Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-20
COULD NOT RESIST.

| VINO quit MS party DccduSt He SVufu III
| stomach reconstruction legislation-wa'
asked some years after the close OF the
( civil war whether In his opinion, IL would
| have been better for the South had Mr.
Lincoln lived to serve out his second
term. lie replied emphatically In the
negative. While, he added, Mr.. Lincoln
intentions were OF the best, no man could
have resisted that gang" referring 10
the leaders among the South-haters.
However We may differ with President
Mckinley in politics. we would fain be-
lieve that he started out with the best
OF intentions regarding the annexation
question. That is to say, we would fain
believe that he was honestly opposed to
expansion. and had deceived himself into
believing that he was strong enough TO
maintain his attitude OF opposition. But,
alas, Il would seem that the expansion
gang has proved too strong for him.
Gradually, he has yielded to annexation
pressure, until his position in the question
has been practically reversed.
In his message on Cuban Intervention,
dated April H. 1898, President Mckinley
made this declarations:
I'm my annual address of December
last. said: OF the untrled measures there
remain only-Recognition of the insur-
gents as belligerents; recognition of the
independence of Cuba; neutral interven-
tion 10 end the war by imposing rational
compromise between the contestants, and
Intervention in favor of one or the other
party. / speak not Of forcible annexation.
for that cannot be thought Of. That, by
our code of morality, would be criminal
aggression"
There was no mistaking this language.
It involved broad and general com
initial against a policy of annexation and
acquisition on the part OF the United
States. 1t distinctly antagonized impe-
rialism. And on several occasions since
the above declaration was made the Presi-
dent in one way or another reasserted the
doctrine therein laid down. A noticeable
instance of this was his first outgiving re-
specting the retention OF territory In the
Philippines. AS to that he was credited
with being most pronounced in expressing
the conviction that We did not want the
or any part thereof. So pro-
nounced was he in truth, that many of
his severest critics were led to concede
that he appeared 10 be engaged in a sim
cere effort to take the problem out of the
domain of partisan politics and raise it to
the domain of craftsmanship His posi-
ton in the matter was even hailed as
evidence Of his having emancipated him
self from the ''malign influences" that had
surrounded him. But now the
evidence is that these views were prema-
ture. The "malign influences" succeeded
started the weakening process 1t went
steadily on. The various steps of pro-
erosion are best described by the Wash |
ngton correspondent: of the Boston |
Herald, who Is represented as being per-
sonally very friendly 10 the President. |
That correspondent has this TO say in
the numerous reports from |
Washington that the President instructed |
the Peace Commission to secure substan- |
tally the control of the Philippine archi- |
pelago:
"The President was constrained to move |
on successfully to the position that we |
ought to have simply a coaling station; |
then to the position that we ought to have |
a naval station. preferably not Manila; |
then that we ought to have Manila and |
It's neighbOrhood, and then that we ought |
to have the rest of the island of Luzon. |
Having gone that far, and assumed such |
for the archipelago and its |
and having laid such founda
tons for military and commercial enter~
prises I'm the East, he has concluded that |
We ought TO control the rest of the archi-
)elago by securing guarantees from Spain,
f possible, while leaving the sovereignty
10 Spain, or else to take them all abso-
rtely."
Assuming, anent this matter that the
President has not been misrepresented by
he friendly correspondent from whom
We have quoted and by other Washing
on correspondents, and a fair question
S could there be a more radical re-
'ersal Of his attitude?" If the President
las not been misrepresented, he must be
ldjudged out of his own mouth as guilty
# debating criminal aggression.
In this connection, we are told that
ne administration, in excuse for it's
hange of front, puts up the plea that
he public demand a policy OF expansion.
n other words, we are told that the peo-
lie demand, not only that we repudiate
he doctrines Of the fathers, but enter
lpon a career that will necessitate a
military and a naval establishment. cost
|
year. We are told that the masses not
My favor a policy that would endanger
he very foundation Of our system of
government, but court the perpetuation of
he war taxes for a generation, if not
onger We do not believe it, We doubt
lot that there are many .unthinking peo-
lie who favor criminal aggression" But
o believe that the vast majority Of the
oters of this country would endorse
UGH policy is to reflect upon both the
atriotissn and the good sense of the |
lasses. Therefore, We are constrained TO |
he conclusion that 'the public" who. in
his case, have Influenced the President
gainst his better judgment-and his bet
sr intentions-are the Hannas. the Gros-
enors the Forakers, and the circum-
,ribed, though none the less powerful. {
elfish interests they stand for. The '
tuation presents another instance Of the
and presumption of the three
ailors of Tooley street 8
!
Captain Allyn Capron, of the First Ar ]
l.
llery, died at his home. near Fort Myer, /
a.. on Sunday. He WAS the father of