The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-16
BRYAN ON THE WAR AND TERRITORIAL
AGGRESSION.

/ ~ MS HoSl bltlcE eHellieS WIN being
the wisest man in speech of any living
man who speaks often. The reason
why he makes so few mistakes is that
he does not talk upon any subject unless
he has deep convictions, and he speaks
from Il sincere heart, ms well as n
trained intellect. On Tuesday he was
one of the speakers at the dedication of
the Nebraska building at the great
Omaha Exposition.
Mr.. Bryan's Grafton was notable for
being his first public declaration on the
war issue. He took II high ground on the
question, urging that the war is for hui
manity, and not for the extension of
United States territory. I'm concluding,
he said the manifest destiny of this
nation is not to acquire new realms to
govern, but to carry out the fundamen-
tai principles of democracy to the end
that equality among the citizens may
be secured. Mr. Bryan said:
'"War is harsh; it is attended by hard
ship and suffering: ii means Il vast eX-
penditure of men and money. We may
we'll pray for the coming of the time,
promised in Holy Writ. when the spears
shall be beaten into pruning hooks and
the swords into plowshares; but uniyer-
sal peace cannot come until justice is en-
thr0ned throughout the world. Jehovah
deals with nations as He deals with men,
and for both DEGREES that the wages Of
sin is death. Until the right has trium-
phed in every land and love reigns in
every heart, governments must, as last
resort, appeal to force. As long as the
oppressor is deaf to the voice of reason
SO long must the citizen accustom his
shoulder to the musket and his hand
to the saber.
'"Our nation exhausted diplomacy in its
efforts to secure n peaceable solution
of the Cuban question and only took
up arms when it was compelled to
choose between war and servile acquiesc-
ence in cruelties which would have been
a disgrace to barbarism.
'"History win vindicate the position
taken by the United States in the war
with Spain. In saying this l assume
that the principles which were invoked
i'm the Inauguration of the war will be
observed in its prosecution and conclu-
sion. If contest undertaken for the
sake of humanity degenerates into a
war of conquest we shall find it difficult
to meet the charge of having added
hypocrisy to greed. Is our national
character so weak that we cannot with
stand the temptation to appropriate the
first piece of land that comes within
our reach?
ITO intiict upon the enemy all posi-
BILE harm is legitimate warfare, but shall
we contemplate a scheme for the coloni-
cation of the Orient merely because our
fleet won a remarkable victory in the
harbor of Manila?
'"Our guns destroyed 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?
'"Shall we abandon just resistance
to European encroachment upon the
western hemisphere in order to mingle
i'm the controversies of Europe and Asia
Nebraska. standing midway between
the oceans. will contribute her full share
toward the protection If our seacOast:
her sons will support the flag Mt home
and abroad; wherever the honor and the
interests Of the nation may require, Ne
hraska will hold up the hands of the
government while the battle RACES, and
when the war clouds roll away her voice
will be heard pleading for the mainten-
ance of those ideas which inspired the
founders of our government and gave
the nation its prot eminence among the
nations of the earth.
'"If others turn to thoughts of aggran-
dizement and yield allegiance to those
who clothe land-covetousness i'm the at
tractive garb of national destiny the
people of Nebraska WILL if | mistake not
their sentiments. plant themselves upon
the disclaimer entered by Congress and
expect that good faith shall characterize
the making Of peace, as it did the be-
ginning of war. Goldsmith calls upon
StateSmen:
''ro judge how wide the limits stand
BetwiXt Il splendid and happy land"
IF some dream Of the splendors Of a
heterogeneous empire encircling the
globe we shall be content to aid in
bringing enduring happiness to n homo
geneous people, consecrated to the pur-
pose of maintaining "A government of
the people, for the people, by the peo-
pie.