New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-13
"AMERICA'S NEW EMPIRE"
"A HOMILY. BY A FRIENDLY BRITISH
ADVISER
From The London Spectator.

Cuba passcd into the hands OF America Whd'
will she do with her new empire hann,ness
Occupy and rule IL as 10 increase 'ne h"p p,S
OF the races that dwell within II. ana 10 ueNe'up
and improve her owr polity, or VIII she mo NJ
the first grand failure OF me @An saSS YIN she.
in the government of inferior races W IN ~
that is amply herself earnestly ana win snlis
mndedness her great task. or WI" siie ..'.' Us
a mixture Of moral .imidty. sell .dlstrus' az
H,,naneSs to her trle destiny helf refuse, ana
40 wholly spoil. the great opportunity mus "
sented to her? These are questions tiia. ~
thinking part OF the other half or tne Ike
Saxon race are asking with the deepest lh'eIeS.
and concern. Englishmen trust ana peIeNe
America will in the end choose the uue
but. they are necessarily most anxious 'ha' as
this the critical moment. the mofheh. W @
FIRST step America should make no lalse SO.
we do not seriously fear that Britalh anNr
lest America shall neglect to take up neI
.ors,hi,,,ies Is in any great danger of being
misunderstood In the states sun ~ LOT ne
fude should by chance be misrepreseii'eu' -
state clearly that II we thought lneteis % ,hoeo
80, a,-, soash interests rather than or those
OF the race we should wish America " sili -,
from and SO miss. the opportunity prcseH..u ,S
her. A Machiavelian british srst - make an
most certainly wish America hrs' W - -
unsuccessful attempt - govern anu .m
abandon, her oversee possessions. "a s.tns
failed as the Continental Powers nav 60,
60 r,,ie trorical possessions the gain from
narrow selfish standpoint would ne Uu's' -
we are glad to think that no such leeIns Ds.th
here and that there is no seo.'oH ,e or shall
onnon which does not desire that America s,.aa'
succeed in the development OF her ne" enlpIi.
We ask then, the people or America ~ nr,,.
that the advice and announcements ~ t,ts s,de
and strongly pressed upon them lV"' INC -
ore absolutely genuine and sincere. a len n,
statesman and leading Ensnsii pood
thinker have lately urged on Ameri0a "a. s,rona
-, starring her new empire on SOUND anu Suons
lines MIR Chamberlain in his powerful. al 'C.e
In the Christmas number OF ScrlpHei poI.'
out to the people Of the United states nov .ne
new empire. instead Of proving Duruen
NV ~ ,bosc Who care most for the welfare
Of the Commonwealth. may prove source H,
of strength and OF pubhc VIRUS. Tho Con.
frol 81 the Tropics" Just publshed 10y tne
Macmillan Company. takes w the same theme,
with the utmost lucidity and power lays COW"
the true principles upon winch /" Observation-Disclosures
pie should deal with tropical oepehueaiu'Trs
Thesa two articles-Mr. Chamberlain, II may De
noted quotes largely from Mr. kidd-taKeh TO-
reiher may he said to constitute tEglahu ai
SSaaI ~ America Ii is an appeal neither selhsh
nor interested and If II fails our disappoht-
ment will be not that this country mas sur
fered hut that own flesh and biood nav
,,rerer-cd the Snug safety Of their vast parish
70 the responsibilities and duties Of a wider out
look moral and political
The MAN. the essential, principe Whlch tne
Americans must pursue in establishing ther
sway over their new empire is that in every case
the government set up must be for the dement, on
the peoples governed. They must give the
PHILIPPINES. that is. not the government when
will appear to conduce most to the benent OF the
United States. nor again. the government, WiIcn
some fraction Of the people OF the ihlhppileS
capital error in the imperial art what the
Americans must consider is what schene OF
government will be most productive OF hapPi.
ness to the races governed. The government OF
a sub. ct race is trust. and the rulers or tne
protecting and controlling people must never Tor,
get that they are in the position OF trustees anu
bound like trustees. TO think first or the IN
terests Of the subject OF the trust They must
not because at home they believe in representa-
tive government and elective institutions, rush
20 endow the people Of the tropics with similar
hey consider,
voting is good in the abstract, but whether an
electoral system is likely or not TO he conducive
10 the prosperity. moral and physical. of the
Philippines. More important stih Is 1t that
America should not look TO making any dlrect
gain out of her possessions 1T seems a natu oi
thing for a nation which believes in Protection
10 include the Philippines in Its tariff e. 10
shut out the rest Of the world. and to make the
Philippines get all they want from America
> But this is in fact 10 make the Philippines a
close preserve for the American manufacturer
l. G.. to set UP the old colonial system. the sys-
TEN which once had and which France has
10 this day. Yet. reasonable as this may seem
20 a people accustomed as are the Americans
10 Protection. it means ruin in the case OF a de-
tendency Spain governed her colonies on that
principle and look at the result. They were
destroyed commercially by their dependence on
the mother country. II America seeks 10 make
her empire her tied customer she will In
fallibly ruin her tropical possessions. We say
this not because want open market in
the Philippines. America need not. and ought
not to. think for moment about our suscepti-
bilities-we shall do very well whatever policy
she adopts. What America must think OF alone
is what will suit the Philippines-what will
make them prosperous. But that Is not making
them tied house and establishing the old
colonial system. The interest Of the governed.
that alone mus, be her guide. not any desire
10 benefit her own merchants. or again. 10 do
this country good turn.
Curiously enough. the IDEAL principle OF CO.
IOnial government never better stated for
popular use than by great American-Generai
Grant Mr.. Chamberlain quotes from General
Grant a striking passage which. while descriD-
1ng our system Of governing dependencies. lays
down the true system: England governs her
own colonies. and particularly those embrac-
Ing the people Of different races from her own
better then any other ration. She is Just 10
the conquered. but rigid She makes them self
supporting. but gives the benefit OF labor 10 the
labOrer. She does not to look upon the
colonies outside possessions which she is at
liberty 10 work for the support and aggrandlze-
rent Of the Home Cover ment." Grant. in fact,
that England succeeds. and. we should add.
only succeeds because she has ethical basis
for her empire. No doubt the people Of Eng
land do not realize this consciously, though they
do uncOnsciOusy when they say we must act
Justly and fairly to the empire. No doubt also,
blunGered in our system little by little rather
than set II up on abstract grounds. Still. the
fact remains chat what keeps our empire to-
gethcr. what gives us a really able body OF ad-
ministrators. what secures us from revolt and
what TO great extent ennobles our home poll
tics is the fact that the interests Of the gov
erned" is our rule OF empire II America keeps
that in mind the petty difficulties which she
now breads will disappear She Will find the
men-Wcst Point. at the beginning. will give h.,
plenty OF good administrators she Will find
also that the government Of dependencies Will
not corrupt. but tend TO purify. her home ad-
ministraticn We that Mr.. Carnegie Is
eaid 10 have declared to the President that
India WAS the curse Of England No greater
mistake could possibly be made and none
but Il very reckless thinker would ever have
made such a statement. India Is a great, or If
you will a terrific, responsibility. but who can
say that man who accepts an onerous trust
and carries IL out faithfully is cursed thereby :?
Men far more often cursed by the lack Of
responsibilities. They are drowned in secur-
fly " in their material welfare and In their
want Of real difficulties with which To grapple.
Depend upon IT, the men who have to deal with
the terrible difficulties which the Indian Govern
nent occasionally encounters are not made
worse. but better. citizens thereby With the
allegation that an oversee empire would mean