Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-06-30

these volcanic rocks? II wedid not need
them when we were only 5000, 900
strong or only 10, 600, 900, 30, 600, 600,
30. 900, 600, 40, 600, 600, 80, 600, 900 or
90, 900, 600 strong, why are we likely to
perish for want Of them now that our
census would show 70, 000, 600 souls?
Some Of the learned Thebans will do
we'll to address themselves to that ques-
ton Have we grown weaker as we
have multiplied in population? Certain
ly no jingo will have the hardihood to
maintain a proposition so preposterous,
and yet that is precisely the conclusion
to which their logic inevitably leads,
which is the reductio ad absurdum.
Danger to BE Avoided.
But We had before the committee IN
foreign affairs certain illustrious wit
nesses to testify in favor of annexation,
to enlighten the beclonded intellects of
the minority and 10 convert us from
plain patriotism 30 wild jingoism.
Among others was Lieutenant General
John NJ. Sohofleld. Part of his evidence
appeared in the public press after 1t was
edited carefully by some expert annexa-
Zionist By one Of those curious ooinci-
dences that sometimes appear in human
affairs the only portion of the generals
evidence that was of any consequence or
that could throw any light on the SUBJ
jeot was eliminated from the press re-
port It was this-tbst on tho entire
coast Of the Sandwich Islands there is
but n harbor valuable for military or
naval purposes or susceptible Of being
fortified. That is Pearl harbor, and we
already have that. So General Sohofield,
once commander of the American army,
testified, and he testified from personal
observation and knowledge What does
this proven II knocks the bottom clear
out Of the annexation scheme; 1t dem
onstrates that we do not need them even
for strategic purposes for, having Pearl
harbor, We possess all that portion of
the islands that we need for strategic,
military or naval purposes without pol
luting and weakening u system of
government by taking to our bosom a
horde Of Asiatic savages. Why, then,
run the awful risk of beginning a policy
of imperial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and terri
torial expansion of which no prophet,
not ever General Grosvenor, car see the
end or foretell the evil?
I will go as far as any man here or
elsewhere In doing all those things
necessary to the defense Of this country,
but I am unwilling to do an unneces-
sary thing, q dangerous thing, which is
proved to be unnecessary by a witness
produced to testify in its behalf.
What is our patriotic duty then? 1t
is as clear as the monday sun shining
in q cloudless sky, and it is this: To
hold Pearl harbor and fortify 1t to tho
utmost, even until it is as strong as
Gibraltar, If that be possible. That is
the part OF patriotism and Of wisdom.
That removes all tho dangers to our in
situations. I am willing to vote every
dollar necessary for that great work,
and the fact that gentlemen will not
accept that solution Of the question is
proof positive that their intention is to
make the annexation Of these islands
the beginning of o general and extern
sive policy Of territorial expansion.
And I warn gentlemen who solemnly
aver that they are opposed to the policy
Of imperial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and yet
who advocate this senseless scheme that
when some gentleman or some party in
the days 10 come shall openly declare
the whole programme they will be es-
topped by this weeks work from OBJ
jeoting. Now is the accepted time for
killing this thing. This Is the day of
salvation.
Must Have an Island.
We are told that we must have an is
land or we must perish. The jingoes
here are as much fascinated by the pros
pect Of having an island as was Sancho
Panza. 1t was his vision by day and his
dream by night, and 1t brought him
nothing but misfortune and unrest.
Why this sudden and urgent necessity
for an islandP
It is said that we need it in case of
foreign war, especially in case of a war
with q great naval power. Is that true
or not? Will we never learn anything
from experienced How stands tho record?
We have waged three foreign wars and
come off victors in every n of them,
without an island. In two of them we
whaled England, the greatest naval
power of the world, without an island
to our name-once when we were only
8 1000, 600 strong, and again when we
could muster only 10, ZOO, 600 men,
women and children, counting the
slaves The strangest part of this glori-
Gus history Is that the sea was the very
place where we thrashed England the
MOST soundly-without an island. In
deed, had It not been for our victories
upon the water and for that matchless
achievement of the Iron Soldier of The
Hermitage at Chalmette we would not
have been in strictly prime condition
for Growing over the war of 1919.
Reflections upon Hull's surrender and
the vandal burning of this capitol and
the White House are not conducive to a
heavenly frame of mind even at this
late date. "a horsel A horse! M yking-
dom for q horse p was Hunchback Rich
ards cry on Bosworth Field. That GER
tainly was q good stiff price for a char
ger. but our jingoes are willing to paya
greater price for an island. They are
willing to let the Trojan horse into the
citadel Of u safety. An island is nee
essary In a time of war, is it?' 1t is a
fine thing old Andrew jackson did not
know that, or he might have reiterated
up the Mississippi and left Pakenham's
troops to enjoy at their leisure ''the
booty and the beauty of New Orleans"
I have a question which / wish to ask
the mathematical lingo solely for infor-
nation. II with a handful of raw mill
tia Andrew jackson in n hour killed
2, 900 English soldiers-the picked vet
Grams Of the peninsula-with a loss of
only seven killed and eight wounded,
without an island, what in heavens
nam would he have done to them if he
had only had IN island?
M@k&