full engineer, we do not realize the
rapidity of our advance, except when
we glance at the landmarks which we
are leaving behind. The change is
made by gradually undermining the
foundations of constitutional law, by
apparent accidents, and by measures
which are only at first adopted as tenn,
porary expedients, but it is ali the
more sure because made by easy
stages, and through schemes which ap-
peal to the cupidity and avarice of
many of our people. 1t is aided by
dreamers who imagine that by annex
ing the whole world we should render
the whole people happy, prosperous
aud contented, forgetful of the fact
that the very essence of prosperity for
peoples of widely diverse interests,
tastes and desires lies in a separate
government for each people. If the
dream of an universal empire were
ever realized, it would not only bring
great misery to great many people,
but the stupendous fabric would, as
soon as completed, begin to go to pieces
by its own weight.
True, the scheme is not yet fully ac-
complished, and may still be blocked
for time if wise counsels shall prevail
in the Senate of the United States, but
that body will be strongly Republican
after the fourth of next March that
the Administration will doubtless be
able to bend it to its will, especially by
the tremendous lever of patronage
which will be afforded by the great
number of offices TO be filled in our pro-
posed new territories, so for the pres
ent, at least, we must bow to the yoke.
But, although the peace treaty with
Spain may be confirmed; although we
may acquire as citizens the millions of
Negroes, Chinese, Creoles and Malays
and all the bArbarous chronological
mixtures of the the West Indies,
Hawaii and the Philippines; although
size as is necessary to support the
power of king, although we may
double our national debt, create an
enormous yearly deficit, even while
greatly increasing our taxes, all of
which things are immediate and avow-
ed objects of the administration of
President Mckinley, there will be at
least one more chance for the patriotic
citizens of this country to regain their
control of this government and to re-
tain their liberties as handed down to
them by their fathers, and that one,
and perhaps the only chance will be to
sweep the Republican party from the
face of the earth in 1900.
THE PEACE TREATY.
The peace treaty of Paris is practi-
cally completed and but few days
will elapse ere another important