Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-12-22
AMERICAS NEW EMPIRE.

demands Of the United States, and
Philippine Archipelago, has, in ad..
dition to Porto Rico and hawaii, ana
possibly Cuba, passed into the hands
Of America. What will she do with
her new empire? Will she so occupy
and rule it as to increase the hap
piness of the races Chat dwell within
it, and to develop and improve her own
polity, or will she make the first grand
failure OF the Anglo-SaSon race IN tne
| government Of inferior races? VIII she,
that is, apply herself earnestly and
with singlesmindedness to her, great
task, or will she, through o mixture
OF moral timidity, selftdistrust, and
| blindness to her true destiny, hall
refuse, and SO wholly spoil, tho great |
opportunity thus presented to her?
| These are questions that the thinking |
part of the other half OF the Anglo
Saxon race are asking with the deepest
,nterest and concern. Englishnen trust
aNd believe that America will in the
end choose the true path, but they
| are necessarily most anxious that at
this the critical moment, the moment
of the first step, America should mako
no false start. We do not seriously
fear that Britain's anxiety lest America
shall neglect to take up her RESPONSE
bilities is in any great danger OF being
misunderstood in the, States. Still,
lest our attitude should by chance be
misrepreseuted, let us state clearly that
if we thought merely of England's
own selfish interests, rather than Of
those of the race, we should wish
America to shrink from, and SO miss,
the opportunity presented to her. 4
Machiavellian British statesman would
most certainly wish America first to
make an unsuccessful attempt TO
govern, and then to abandon, her over
sea possessions. LII America failed, as
the Continental Powers have failed,
to rule tropical possessions, the gain
from a marrow, selfish standpoint would
be ours. But we arc glad to think
that NO such feeling exists here, and
that there is no section of British
opinion which does not desire that
America shall succeed in the develop
inent of her new empire. We ask, then,
the people Of America to believe that
tho advice and encouragement so
eagerly and strongly pressed upon them
from this side is absolutely genuine
and sincere A leading English states
man and q leading English political
thinker have lately urged on America
the need of starting her now empire
on sound and strong lines. Mr.. Cham
berlain, in his powerful article in the
Christmas number Of Scribher. points
out to the people of the United States
how their new empire, instead of prov
ing q burden on those who care most
for the welfare of the commonwealth,
may prove source of strength and OF
public virtue. Mr.. Benjamin Kidd,
in his little book. 1.-THE Control of the
Tropics, just published by Macmillan
l. Co., takes up the same theme, ano
with the utmost lucidity and power
lays down the true principles, upor
which a Western people should dea
with tropical dependencies. These two
articles Mr.. Chamberlain, it may BIZ
noted, quotes largely from Mr. Kide
taken together, may be said to con
stitute England's appeal to America
1t is an appeal neither selfish no
interested, and if it fails our disap
pointment will be, not that this coun
try has suffered, but that our own fiesl
and blood have preferred the snul
safety of their vast parish to the re
sponsibilities and duties of wide
e' outlook, moral and political.
u' The main, the essential, principl
which the Americans must pursue i
establishing their sway over their neN
empire is that in every case the gov
eminent set up must be for the bench
of the peoples governed. They mus
give the Philippines, that is, not tn
government which will appear to cor
duce most to tho benefit OF the Unite
I'D States, nor, again, the goyernmer
which some fraction OF the people
the Philippines seem to demand. 10 q
IL / As,.. ..pf fpl
,a the imperial art. What the American
- must consider is what scheme of go'
eminent will be most productive I
j. happiness to the races governed. III
= government of % subject race is
trust, and the rulers OF the protectir
and controlling people must nev,
forget that they are in the position
trustees, and bound, like trustees,
think first of the interests of the sui
iect of the trust. They must no
because at home they believe in re
resentative government and electi
institutions, rush to endow the peor
hey of the tropics with similar power
They must rather consider, not wheth
voting is good in the abstract, b
whether an electoral system is likely
not to be conducive to the prosperit
moral and physical, of the philippine
: More important still is 1t that Ameri
should not LOOK to making any dire
gain out of her possessions. 1t seei
natural thing for q nation which
lieves in protection to include t
Philippines in its tariff i. e., to sh
out the rest of the world, and to mi
the Philippines get all they want FRI
America. But this is in fact to ma
II. the Philippines a close preserve. I
the American manufacturer o.,
set up the old colonial system,
system which we once had, and viii
France has to this day. Yet. reas'
able as this may seem to u PEG
accustomed as are the Americans
protection, it means ruin in the g
of a dependency. Spain governed
colonies on that principle, and look
the result They were destroyed &C
mercially by their dependence on
mother country. II America seeks
:, dso make her new empire her tied ,custol
1N'' she will infallibly ruin her tropi
possession. We say this not beca
we want an open market in the Phil
pines America need not, and GU
not to, think for moment about
ia. susceptibilitics- shall do very Y
whatever policy she adopts, w
America must think Of alone, is W
will suit the Philippines what '
near. make them prosperous. But that
ar. not making them q tied house, ;
re-establishing the old colonial syst
The interest of the governed, {
alone must be her guide, not my de
to benefit her own merchants,