The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-19
IS LIBERTY A MYTH!
Moncure D, Conway Puts An
other Side Out,
AMERlCAGONE COLONIZING
Her Crusader-Like Zeal Based
on Errors, He Says.
AMERlCAGONE COLONIZING

New York, June 1S.-Moncure D. Con
way, in the Herald, says:
Not long ago this country found Itself
for the first time in its history, in vtr-
tual possession Of another country on the
other side Of the globe. and the novel cit
uation is bringing into relief kind OF
Americanism not hitherto taken seriously
1t will henceforth be taken very seriously
indeed in its practical results. and as
these are likely to affect ourselves more
than any other people, it is important
that this new development should be
studied.
The lingo" epithet has naturally drop
ped out of use as we have recognized
the ouasi-reugious nature Of some of the
elements now sweeping the nation on
ward to a new career. OF course there are
various, and even contrarious, forces rep
resented in the longing to acquire ana
rule distant regions and to mingle in the
affairs Of the general world, but the mis-
sionary impulse appears to be one OF the
strongest. Large numbers Of people IN
America seem TO regard not merely CUBA
and the Philippines and Hawaii and Ire
land, but most countries, as lands or
darkness and bondage, and Americans as
a kind Of Chosen People, whose mission
it is to spread freedom and political civil
Ization among them.
But have we these things to spread?
Surely some self-criticism is just now
patriotic duty. Our country is in no peril;
the war in which we are engaged is with
a weak nation; and it is neither patriotic
nor Just nor honest that under the pre-
text Of military advantages of the mo-
ment far-reaching changes in national
policy should be made. and permanent
conditions established, without a full and
free discussion of the responsibilities in.
volved our adequacy to them. and the
never ending evils TO mankind that fol-
low every dellsion.
soon after the seizure of the Philippines
/ read in the Herald letter IN which our
responsibility as a nation for planting
free institutions there and wherever our
power extended and the solemn sanction
therefor was cited from the inscription on
the old Liberty Bell: proclaim liberty
throughout all the land unto all inhabit-
ants thereof" If your correspondent had
consulted his Bible as devoutly as the
Liberty Bell, the further clause in the
same verse of Scripture might have i'm
pressed him: And We shall return every
man unto his possession, and ye shall re-
turn every man unto his family"
It was not harmonious for the Liberty
Bell to proclaim such an extensive jubilee
amid slaveholding colonies, nearly all
holding possessions taken from the red
men; but at any rate the land" alluded
10 in It's inscription meant this land, des-
tined TO wait long time for a proclama-
ton Of freedom. The Liberty Bells last
effort 10 give out a sound was about tif-
ty-flve years ago. It's fragments, with
their fragmentary text. having then vain
ly tried to celebrate Wasbington's birth
day, were found fit only for the museum
(where Washington warning to his
country against foreign intermeddlings
might be placed beside iD. The bell re-
mains there with It's wrested bit of Le-
viticus and its omission Of the clauses
showing that personal liberty is meant;
the old bell remains there as one of the
many witnesses that from the first Amer
ican liberty did not mean human, per-
sonal individual liberty. The Declara-
ton Of Independence may seem to testify
differently, hut if one looks at the original
craft and sees the reference to the slave
trade struck out, the document only
proves that Thomas Paine's essay against
slavery and his plea for personal liberty
had awakened in jefferson a sentimental
sympathy, but not enough to give his own
slaves liberty or equality or TO prompt
him to any anti-slavery action when In
power.
The clauses about equality and liberty
in the declaration were a brief and faint
echo of the great discussions in the Old
World which had developed the princi-
pies Of liberty. Revolutions had contrib
uted nothing to them. The so-called Re-
formation had been simply struggle for
IN exchange of masters. As Milton said,
presbyter was but priest writ large, and,
indeed. personal freedom was never SO