The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-23
The pnrnose of the War.

In his address at the commencement of
the Lawrenceville, y. j., school on Tues
| day last, ex-President Cleveland warned
the country that there was danger that the
/ real purpose for which the war with Spain
was begun would be forgotten. No doubt
| It VIII be said by those VINO are now advO-
eating the holding of all the territory
which We are likely to take from Spain,
that his purpose in uttering this warning
was to draw attention to himself. 1t is
| only necessary, however, 10 notice what
is being said in the public prints and by
public men in respect to Hawaii, Porto
Rico and the Philippines to become salts
fed that his warning is timely.
When the war was begun it was said
that it was a war for humanity. 1t was
| declared that Its only purpose was to free
Cuba from the cruel yoke of Spain. The
people of that island were to be given
a taste Of liberty and a chance TO become
prosperous under a government Of their
own. Congress declared that there was
no intention to annex Cuba or to inter
fere with her institutions in any way af-
ter she had been provided with stable
government founded upon the will of the
people.
AS yet no voice in this country is raised
in behalf of a policy of making CUBA a
part of this country, but there is a loud
and quite general demand that we shall
take and permanently occupy Porto Rico
and the Philippines. And, strange as it
may seem, that demand has the support
of religious denominations. One of the
most influential churches through its
board of foreign missions, took the ground
a day or two ago that Providence rad
placed the Philippines in our hands In or
der that the gospel might be carried to
the people of those islands. Many dis
tinguished clergymen are saying in their
sermons that the United States would be
false. TO their duty if they failed to re-
tain permanent possession ii
the Philippines. They do not
have as much to say about the
commercial Importance of the islands as
about the opportunity which possession Of
them offers for spreading the truths OF the
Bible There is no need for them to urge
the commercial importance of the islands
as a reason for holding on to them, Le-
cause there are enough others to do that
1t can be safely said that although at
the commencement of the war there was
no thought of conquest and territorial ex-
pansion in the minds of either churchmen
or laymen, that thought now has such a
hold on the religious denominations of the
country that, according to reports, flags
are flying from the steeples of the church
es in many of the states.
Unless the war ends quickly, the ques-
ton of territorial expansion will be a very
important one. A distinguished Republi-
can congressman, in a speech a day or Two
ago, said that the question as to what
should be done with the territory acquir-
ed from Spain should not be discussed now
that its discussion should be put off TN
til the close of the war. His advice may
be good, but 1t will not be taken. Tht
people are discussing it, and taking eide'
on it, and they are going to make 1t {
great political issue. Mr.. Bryan has pu
himself in opposition to the policy of ter
ritorial expansion, and so has Mr.. Cleve
land. Many other prominent men have
| taken sides for or against that policy. Ions
before the time for its permanent settle
ment has come the people will have made
up their mind in respect to it and villa b.
prepared to settle it at the polls when sub
mitted to them.