The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-29
'srNAroR EDMUNDs ON IMPERIALISM.

can We be justified In forcing nv thc
sword our particular and excellent ideas OF I
yovernmcnt, morality and religion upcn
these people, rs Mahomet did In his r,iu
ious wars aud rs Spain did In her carly
operations on this contlnents
How will such OF our "bishors. nriesia
and dcncons" and religious newsnane,s ne
have appeared 10 favor tho scheme Ard
authority In tho greatest and bcsr Of ali
books that have ever been given 10 man. /
kind--thc new Instrumentation this new en- |
terprisc now proposed for our rcpubliey
STATUS OF THE PHILIPPINES.
An the people of these Islands who were
the subjects of Spain will become citizens
OF the United States BY tho mere act OF |
ccsslon unless tho treaty OF cessjon should !
provide that those who wished could rc
main subjects OF Spain and aliens as 10 the
United States. THIS has been necessary
rule OF international law for hundreds Of
years, and the rule is founded upon the OBJ
,ious fact that the people of every coun-
try or of any part Of 1t must owe allegiance
TO aud be subject to the government OF
some sovereign power, be Il tribe or
emperor, or king. or republic, and must
unless they are slaves or serfs, have the
rights of such. N mr.
But republic can have no subjects Its
people must be either citizens. slaves or
aliens.
II aliens they are the subjects or citizens
of some other power which is bound 10 pro-
tect them. The transfer. therefore, OF the
sovereignty OF Spain over the Philippines
to the United States makes oil hor subjects
at once citizens OF the United States.
n citizens OF the United States, they have
all the rights that belong to other cltizcns
In the territories, whether on the mainland
or on islands Of the sea. Neither geography
nor distance has anything to do with II.
THE POWER OF CONGRESS
The constitution of the United States
provides for the government of Territories
as we'll as for government within the
States. In the States the autonomy is
fixed in respect of all the three depart.
ments OF the government-legislatiyc ex
ecutive and judicial. In the Territories
congress is left free to regulate, subject
to the constitution, the means of govern
ment according 10 its discI elton. But i'ni.
damenta. and other private rights are, and
always have been as secure under and Gy
| force of the same constitution in the Terri.
tories as in the States. The constitution
secures both. only by different methods Of
exertion. Congress may invest the polts.
| ical government of a Territory in singls
person II he chooses, and confde the jul
dicial power to single judge If 1t likes.
| but 1t con not authorize the political gov
! crnor to make a law that iniuriously al,
| fects personal rights differently from such
| laws as congress may rightfully make ioI
the citizens of a State
| 1t can not authorize . Territorial judge
| to condemn mai unheard or TO deal vita
| his person or property otherwise than by
4 that due process OF law which the copstt-
tuition secures to all the people who owa
allegiance to the United States or arc
| within Its sovereign power. 1t can not
| say that no citizen residing in State
shall migrate to Territory. or that a
citizen or some particular class Of citi.
zens residing ina Territory shall not mr.
crate to a State. In short, the constitu-
| ton does operate and have full force In
i our Territories in the respects that affect
the personal and civil rights of all.
This fundamental principle (self-evident
on our republican theory OF government
has been constantly recognized and acted
upon by the supreme court of the United
States.
! Congress. therefore, can not lawfully
prevent the migration OF any citizen re-
siding In the Philippines (and every SPAN
ish subject therein becomes one by force
Of the treaty. to our States any more THAI
/ It can lawfully prevent tho migration oil
citizens OF the States to the Philippines,
1t Is not well. then. to shut our eyes to
dangers OF this character that attend such
acquisition of Territories fully populated
by such peoples as those OF the Philippines
are known to be-
WHAT WILL THEY DO TO US!
There are other considerations, both hui
name and finaacial. that can not be ignored
If the people of the Philippines, both civ
ilized and savage must be subdued to GU
Christian government by force of arms
how many American lives and how nue.
American treasure ought to be sacrihce
to that end? 49,
Randy developing events seem to sho'
that a military force Of at least $1,000 me
must he kept up OH land in those island
in order to our obtaining an ehectuai su
premacy. :.
And this force must be supported D
many naval vessels, with their crews, s'S
TO keep up such an establishment ~
evident from the experience of Spain an
, | from that of other nations carrying on sue
, operations in the tropics that eonstaI
, current of supply and reinforcement, DOL
OF material and men. must go on.
besides the casualties of battle with zoe
!, tsomc OF whom Spain has not peen apie ~
subduo In 200 years OF ehortl mere - a ~,
.ho constont and uncomfortable foe OF tn
tropical climate ana inc use"ss'
9 present In 1t. ~ ,sr
!. And besides this no troops from me .eI
: nerate zones can long endure the eiieot ,
. smch n climate. and they must therefore
uithdrawn to some cooler latitude at We,
Il sbort neriods to recuperate. The Engiish
India happily have the Himalaya ~,
within comparatively shore distances, :,
Witch their troops are sent at frequen' y y
o torvais TO escape the exhaustion OF J. =,
Ia ,ropiraI sea coast But our troops IN u
philinpinrs must be transported oy ,,
!. touy nr ave thousands miles to reasn y
r. salubrious shores OF California ana oses ~,
!, To- accomplish all this the annual ana 90,
y t,nuous expenditure Of millions upon IN,
- lions Of the earnings OF our people r'u
,e 20 on indefinitely. ,~
Of But we are now confronted with oolp
1T ..condition" and theory. Inc exc,
~ tive HIS concluded q treaty by when ope
l. has ceded the sovereignty OF the VINO
I'd philippine group, OF which she hao a'su
70 posscssion OF only small traction, ahu
10 many parts OF which her dominion -
I'd been absolutely overthrown, ana IN o'n
e. rarts of which she never had any eou ,'
n lon AZ all, many OF the ISLANDS , nas,,
mt from, the first until today been ih'isy nv
ge nv independent tribes over WHICH ~
~ y, 80 anv actual dominion.