The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-15
At A NATIONAL CRISIS
Gray on the Momentous Issues
Left by the War.
DUTIES NOT TO BE AVOIDED
Unexpected Conditions Have Been Gre
ated by the eWar-Sovereignty ofthe
Philippines Must Be Assumed
as a Sacred Trust.

| States Senator Gray was rendered a
complimentary dinner in this city to-
night President Mckinley his cabinet
and all the members of the peace COM
mission, with the exception of John B.
Moore, sent letters of regret ,dr.
Moore was the only member of he
commission present. There We're eco
guests in attendance. Senator Gray
was the chief speaker of the evening.
and responded to the toast, "Our Guest
| of Honor
In the course of his speech he said:
we are now in a crisis of our national
| history and our hearts and minds, IS
patriotic citizens of this great country
are full of anxiety as to the proper
mode of the settlement of the moment
Gus issues which have resulted troln
the war with Spain. While our country
| was in war with Spain we We're ready
to make, [ hope, every sacrifice to IN
sure the success of American arms and
| bring victory and hol.or to the Ameri-
can flag. And when the war was over,
| | believe the patriotic instincts of
| American citizenship demanded as
your president enjoined upon us, that
we would exhibit magnanimity to a
prostrate foe and moderation in the
hour of victory, as we had faced the
war with Steadfastness and courage
In the first place, l want to say to you
that it was my pleasure as well as
what l conceived my duty to endeavor
| to carry out this instruction. so crei-
! liable to us as a nation and worthy of
| the high civilization of which we pro-
fess to be leaders.
THE acquisition of territory to The
! United States was not one of the OBJ
| jects of the war, and we solemnly de-
| n hl Init IN,
that our only object in demanding the
REIMBURSEMENT of the sovereignty of
| Cuba by Spain was not to hold it our
| selves, except that we might pacify it
and fit it for self-government by its
| own people.
+ NBut in this, as in all else. 'map pro-
poses and God dispOses,' and it is one Of
the things that make thoughtful men
| desire to avoid war where it can be
| avoided, for no one can tell what its
| consequence may be. I ardently desired
1 that we might escape the necessity of
| taking the Philippine islands and as
| suming the burden that their taking
| will impose upon us, and | know that
| the president of the United States was
| equally anxious to the same end. But
| it became apparent that without our
| seeing, unexpected conditions had been
created and out of these conditions un-
questionable duties had sprung which
| could not be avoided or evaded by the
| United States. 1t was argued that the
| performance of duty is sometimes not
| only unpleasant but has dangers at
| tendant upon it: nevertheless a brave
| man and a brave nation will not shrink
| from it on that account. On the other
| hand, If American sentiment did not
| justify the return of these islands to
| Spain, no more could it justify leaving
them dere1ict in the eastern ocean, the
| prey of the first occupant of European
| rapacity. The powers Cf Europe would
| acquiesce in our taking them, but they
| would not stand by and see them in
| their helpless condition of anarchy and
disorder without seizing the opportuni-
ty to aggrandize themselves and so it
was thought best by the president and
his advisers to take the ceSsion of their
sovereignty from Spain ana hold it in
trust to be administered in conformity
with those high ideals and liberty low
ing traditions which animate anG glOrfy
the history of our country. Duty can
not honorably be avoided because it
| may bring pain or danger, nor can re-
sponsibility always be evaded because
Of it's burdens.
THAT | sought in Paris. by all honor
| able means, to escape that responsible
| ity does not matter now. 1t came to a
| point at last that we must either leave
| the islands to Spain, take them as we
| did or break off negotiations and come
| lolle without treaty Ol peace. In ttit
| last event the truce would be broken
and a state of active war would have
| been resumed. We would have had no
cession for the sovereignty of the Phil
| ippines and none of Porto Rico and of
| the REIMBURSEMENT of the sovereignty
| of Cuba.
1T is true that in the protocol of
| Aug. u. Spain had definitely promised
| that she would cede Porto Rico and
| relinquish Cuba, but without peace
treaty, that promise would not be per-
formed. What would then have been
the exigency of the situation? Tn
doubtedly we would have been COM
PEELED to go on and seize with the
strong hand and by military power both
the Philippine archipelago and the
Greater and Lesser Antilles, taking by
ruthless conquest what it was far bet
ter We should take by the voluntary
cession of a treaty of peace. But. now
that we have them, it does not follow
that We are committed to a colonial
policy or to a violation of those great
principles of liberty and self-govern-
ment which must always remain Amer
lcan ideals, if our own free institutions
are to endure.
mo country, and this country least
of all, can afford to trample on its
ideals. | have no fear that it will do
so, Without assuming for moment
any right to speak for the president !
think | can assure you with some
knowledge whereof | speak. that he
fully appreciates the duties and re-
sponsiblities of the situation and that
he is committed to no policy calculated
to discourage, much less to strike down
the aspirations of liberty-loving people
all over the world | belong to a diff
ferent political party, but / should be
false to my sense of justice and to that
pride which | feel as an American if
did not declare my confidence in the |
patriotism and purity of purpose of
William Mckinley. He is no usurper of
power, no stranger to American inSti- |
tutions: but one of the American people, |
called to his high office by their suf- /
frageS. and it would be strange, indeed, !
if he did not share to the fullest extent |
in the love Of our constitution and the |
principles that underlie it What less |
than this can be trnfhfullN said of a n |