The record-union., 1898-06-19
A SHORT TALK WITH COLONEL
BRYAN.

| w ]. Bryan was one of the speak
! ers at the opening of the Nebraska
| building at the Transmissippi Exposi-
/ ton the other day. In the course of
/ his remarks Colonel Bryan-he is a
| Colonel now, and we wish him all sue
cess as a military man, when he learns
the ropes-asked several questions, af-
| ter he had lucidly stated perfect justi-
| fication for the war
! For instance, he asked, rs our ma
tional character so weak that we can
not withstand the temptation to appro-
pirate the first piece of land that comes
within our reach?" No. Colonel, no.
| 1t is not so weak, and no one proposes
| to appropriate anything belonging to
| anybody else with a better claim of
enemy in war is not appropriated, you
know. 1t is taken by justification of
the same righteousness you yourself
pleaded for commencing this war,
which, as you well say, was resorted to
only when all the arts Of diplomacy
had been exhausted, and we had to
choose between the sword and servile
acquiescence in abhorrent cruelties.
Again the warlike Colonel asked: ITO
inflict upon the enemy all possible harm
is legitimate warfare; but shall we con-
template a scheme for the colonization
/ of the Orient, merely because our fleet
Won a remarkable victory in the harbor
| Of Manila?" No! Colonel, no. No
one is contemplating American coloni-
zation of the Orient. That is quite too
big a job for even the American peo-
pie. But, Colonel, consider how your
| prelude and your question hang to-
| gether If it is right to inf1ict all pos
| sible injury upon the enemy, do you
really think that after wrenching the
capital of the Philippines from him it
would be the straight thing to hand
| him back the possession he lost? ?
/ Would you consider it the square thing,
Colonel Bryan, after lifting the awful.
unprecedented, cruel, monstrous and
unbearable system of Spanish taxation
and oppression from the necks of the
| Filipinos, it would be the just thing
| to put their necks under the yoke
again?
| What then shall we do with the
4 goods? Sell them to Germany? The
| thought is absurd. Permit Japan to
come and occupy the premises? By no
1 means. Dicker with Great Britain for
/ fhaix. 3iSnocaI2 Cartoipl1y ,ot THE CO 20
thing, Colonel, the one thing of all 9TH
ers justified by humanity civilization
and that irresistible power that moves
progressive and civilizing nations for
ward and upward despite their resist
| ance, is to keep the starry banner
where Dewey plants it, This will neither
be conquesting nor colonizing the ORR
ent
But so far as putting new elements
into activity in the Philippines, and in
jecting into society there new vigor,
which will uplift and advance it, snatch
il from semi -barbarism and put it upon
the plane of freedom, justice mercy
and progress, can you name a people
on earth better fitted for the work
than the Americans?
Again the Colonel: Our guns de-
stroyed the Spanish fleet, but can they
| destroy that self evident truth that
| governments derive their just powers
not from superior force-but from the
consent of the governed?" No! Colo
| mel, no. No guns, not even the voice Of
Colonel Bryan can destroy that great
truth. But is it not within your knowl-
edge that the governed in the Philip
pines to-day are ruled, tyrannically rul-
ed without their consent? Do you not
know that for ten years they have been
more or less in open and armed revolt
against the rule of the tyrannous and
merciless there? Would it be conserv-