New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-12

Slllia Is little more remote ana little less val
liable than any OF these. She is also less civil
lied, and less powerful for resistance. But her
turn will come. The cOnqucrlng Powers are
moving down upon her with something Of the
irresistible force of a glacier. Meneck may
crush Mangascia or Mangascia may dcpose
Meneek the final result will be the same in
either case. The weakness of barbarlsm cannot
stand against the strength of civilization.
"
THE NATIONAL INSTINCT or GROWTH.
1t is interesting to note in two recent con-
tributions to the discussion Of the so-called
Philippine queslion-onc by an American
statesman OF enyiable reputation n scholar
ard historian. one by IN acknowledged English
authority on the problems of colonization and
government in the tropics-a singular agree
ment as to the depth and force of the impulse
which moves the American people to retain the
fOOihOld n the Far East which has come to
them through the chances of the war just end
ing The articles which offer this curious and
instructive parallel appear in the December is
sues Of THE Atlantic Monthly" and Of Serb
ncrs Magazine" one is from the pen of Sena-
tor Henry Cabot Lodge. of Massachusetts: the
other is written by Mr.. Bcniamin Kidd the
author Of that now widely read and quoted
volume, THE Control of the Tropics" Each
writer approaches the subject from different
point of view. hut in the final analysis each
reaches and emphasizes the same conclusion
the conclusion. namely. that the purpose of the
United States to hold the last acre of It's new
conquess in the East springs from an instinc-
tive realization that the time has come for
America to abandon lis traditional attitude Of
insularity and To accept the responsibilities of
its inevitable role one of the great civilizing
nations of the world
Senator Lodges comments on the policy Of
expansion and the motives which undrrlie II
are embodied somewhat casually perhaps in
the concluding paragraphs of his admirable
study in American history. "'rhe Story of the
Revolution" which has been running in Serb
ner's Magazine" for the greater part Of the last
year. Pointing out the lessons impressed on
England and the rest of Europe by the success
full revolt of the Colonies. and proceeding To
develop the meaning Of the struggle for America
itself the Massachusetts Senator declares that
from the first territorial expansion has been a
true child of the American National spirit. THE
outcome Of the instinct of governing race"
We began in the early days Of the Republic.
Mr. Lodge says. ito widen orr borders and TO
annex territory and we carried on this appro-
''priaton Of land upon n scale which, during the
same period. has been surpassed by England
alone" He continues:
nation could not be developed in the way
and yet be kept fcttered in its interests and
activities by It's own boundaries Sooner or
later 1t was bound To- return to the ocean.
Sooner or later ii was bound to become Il world
Power: for it had grown too powerful. too rich
~ M N q li-llp
even by the ocean borders Of a continent The
inevitable has happened. and thu Spanish war
has awakened the people Of the United States
TO the fact that they have risen 10 he a world
Power. and henceforth To- be rcckOned with
among the very few great rations Of the earth.
The questions OF the acquisition here and there
Of territory upon which markets &c
tails. The great fact IS the abandonment Of
isolation. and this can neither be escaped nor
denied.
In Mr.. Kids view. as in Mr. Lodges. the in
stinct of territorial expansion is too firmly
rooted in the American mind Va be shaken by
appeals to Washngtons Farewell Address or
other similar oraccs Of cightccnihccntury wis
dom "'rhc meaning of WaShngtOnS Farewell
Address" SAYS this English commentator. de
'livcrcd when the United States contained only
'ahout GO0o0OO people surrounded 10y hostile
powers and hostile natural conditions. appears
TO he lost when the 5000 600 have grown to
"70OO0 600 and are already reckoning the day
"whcn they will he 2OO.00o,O0o." Mr. Kidd has
discovered in the average Wcstcrncr a profound
and implicit faith in National expansion. and he
easily traces the origin of il. For the American
people since WashnctonS time have tanned i
continent, have covered II with vast network
"of the most magnificent railroads in the world.
'havc grown to be the largest and most homo
"gcneo,s Nation on the face OF the earth. with
"a great world-movcment behind il and GER
'tanly great world-part before it. 1t Is be-
"cause the man in the Western States to-day.
"in dim instructive way. realizes these things.
because he has himself been in the midst Of
this development and has even been a factor
lin II. that he seems To be willing To take the
risks (of territorial expansion which more
Theoretical minds hesitate at And the West
ern mans instinct is a sound and convincing
one: for as Mr.. Kidd adds. lit l. not possible
'to conceive the North American continent as
occupied by perhaps 2oO.W0.00O people in the
near future. without considering these inhabi-
'tants as having behind them world trade
Attention Is called to the coincidence Of the
two dclivcranccs by writers of fitness and equip
mcnt on the motives which lie behind the de-
termination Of the United States 10 keep and
use SPANS former colonies in the East for its
own political and commercial benefit There
can be no doubt that both the American arl the
English author have OWNED the real drift Of
American sentiment-that substantial and in
| siinctivc sentiment on which President MEEK in
ley has from the beginning wisely based thr
conduct of his policy in the Far East In the
end certainly there can he no safer ana surrr
guide than National instinct. And our tlmlI
and cautious critics Of the policy Of expansion
| Will do well 10 remember this phrase ~ Profes-
sor Secley's, which Mr. Kidd also quotes: In a