Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-29
Congressman Powers Speaks
Before Western Vermont
Congregational Club.
NOT AN EXPANSlONlST.
ippines Except MS a War Indemnity
Worthless For That.-Should Build
the Nicaragua Canal aud Ex-
pand Our Commerce.

Vcrgennes, Vt, Sept GA meeting of
| the WcStern Vermont Congrcga tional club
was held here to-day Some of the mem
hers who arrived on the earlier trains en-
joycd delightful ride down the Otter
Creek on the steamer Victor.
| A. 2:3O this afternoon the meeting was
called to order and Rev. W. s. Smart of
Brandon was made president pro TEN on
account OF the absence Of President Van
Patten.
! a devotional meeting was led by Rev.
! J. r. Danforth OF st. Adams.
! Hon. II. Henry Powers was then intro
| duccd and spoke upon the question of
| The Present situation. the Future"
| CONGRESSMAN POWERS SPEECH.
In answering the invitation to discuss
! the Spanish war and its results with
which you have honorcd me, 1t is perti-
nent TO observe that in the devious wind
ings of Spanish diplomacy and the shift
ing phases of the situation as a whole
any views now entertained can be at best
nothing more than mere impressions not
rising to the dignity OF mature convictions
based upon fixed results.
| 1t Is apparent to the most casual OBJ
server that tine war with Spain has cvolv-
i cd questions of momentouS concern to our
country which demand the most careful
and patriotic consideration. Far reach
! MS consequences 10 ourselves, present
duty to neighborine peoples and a con-
sistent national policy for the present and
for the future are the vital factors in the
problem to be solved
! In ordcf 10 determine our future policy
We must precisely measure the present
status. We must constantly have in mind
the tustlitCation that we have offered to
tho world for the intervention which we
have undertaken in the affairs of n sister
nation. The war with Spain was newt
able. Whether Ii might have been averted
for Il time by the adoption of this or thai
rolicy 1t is not now important to discuss.
Two directly opposite phases OF national
character confronted each other in the
discussion of the Cuban problem. Spain
brought to its consideration her ancient
policy OF heartlcss cruelty. her traditional
inhumanity of man to man and was and
Is incapable of considering the rights of
her dependencies in any other light than
that reflected by the barbarlsm OF four
centuries ago.
The people of the United States on the
other hand have by education and by in
heritancc dedicated themselves to the
proposition that in ma tural and legal right
all men are equal before the law, and
that this Is true whether applied to those
who govern or those who arc governed.
As n corollary of this proposition, 1t fol-
lows that any dispute between those who
lcontrol and those subject to control must
Ipt 'OHuu'Ntu iloIb NIt llufS VI tllllSHt-
Iened justice. If it be war; it must be
war conducted according to the usages of
civilized nations.
/ Spain disregarded, and for that matter
dencd, the rules Of civilized warfare i'm
he: attempt to subduc the revolt in Cuba,
the United States intervcned by force to
end the contest.
our people had seen Europe standing
Idly by, while Armenian atrocities were
being practCed at their very door, stay
ing its hand of relief because forGooth in
ternational law forbid intervention in the
affairs OF other nations. But all law. ma
tional and International, rests primarily
upon principles OF Justice. All law is de-
signed to restrain wrong doing, and ma
uons have the same unquestoned right to
restrain by force, If need be. the wicked
ness of n sister nation that an individual
has under like circumstances, If my
neghbor is deliberately numbering his
wife or child, | am justified in entering
his home and forcibly Intervening to stop
his acts. If cold booded official has i'm
prlsoncd in yonder building score of
helpless women and children and is de-
libcrately starving them to death, ] may
seize an axe. knock open the door. and
set them free. If nation does or suffers
to be done, these things n sister nation,
not only may, but should put an end to
the 6astardly work, That such cruelty
was being practiced by Spain upon the
people of Cuba iS attestcd by innumcrab
proofs Our own Senator Proctor, in most
thrilling, yet dispas ssionatc and eloquent
words, has removed all doubt as to the
facts. The destruction of tho Maine and
the murder of two hundred and sixty-siX
American sailors was only another proof
of that inhuman policy in the administra-
ton of Spanish affairs that has come
down from the Court of Blood" estab-
llshed in the Netherlands three hundred
years ago by the Duke of Alva, to the
Court Of Blood established in Cuba three
, years ago by Weyler
When these things were being done at
our very doors, our people could no long
er restrain the prompting Of their hearts
| They saw that barbarism and civilization
must meet in deadly conflict and they
boldly and grandly announced now dog
ma in International law. to the effect that
the calls Of humanity are a sufficient JUS
tincatiOn for Intervention in the affairs
of the world. No other nation In tho
world has to this date questioned tho
l"oundness of this dogma thus announced
and it henccforth will be accepted as II
, firmly established canon of international
Jurisprudence.
To vindcate this principle war was de-
clared, Let 1t be noted right here that
the President and Congress declared over
end over again that the war was wagcd
on this ground alone. to give relief to the
Cubans by giving them a stable govern
ment freed from the control of Spain and
that no conquest of territory was sought
or would be attempted This was the 'Ii
hoe signo" ly which we were TO conquer.
That the war waged in defence OF this
doctrine OF humanity has been approved
Of heaven, the results attest. No thought
ful man doubts the hand of Providence
in the effars of the world No thoughtful
man can doubt that the victory of Dewey
at Manila, gained without loss OF life or
injury to ship-that the venture OF Hob
son amidst a deruge of shot and shell at
close range without the slightest injury
to him or his brave companions the des-
truction of Cervcra's fleet with the loss
of only one man, that these results can
he accounted for upon no other hypothesis
than that heaven has through our arms
worked out its own purpose to punish the
wickedness of man. Surely In this history
He has made the wrath of man to praise
Him. Right here in our justification for
war is found the pivotal point OF the pres
cnt discussion. We can stand upon this
justification, and this alone, in shaping
our future policy touching the conquered
territory now on our hands. II we hold
any territory by right OF conquest we
have perverted the purpose of the war
II, however, We receive any territory for