The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-26
SUNDAY. JUNE &c. $685.
. CONSERVATIVES JOURNAL GOES
WRONG

q. I'm most things. one OF the most
s.aid and conservative newspapers III 'his
country. but 1t has gone of at tangent
uoon imperialism" and there is he CT
n lingo TO be found who Is beaung TOM
,soos and banging resounding prasS VIII"
rreater energy than 1t. It's Goa Is COM
marco Mt whose Shrine it worships nisht
- aov and IT thinks the commerce
:, ,ho United States is going TO receive
an enormous impulse If we annex the
ph,lippane Islands and demand snare
OF Chinese trade.
The Times is 10 whit less a devo'ee
., oo,,narca than the Journal OF Com
merce is. The Times Thoroughly DeheVes
with John Milton. that
Peace hath its victories no less reho"h-
ed than war
and The Times may go farther and say
that II abhors all the victories of war
,nless It be a war people Is iorced
10 wage, while It exalts in the tnumphs
OF peace and it longs TO see the Veto
ries Of commerce, and perfectly free
and equal trade spread all over the
earth and into its farthest recesses.
But there are some things that must
not be sacrificed even TO stimulate the
spread OF commerce. and one OF those
things is the fundamental idea upon
which our republic rests. Let us adhere
10 that. and we will in time spread COM
merce all over the earth ana force mill
tary nations to turn their SWORDS INTO
plough-shares. But If we abandon that
we may lose the priceless heritage OF
our free institutions, and the commerce
may receive a set back, from which II
may never rally.
The mad parusanry with which the
Journal OF Commerce has espoused the
cause of Imperialism. leads 1t to make
the following remarks upon Mr.. CleVe-
land In discussing the speech he made
a few days back. 1t says:
These Princeton utterances afford some
interesting material for comparing MI
Cleveland as ex-President with Mr.
Cleveland as President. Two years ago
ne was a very Mars. The doctrine OF non.
interference with the affairs OF other
States was foreign TO his articles OF po-
litlcal faith. He failed to foresee that his
contemplated war with Spain was fraught
with such demoralizations as he now says
are every day and every hour tempting
the American people 10 abandon their ac-
customed way and enter upon course or
new and strange adyeture.' NO chief
magistrate could have enjoyed with
keener relish the spree OF war upon an
imperial scale than the President who, on
his sole will and without consulting his
Secretary OF state, astounded the nation
by challenging TO instant war the fore
most naval power in the world; nor does
~ seem TO have occurred 10 the then
President that in that magnificent burst
OF magisteTial wrath there was any en-
tering upon a course OF new and strange
adventure" any temptation TO fields
bright with the glory OF war; any FOL
lowing OF the lights of monarchical haz-
ards" nor any dangerous perverslon or
our national mission" 10 eschew external
complications and wars. This compari-
kon between Mr.. Cleveland In office ana
out OF office Is perplexing; and even 10
the tyros In politics. whom he addressed
at Princeton the incongTuity must have
suggested the question-"which phase OF
the man shall we believer"
II Is useless 20 attempt 20 defend Mr..
Cleveland's consistency SO far as tho
subject IN hand is concerned. ne haa no
consistency. In notifying Spain that a
time would come when the United States
would be compelled to establish order In
Cuba. he distinctly threatened her with
that war which he so severely deprecates
now. and he did this country one of the
very greatest injuries from which It has
challenging her 10 war FER the Vene-
zuelan matter without conference or any
kind with any OF his constitutional ad-
visers or with the Congress OF the United
States. That is all absolutely and I'M
fortunately true. and no enemy of impc-
rislism IL going 20 weaken his cause by
attempting 20 defend the record OF this
very distinguished ally that he has the
good fortune now 60 have.
But what MIR. Cleveland said at
Princeton in doprecation Of Imperialism
is not TO be pooh-poohed and put to one
side because the man Cleveland has, on
some other occasion and somewhere else.
said and done things that do not square
very perfectly with what he Gays now.
What he said at Princeton Is founded
IN the clearest apprehension OF tho nature
OF our republic. and Of what Is necessary
10 tia happy development of our inSti-