Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1898-11-18
THE DESTINY CRY A swINDLE

is attracting the attention Of public
men everywhere and much is being
written and said upon the subject.
Those who favor the annexation of the
islands lay great stress on what they
call the manifest destiny" of the
United States. Carl Schurz in a
speech in New York ON the Sd of No
vemher discusses the destiny" cry as
follows:
ave gre told that destiny is push
ing us on-destiny, the power of
which we cannot with stand. Mani
fest destiny! That cry has played a
sinister part in the history OF the re-
public before this. remember the
time when the slave power talked of
extending the area of freedom over
Cuba, meaning, however, to fortify
itself in Congress by the acquisition
OF more slave States, and thus to
strengthen the slave power-of free
dom, because an irresistjb BILE destiny
demanded it. This was manifest
destiny then. When San Domingo
was to be purchased from the hands
OF its treacherous president, ready to
sell his country for cash, manifest
destiny was INVOKED again as the ir-
resistible power compelling the com.
pletion of the bargain. But in both
cases the sound sense and the moral
instincts of the people interposed, and
manifest destiny skunk away. And
now once more it is the omnipote nee
OF manifest destiny that appears on
the scene, to force us to commit a
t1agrant breach of our national faith,
and to do that which President Nc
Kinley himself branded as an act OF
criminal aggression. Is it more ire
sistlble, more omnipotent, now than
it was chen? Will it not hide it's de-
ceitful head again when the honesty
and good sense OF the people rise up
once more to interpose veto? Des-
tinyP Why, nothing is destiny that
can be prevented or changed by the
human will. That deceptive mani
fest-destinY' cry has more than once
been used In our country to cover
foul schemes and to do duh the ma
tlonal conscience with the plea that
1T must be accepted as irresistible,
and thus that the people yielding to
it would be relieved of all RESPONSE,
biity. 1t is like the plea of moral
insanity used by lawyers to excuse
theft or murder. Am ] not justified
in calling the destiny cry downright
and dangerous swlndlep X
"If we must dare to be great, we
must above all things dare to be sane
Whatever duty or responsibility we
may have in the premises can in
reason and justice not go further
than that we should do the best we
can for the future welfare OF those
populations, without cursing our own
country with any of those direful
evils which the annexation policy
would inevitably inflict upon us. Az
to the PHILIPPINES, we may secure the
best government and protection
practicable under existing circum-
stances. either by a conference of the
powers most interested or in some
other way. To the liberated Spanish
West Indies, respectable position
may be secured by uniting the prin.
cipal islands In confederacy under
such American influence and aid as
may be beneficial, given to them in q
manner Compatible with their indie.
pendence and with our safety.
%All this may be difficult, but / tell
you-and ! wish you to mark what ]
say-the principal, difficulty will dis.
appear the very moment this repub,
Lie cbs8t15, enphHti1aAy, and ire
vocsbly declares that, after q Wal
which % solsm9ly iReraJdsa 70 The
wosJd LIZ u asr at hudiAntty, and not
OF conquest, Il Win dnaef bo iG1t6ah
staAoes annex those islands 70 He'll
H. l--sLst