Washington sentinel., 1898-11-19
imperialism and Democracy.

ImD eTia III 6m and Dem OCraCys
II is at last, says HarPeTS S
Weekly, the determination of the
President to take the Philippines,
and doubtless he would take Cuba
also if the promise of the declara-
tion of war had not been repeated
in the protocol. The fate OF the
country is apparently sealed in this
respect, but there is hope until the
treaty ofpeace is ratified blythe SEN
ate, and therefore it is the duty Of
those who believe that by this
strange departure the country will
be harmed. and that democratic
government, which, with all its
faults, holds the hope Of humanity,
will be discredited, to follow the
Example OF Bishop Potter, anil
keep on blowing the Il umpet and
Earning the people.
The d iscussiou over the Philip
es is one Of the strangest results
the war. A year ago, as has
ZEN often said, most of the people
/ this country knew Of the exist
ence OF the islands only through
the news of outbreaks OF their peo-
pie against the rule of Spain. tits
safe to say that no politician in this
country would have dreamed oi
accepting them, and the interua-
tlonal responsibilities that wait on
sovereignty over them, as gilt.
Now everything is changed. The
dreams of empire are disturbing
heated brains which in their calmer
moments objected vigorously to
the proposed treaty of annexation
with Hawai-, and condemned Mr..
Cleveland for involving us in the
troubles OF Samoa. But a war that
has discovered the unworthiness
OF its cause, the wretched weakness
of our army sys EN-, the ambition
of politicians to be military leaders,
and their grave incompetency; the
war which covered the staff corps
OF the army with deserved ridicules
which resulted in the needless
slaughter OF brave officers and men
of the line, which destroyed the
confidence of all intelligent men in
raw militia and volunteers. and the
gross mismanagement OF which has
filled thousands of graves with
victims Of starvation and fever, and
the whole land with mourning
this war, demonstrative of nothing
more clearly than our unprepared-
ness for it, has excited the minds
of hundreds Of thousands Of our
people with glowing images OF
future greatness IN distant seas,
and, strangely inconsistent though |
it is, has launched US on career
of empire. We shall not Join in
the sneer at those who predict that
we shall rise to our new responsible |
tiles, tor we believe that if they are
really thrust upon us we shall at
tain the capacity for the govern
ment of their peoples, because we
must The cost, however, will be
enormous and unnecessary.
In taking these colonies we will
discard the foundation principle of
the republic which was the very |
soul OF our revolution against
Great Britain. We will then hold
that it is a self-evident proposition
that all men are not created equal,
and that governments do not neces-
sarily derive "their just powers
from the consent Of the governed"
The principles Of the Declaration
Of independence will be thrown
aside. In a short time we shall
hear men sneer at those who con-
tinue to insist upon an intelligent
construction of the Constitution.
We shall come back to the prinei-
pie in time. our colonies and col
onists to the contrary notwith-
standing, because it is the true
principle, under which the govern
ment established here has show
cred more blessings upon human
ity and upon the individual than
any other government ever in
vented by man. Most OF what we
have that we call progress and en-
lightenment is due to our Ameri-
can and English democracy, and
we shall not lose this by undertak-
.-..-. Liar