The times., 1898-11-19
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER ls, 1898.
The President and Expansion.

1t is safe to say that most patriotic
Americans-and this includes all but an
Insignificant number of Republicans anu
Democrats who are opposed to the ac-
ouisition of the Philippines-will in
dorse the assertion of the postmaster
General that in all the doubts and difa-
culties that may confront the nation
President Mckinley may be trusted to
act with courage and "a firm and con-
fdent reliance on the saving grace and
patriotism of the American people. 1t
is strictly true that he had no desire
for war but when II came he threw
himself into 1t with energy and zeal;
that he had no ambition for territorial
acquisitions, but when the march of
events brought responsibilities over new
domains he faced them with an intrepid
resolution which will make his Ad-
ministration lustrous as adding new
jewels to the casket of liberty" If he
has been disposed TO shrink from the
duty of passing judgment on the one
member of his Cabinet who failed the
nation in a crisis; who could not ascend
10 the plane of patriotic self-denial and
devotion to the public interests on
which the people stood, we are to make
allowance for his training as a parti-
san. We have every other reason to be
proud that even a practical politician,
used to consider party supremacy as
the chief aim of life, can rise to such
an occasion and submit TO the guild
ance of a public opinion which led
where It was not his personal desire
TO go.
The essence of Mr.. Smiths speech at
the annual banquet of the Philadelphia
Union League will be approved by the
American people, whose purposes it has
been the aim of the President TO carry
out, in the main. The acquisition of
the Spanish colonies is the most i'm
portant event in the history of the ma
tion since the close of the Civil War
1t makes a fit ending to the century
which has seen the development of the
greatest republic of all time, from a few
scattered and antagonistic colonies
along the Atlantic seaboard into a
mighty brotherhood of inseparable
States embracing a whole continent,
whose friendship is sought by the
greatest powers of Europe and whose
determination to extend its possessions
and interests into a domain hitherto re-
served for empires is unchallenged.
The renewal of the campaign against
the annexation OF the Philippines, by the
minority whose foreign birth or sym
pathies blinded them to the foresight
and insight of the great body of the
American people. gives a timeliness to
the tribute Mr.. Smith pays to the Presi-
dent, who is, before everything else at
This Interesting moment, the represen-
tative of all that is meant by national
expansion. The approval with which
this tribute is received is new warrant
for steadfastness in the present nego-
tiations with Spain. We doubt if even
the President understands with what
avidity every word from Paris is read
by the people and how eager they are
for treaty of peace, in spite of their un-
complaining patience. They realize to
the full the value of the step they have
induced the President TO take and they
are aware that the long delay has Gre
ated complications that rob them of the
enthusiastic welcome which Cubans
and Filipinos would have felt and ex-
pressed had occupation followed close
upon Spanish defeat 1t is no sugges-
tion Of dissatisfaction with the Pres:-
dent If they urge that there should be
no further postponement of the end If
his decision is accurately reported, and
of this there seems to be no doubt, the
representatives of Spain should be fore
ed to answer, once for all and at once,
whether they will accept this decision
or withdraw from the conference. Not
even to prevent renewal of hostilities
should we incur further dangers from
delay. That Spain will trump up an ex-
cuse for another adjournment without