The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1898-10-06
(Continued from Ist page.)

regarded as no less sacred than that
OF American patriots on July A, l776.
If these principles are carried out,
this war will be followed not only
by an era of peace but OF progress.
The benefits thus conferred upon
others will react on ourselves, and
"the fathernood OF God and brother
hood of man" become more Of
reality than has ever been known.
The Civil War, undertaken only
for the preservation of the Union,
with strenuous disavowment Of any
intention to interfere with the then
sacred institution OF chattel slavery,
nevertheless became its death. So
may this war be, as to results,
wrested from the control of the pre-
sent slave power, and instead OF be-
ing twisted into new openings for
political and industrial spoils, be-
come the means of immeasurable
benefit. We are near "the parting
of the ways" Which way shall we
take? "There is tide in the affairs
of men"-l likewise OF nations
switch taken at the food leads on
to fortune" That tide is ours to-
day, il we seize it.
Our Nation, aud the Sta'es com
posing it, collectively and seve,ally,
have been gagged and fettered by
courts, constitutions and a misre-
preventative ballot. We are a live
people, brimful Of energy and in
geuuity, tied down to the pettiness
OF the past. Cubans can start free
of constitutions and traditions, uu-
bound by the past. They will do
it, If the matter is left to them. 1t
is the duty OF all friends OF freedom
in this country to protest against
conquest, and to insist that those
who have "fought the good fight"
against Spain, year after year, in
poverty, starvation, torture and
ignominy, shall receive their reward
in the right to establish their own
institutions, their own government.
But they are of an "infetior race,
and "we must teach them" Let me
ask this question: Could our "supe-
rior race" undergo more terrible
suffering for freedom than he
Cubans have undergone, almost
without hope, generation after
generations Aud may thy not,
without the judicial letters which
bind us, accomplish even more than
we have done?
We must "teach them," must wei
And our great men" must hold
them in surveillance and subordina-
tion until they learn! "Tesch tbem!''
j.. What do zoe know? Teach them
Why, it is 80 much more difficult to
unlearn than to learn that If we
give them Stree hand" they will
soon be able TO teach us by example
what peoples government" really
is.
One OF the foundation principles
OF this Republic is that govern.
: ments derive their just powers from
the consent of the governed" What
moral right have we then TO take
possession of any land and estab
lish government for its people
without their consent" whether
they be SIT" or "unft" to govern
themselves? II unfit" particularly
we would not want them, though
we should protect" them, without
undue interference with their in
D ternal affairs. Suppose you know q
family, the only fault OF whose
members is that they are the victims
= OF injustice and cruel wrong, would
you, because you had given them 1
helping hand, be- justified in taking
possession of them against theil
f. will? And if you thought then
unfit" would you wish to do 80, ant
y make them one with your owl
family? A nation is family on |
large scale.
One bane6cial effect nj tha T. A