The Portland daily press., 1898-12-21
RIGHT TO TAKE TERRITORY
Senator Teller Says There Are No
Restrictions.
A FORM OF GOVERNMENT FOR Fill
LPINOS DISCUSSED.

eraI But Would Not Take Down
Flag Where Once PIanted--SenatoI
Catrery Opposes Nicaragua Canal
Bill.
| Washington, December Ex-senator
Teller occupied the first half OF today 6
session of the Senate with speech In
advocacy of the theory that there are nc
restrictions upon the right Of the United
States to expand its borders SO as to IN
clude far distant territory.
| He went quite thoroughly into the
legal points bearing upon the question
and also incidentally discussed at some
length the form Of government for the
Filipinos, saying that he would encourage
lself-government among the Islanders
and would give them the most liberal
government which they were able to con-
duct, but that he would not take down
the American flag where once planted.
The remainder of the session was given
up to the Nicaragua canal bill. Senator
Caffery was the only speaker on this sub
ject and he opposed the Morgan bill. :
Mr. Allison of Iowa reported favorably
from the appropriations committee the
House resolution prnviding for an ad-
journment of Congress from Decem ber
y to January a, and 1t y as adopted with
out division.
MIR. Gallinger of New Hampshire fav-
orably reported Mr.. Proctor g resolution
pr0viuiDg for a com mittee of senators to
visit CuDa and Porto Rico with view
to ascertaining the conditions on the isi-
ands, and reporting them with recon-
mendations to the Senate.
The resolution was placed on the calen-
dar.
On motion of Mr.. Hoar of Massachu-
setts 1t was ordered that on February %,
Immediately after the Senate convenes
Washington's farewell address be read
by MIR. Moloott of Colorado.
A bill authorizing Gen. A. e. Bates of
the United States army to accept the
decoration of the Legion of Honor, con.
ferred upon him by the President of the
Frepch republic. wae passed.
In accordance with the notice given yes
terday, Mr. Teller of Colorado then ad-
dressed the Senate upon MIR. Vest's reso-
tion no power is given to acquire terri
tory to ba held and governed permanent
ly as colonies.
Mr. Teller's address, like that Of Mr.
n,att WAS a constitutional argument
He. maintained the rikht of the United
States to acquire foreign territory with
out entering upon discussion OF the
policy of the expansion. except Of course
in an incidental and inferential way. He
did not think there WAS the slightest
question of the power of this government
TO acquire foreign territory.
stIf we are nation," Mr. Teller de-
clared. eve have the power to exercise
the rights of a nation-all the rights of
ans sovereign power.
He declared that 1t was prerogative of
nation to defend itself. When the
country was called upon in 1861 to meet
this question, 1t met it fairly and settled
it for all time So Tar as the United
States was concerned at least. the ques.
tion was settled finally at Appomattox.
sThen,'' declared Mr.. Teller, ''we took
our place as g nation endowed with all
the powers of a sovereign and we possess
those powers today"
!. Referring to the terr ory acquired by
the Uniteu States during One recent war,
Mr.. Teller said:
1--WE have already acquired this terri
tory. We need, as matter OF fact, no
treaty with pain to confirm our right
TO 1t. By right of conquest, right un
disputed, we came into possession In
Cuha, Porto Rico and the Asiatic archi-
pelago They are ours just as certainly
as they could be made so by treaty
AR. Teller discussed briefly the st ate
ment of Mr.. Vest hat many Of the deeds
of cession of foreign territory acquired
by the United States contained clau' es
providing that the territory ultimately
ah0r1id ho aroofan into atatpS of the
Union.
"We can confer statehood upon these
| territories when IN our Judgment 1T Is
proper to do SO Nobody can call into
question our right to exercise our judg-
ment in this mat er. Z"
"IJ we acquire territory" he oontin-
ued, "the very act carries with 1t the right
to govern
Who. he demanded with dramatic force,
can govern in Cuba or in Porto Rico but
| the United States? That question is
settled-settled by tine very circumstances
of the case. The question is now: What
disposition shall we maze of the territory
that has come into our possession
| Mr.. Teller thought it duty OF our
people and legislature to keep in mind
constantly the great principle upon
which this govern nent was founded, that
the Just powers of a government were
derived from the consent of the governed
We ought" said he, "to extend to the
people of these newly acquired possess
sior s, the power to g1vern emselves as
soon as theg are prepared o jcept that
power. We are comingsto ,.e..i with the
greatest question the American people
have met since 1861. 1 anticipate much
difficulty and moarrassment but have
at no time felt the distrust that has been
manifested by many of our people,
| Mr.. Teller said that the United States
did not go to war with Spain for con-
quest, but for freedom anu humanity
AS soon as the relief which was proposed
had been extended to The people of Cuba,
they ought,he thought, to he permitted tc
govern themselves. This was the decla.
ration of the resolutions adopted by Con
giess. The declaration, he believed
might have been made applicable to the
peoples of all the acquired possessions
"lf this government will say to tbs
people of thi, acquired territory" sal
Mr.. Teller, "We will give you self-gov
ernment," we will not need an army of
| $4,000 men in Cuba, 80 600 in Porto Rico
| and 80, 900 in the Philippines.