The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-06-28
MORGAN ON
OUTCOME OF WAR

1
States in closer contact with the interests
| of other nations he said, but it does
not follow in course of logic that difficult
ties should ensue. 1t may be taken
! fundamental proposition in dealing with
| the situation which will confront us at the
| close of the war, that we are strong
! enough to do right without resistance. W.
have no purpose motive in doing any
| thing that is not right.
| IF we should enter upon a. career of con-
| quest We would then feel the workings of
| unworthy motives and would crave alli-
| ance with other powers. The United
| States is in no danger of being beset with
desire for conquest.
! ut must be remembered that we are
| anxious that all the world should adopt
the principles of free and just government
that have found for US warm asplace in
| the hearts of virtuous and sensible people
in all the nations of the earth. At the
same time we prefer to wait upon the vol
untary adoption of these blessings by
| other people rather than to assist in a pro-
| paganda to that end. Independent self
| government is the corner stone of our sys-
TEN. and holding this fact in ,steadfast
view. we could not b. conquest force any
form of government upon another people
| yet you do not hold that should not
acquire land beyond the shores of Ameri-
| 2"
For from entertaining such an opinion,
l have consistently maintained that there
| arc circumstances which may make it inn
| pcrat,ve for to go beyond our present
| domain But we must do this in way
not to violate. the principles of our own
! government. 1t is fortunate for that
| 70 taaa
the necessity we are under of providing
fer our fleets of commerce and of war
alcng the important highways of the seas,
| so that we may have stores of fuel and
supplies together with shelter within for
| titled ports to meet the necessities of navi-
! CATION and the dangers of war.
This thought brings up the consider
| alton of what should follow the capture
OF the Philippines in the existing war If
| we establish such station in the Philip
| pines, it will not be an intrusion upon the
| rights or interests of the great nations of
! Europe or Asia. Such action upon our
part should excite neither their jealousies
nor their apprehensions."
You would not, then, advocate holding
| the Philippines in their entirety?'
| Il will answer that question with the
| prediction that we will never acquire SOW
| ereignty over a state or territory that is
| not within the accepted geographical area
| of this hemisphere. Furthermore, none of
| these will ever be included in our limits,
except upon their solicitation, and even
| then not until the people of the proposed
| acquisition have adopted a form of gov
| eminent that is in full correspondence
| with the principles and the form of gov
eminent of the United States.''
! Let us take this question of the Philip
| pines more in detail. The native people in
| all the Spanish colonies that are distant
| from the peninsula have long been in
! state of revolution which has only been
| checked by the most cruel measures which
! the crown has been able to devise. Now
! that they have hope of deliverance they
| have resorted to arms. and are excited
with a spirit of retaliation for their
great sufferings.
1.-The body of the Spanish people all over
| the world are in evident sympathy with
the oppressed islanders there and are
threatening the overthrow of the mon
| archy The government of the United
States is unexpectedly called upon to deal
with the situation in a very broad way.
Thus new problems which involve the
welfare of our town people and our lines
| of future policy are up for early consider
alton. In the forecasts of the future of
| the Philippines and Caroline islands, the
subject is brought within the reach of
definite calculation by the presence of alter
native conditions, each of which is i'm
possible.
.,rhey are: First, that those islands cam
not in any event be left under the domin-
/ ion of Spain; and, second, rhat they cannot
| be governed directly by the civil authority
| of me United States, without being in
! cluded in our territorial limits by annexa-
| ton. The cause of the war with Spain
| is her inability to govern her colonies so as
| to make them tolerate as neighbors to
| other civilized countries, or so as to pre-
| vent those who respect humanity in it's
| plainest rights from interfering to protect
| the suffering subjects from her cruel gov
| ernment.
| I'm the progress of the war we are be-
| coming responsible for the establishment
| OF better government in the Philippines
a very grave responsibility-from which We
| cannot shlrk. 1t would scandalize the
American people if our armies, in march
! ing and fighting to relieve oppression,
should leave the field to the horrors of
| anarchy
1.-THE theater of the war has been unex-
pectedy transferred to the orient, where
| we can have no motive for territorial ac-
QUESTIONS beyond the possession of naval
stations and harbors OF refuge for shelter
in times of peace, and protection in times
of war, of our commerce in those far dis
| tant seas. The new duties that come upon
us under these unexpectedly conditions, at
once demand our attention to the question
of annexation of the Philippines"
| ''And the answer to that question is?
1.-THE answer is already recorded in the
negative in the minds or the American
people. The next question in order is
whether We shall govern those islands, as
| colonies.
|. '"That is also answered in the negative
for the reason that our form of government
| is not suited to the control of subject
people, and our own citizens advocate the
/ right of free local self-government for all
| peoples"
what, then, is the solution of the
| probom?"
what we can do in the Philippines,
without Dtrain upon our policies or ira
| ditons, is to hold the military control
of those islands until the people there